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 but You
Lou Reed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
although I look like I do not
Since I was shot
there's nobody but you
I know I look blase
Party Andy's what the papers say
At dinner I'm the one who pays
Nobody but you
a nobody like you
Since I got shot
there's nobody but you
Won't you decorate my house
I'll sit there quiet as a mouse
You know me I like to look a lot
at nobody but you
I'll hold your hand and slap my face
I'll tickle you to your disgrace
Won't you put me in my proper place
a nobody like you
Sundays I pray a lot
I'd like to wind you up and paint your clock
I want to be what I am not
for a nobody like you
The bullet split my spleen and lung
the doctors said I was gone
Inside I've got some shattered bone
for nobody but you
Nobody but you
a nobody like you
Shattered bone
for nobody but you
I'm still not sure I didn't die
and if I'm dreaming I still have bad pains inside
I know I'll never be a bride
to nobody like you
I wish I had a stronger chin
my skin was good, my nose was thin
This is no movie I'd ask to be in
with a nobody like you
Nobody like you
a nobody like you
All my life
It's been nobodies like you
The song "Nobody But You" by Lou Reed and John Cale is a haunting ballad that tells the story of a person who has gone through a traumatic experience and found solace in the love and presence of a certain someone. The lyrics are full of contrasts, with the singer's blasé appearance and extravagant lifestyle contrasting with their deep emotional pain and need for someone to care for them. The opening lines, "I really care a lot / although I look like I do not / Since I was shot / there's nobody but you," sets the tone for the rest of the song.
The singer is portrayed as someone who is lost and searching for meaning in their life. They are willing to give up their materialistic possessions just to be close to this person, as demonstrated in the lines "Won't you decorate my house / I'll sit there quiet as a mouse / You know me I like to look a lot / at nobody but you." They also display a level of vulnerability, declaring "I'll hold your hand and slap my face / I'll tickle you to your disgrace / Won't you put me in my proper place / a nobody like you."
The song ends on a bittersweet note, with the singer reflecting on their own mortality and the fact that they may never find love again. The line "I know I'll never be a bride / to nobody like you" expresses their resignation to their fate.
Overall, "Nobody But You" is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the human condition. Its sparse instrumentation and mournful vocals create a sense of melancholic beauty that is typical of Lou Reed and John Cale's work.
Line by Line Meaning
I really care a lot
I have deep emotions and feelings towards you
although I look like I do not
Despite my demeanor, I actually do care for you
Since I was shot
My life changed after I got shot
there's nobody but you
Only you matter to me
I know I look blase
I might seem indifferent, but I am not
Party Andy's what the papers say
Media portrays me as a socialite and party-goer
At dinner I'm the one who pays
I am the one who pays for the meal
for a nobody like you
For someone who society considers unimportant like you
Won't you decorate my house
I want you to make my home more beautiful
I'll sit there quiet as a mouse
I will let you create the space you want
You know me I like to look a lot
I love to watch you all the time
at nobody but you
I am interested in only you
I'll hold your hand and slap my face
I will do anything to please you, even if it hurts me
I'll tickle you to your disgrace
I will try to make you laugh even if it means being silly
Won't you put me in my proper place
I want to be subordinated to you
Sundays I pray a lot
I am religious and pray a lot on Sundays
I'd like to wind you up and paint your clock
I would like to spend time with you, do things for you, and take care of you
I want to be what I am not
I want to change myself for you
the doctors said I was gone
The doctors declared me dead
Inside I've got some shattered bone
I have internal injuries from the gunshot
for nobody but you
Only you can make me feel better
I'm still not sure I didn't die
I feel like I could have died from the gunshot
and if I'm dreaming I still have bad pains inside
Even in my dreams, I still suffer from the gunshot wound
I know I'll never be a bride
I have accepted that I won't find someone to marry me
I wish I had a stronger chin
I want to be more attractive for you
my skin was good, my nose was thin
I used to be more physically attractive than I am now
This is no movie I'd ask to be in
My life is difficult, and I wouldn't want it to be like a movie
All my life
Throughout my entire existence
It's been nobodies like you
I have always been drawn to and fallen for people society deems as insignificant
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BLANCA REYES, MOLLY E. REED, JEFF PARDO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
slint69
I really care a lot
Although I look like I do not
Since I was shot
There's nobody but you
I know I look blasé
Party Andy's what the papers say
At dinner I'm the one who pay
For a nobody like you
Nobody but you
Nobody like you
Since I got shot
There's nobody but you
Won't you decorate my house?
I'll sit there quiet as a mouse
You know me, I like to look a lot
At nobody but you
I'll hold your hand and slap my face
I'll tickle you, to your disgrace
Won't you put me in my proper place?
A nobody like you
Sundays I pray a lot
I like to wind you up and paint your clock
I want to be what I am not
For a nobody like you
The bullet split my spleen and lung
The doctor said that I was gone
Inside I've got some shattered bone
For nobody but you
Nobody but you
Nobody like you
Shattered bone
For nobody but you
I'm still not sure I didn't die
And if I'm dreaming I still have bad pains inside
I know I'll never be a bride, to nobody like you
I wish I had a stronger chin
My skin was good, my nose was thin
This is no movie I'd ask to be in
With a nobody like you
Nobody like you
A nobody like you
All my life, it's been nobodies like you
Assunção Ribeiro
I could go on listening to songs like this for hours!
Richard Armstrong-Finnerty
The use of harmonics starting at 1:44 is sublime.
Ulrich Will
👍👍❤️❤️🇨🇭
Alberico Alessandro
Parece (e muito) com a musica "let It Bleed" dos Rolling Stones. A mesma levada. Dois gênios musicais. 👏👏👏👏👏
Misispanagirl
good music never dies.....
victor janusz
That last line…. Intense
Guenther Weiss
i am still in love with this album, since the first day we met
Lluis Bach
Never tired of listening to this song, and many others by Lou
Lana Palij
Same here. I saw him at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago in 75, I think. Right after Transformer came out on vinyl. He's always been a favorite of mine, & stood the test of time. R.I.P. Lou Reed...
66 47
Lou's voice is a salvation