Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942 – October 27, 2013) was an American musicia… Read Full Bio ↴Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942 – October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Although not commercially successful during its existence, the Velvet Underground became regarded as one of the most influential bands in the history of underground and alternative rock music. Reed's distinctive deadpan voice, poetic and transgressive lyrics, and experimental guitar playing were trademarks throughout his long career.

Having played guitar and sung in doo-wop groups in high school, Reed studied poetry at Syracuse University under Delmore Schwartz, and had served as a radio DJ, hosting a late-night avant garde music program while at college. After graduating from Syracuse, he went to work for Pickwick Records in New York City, a low-budget record company that specialized in sound-alike recordings, as a songwriter and session musician. A fellow session player at Pickwick was John Cale; together with Sterling Morrison and Angus MacLise, they would form the Velvet Underground in 1965. After building a reputation on the avant garde music scene, they gained the attention of Andy Warhol, who became the band's manager; they in turn became something of a fixture at The Factory, Warhol's art studio, and served as his "house band" for various projects. The band released their first album, now with drummer Moe Tucker and featuring German singer Nico, in 1967, and parted ways with Warhol shortly thereafter. Following several lineup changes and three more little-heard albums, Reed quit the band in 1970.

After leaving the band, Reed would go on to a much more commercially successful solo career, releasing twenty solo studio albums. His second, Transformer (1972), was produced by David Bowie and arranged by Mick Ronson, and brought him mainstream recognition. The album is considered an influential landmark of the glam rock genre, anchored by Reed's most successful single, "Walk on the Wild Side". After Transformer, the less commercial but critically acclaimed Berlin peaked at No. 7 on the UK Albums Chart. Rock 'n' Roll Animal (a live album released in 1974) sold strongly, and Sally Can't Dance (1974) peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200; but for a long period after, Reed's work did not translate into sales, leading him deeper into drug addiction and alcoholism. Reed cleaned up in the early 1980s, and gradually returned to prominence with The Blue Mask (1982) and New Sensations (1984), reaching a critical and commercial career peak with his 1989 album New York.

Reed participated in the re-formation of the Velvet Underground in the 1990s, and made several more albums, including a collaboration album with John Cale titled Songs for Drella which was a tribute to their former mentor Andy Warhol. Magic and Loss (1992) would become Reed's highest-charting album on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at No. 6.

He contributed music to two theatrical interpretations of 19th century writers, one of which he developed into an album titled The Raven. He married his third wife Laurie Anderson in 2008, and recorded the collaboration album Lulu with Metallica. He died in 2013 of liver disease. Reed has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice; as a member of the Velvet Underground in 1996 and as a solo act in 2015.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Reed

Studio albums
Lou Reed (1972)
Transformer (1972)
Berlin (1973)
Rock 'n' Roll Animal (1974)
Sally Can't Dance (1974)
Metal Machine Music (1975)
Coney Island Baby (1975)
Rock and Roll Heart (1976)
Street Hassle (1978)
The Bells (1979)
Growing Up in Public (1980)
The Blue Mask (1982)
Legendary Hearts (1983)
New Sensations (1984)
Mistrial (1986)
New York (1989)
Magic and Loss (1992)
Set the Twilight Reeling (1996)
Ecstasy (2000)
The Raven (2003)
Hudson River Wind Meditations (2007)

Nobody's Business
Lou Reed Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey, if you're moving too fast
Don't you want this thing last
But if you start moving slow and -
Hey, pretty mama, you just will have to go, because -

It's nobody's business but my own
It's nobody's business but my own
No-no-no-no-no-no-no, no-no-no-no, no-no-no

No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no, no-no-no-no, no-no-no

But if you start acting mean
Then I'll have to mess up the scene
But if you start treating me nice
Hey, now baby, I'm gonna have to raise your price

Because it's nobody's business but my own
It's nobody's business but my own
No-no-no-no-no-no-no, no-no-no-no, no-no-no
No-no-no-no, no-no-no, no-no-no

Nobody's business
Nobody's business, come on now
Hey, nobody's business, yeah, but my own
Nobody's business, oh, my, no-no-no
Nobody's business, no-no-no-no-no
Hey, nobody's business, yeah, but my own
Nobody's business, my own
No-no, no-no-no
No-no-no, no-no-no

Nobody's business
Nobody's business
Nobody's business

Nobody's business, but my own, now
...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song Nobody's Business by Lou Reed talks about a relationship and how the singer doesn't want anyone interfering or judging it. The first verse talks about the need to take things slowly to make the relationship last. However, if the partner starts to act mean, the singer may have to mess up the scene. The second verse talks about the price of treating the singer well; they will have to bump up the price. The chorus reiterates that the singer's relationship is nobody's business but their own.

The song could be interpreted to mean that the singer values their privacy, and the relationship should be defined by the people in it and nobody else. It is indicative of a need for personal autonomy in a relationship, and it emphasizes the importance of boundaries. The song's rhythm and pacing are fast-paced, which is fitting for the message of how important it is to take things slowly in a relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey, if you're moving too fast
If you're moving too quickly, it may not be good for our relationship

Don't you want this thing last
Wouldn't you want this relationship to last?

But if you start moving slow and -
If you slow down too much, it may not be good for our relationship

Hey, pretty mama, you just will have to go, because -
Hey, if you can't keep up, we may have to end things

It's nobody's business but my own
Our relationship is private and should stay that way

No-no-no-no-no-no-no, no-no-no-no, no-no-no
Reiterating that it's no one else's business

But if you start acting mean
If you start treating me badly

Then I'll have to mess up the scene
I may have to cause a scene or make things difficult

But if you start treating me nice
If you start treating me well

Hey, now baby, I'm gonna have to raise your price
I'll make it clear that your good treatment will come at a cost

Nobody's business, come on now
Still emphasizing that our relationship is our business alone

Nobody's business, oh, my, no-no-no
Further emphasizing that it's no one else's business

Nobody's business, but my own, now
Our relationship is our business alone

Lyrics © SONY ATV MUSIC PUB LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID NAVARRO, ERIC ADAM AVERY, LOU REED, PERRY FARRELL, STEPHEN PERKINS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS