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)
Ocean
Lou Reed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and the waves down by the sea
Here comes the ocean
and the waves where've they been ?
Don't swim tonight my love
The sea is mad my love
It's known to drive men crazy
The castle is dead and reeks
The madness can make you lazy
Here come the waves
down by the shore
Washing the rocks that have been here
centuries or more
Down by the sea
Here come the ocean
and the waves down by the sea
Here comes the ocean
and the waves where've they been ?
Castles glowing at night
Towers above out fright
What did happen here
Now comes it in my head
I serve you bread on a pledge
Think of your mouth for dinner
But here come the waves
down by the sea
Washing the eyes of the men
who have died
Down by the sea
Here come the waves
Here come the waves
Here come the waves
Here come the waves
The lyrics of Lou Reed's song "Ocean" are a haunting portrayal of the power and mystery of the sea. The song's opening lines declare the ocean's arrival, with its undulating waves crashing onto shore. Reed's repetition of these lines emphasizes the relentless, unstoppable nature of the tides, which roll in and out with an inexorable force.
As the song builds, Reed uses the sea as a metaphor for danger and madness. He warns his lover not to swim in the tumultuous waters, which are so powerful they "drive men crazy." Amidst imagery of glowing castles and towers, Reed begins to speak of murder, madness, and lazy lethargy brought on by this potent force.
The last stanza of the song brings a shift in tone, as Reed speaks of death at the hands of the sea. He notes that the water washes the eyes of the men who have died, perhaps implying that the sea is a not just a merciless force, but an eternal one as well.
Overall, "Ocean" is a complex and mysterious song. Reed's lyrics paint a vivid picture of the sea's power, and the ways it affects human lives, both positively and negatively.
Line by Line Meaning
Here comes the ocean
The ocean is approaching
and the waves down by the sea
and its waves are hitting the shore
Here comes the ocean
The ocean is approaching
and the waves where've they been ?
and it's unclear where they came from
Don't swim tonight my love
It's not safe to swim tonight, my love
The sea is mad my love
The sea is turbulent and dangerous
It's known to drive men crazy
Being in the ocean can have a negative impact on people's mental state
Now come that murder seeks
Now danger is approaching
The castle is dead and reeks
The castle is abandoned and smelly
The madness can make you lazy
The chaos and danger of the ocean can make people complacent
Here come the waves
The waves are coming
down by the shore
towards the beach
Washing the rocks that have been here
Cleaning up the stones that have been here for so long
centuries or more
for hundreds of years or more
Down by the sea
at the beach
Here come the ocean
The ocean is approaching
and the waves down by the sea
and its waves are hitting the shore
Here comes the ocean
The ocean is approaching
and the waves where've they been ?
and it's unclear where they came from
Castles glowing at night
The abandoned castles are illuminated at night
Towers above out fright
The towers remind us of how small we are
What did happen here
The history of this place is a mystery
Now comes it in my head
Now I'm thinking about it
I serve you bread on a pledge
I make a promise to you
Think of your mouth for dinner
Think about eating and enjoying yourself tonight
But here come the waves
But the waves are still coming
down by the sea
towards the beach
Washing the eyes of the men
Cleaning the remains of those who drowned or died at sea
who have died
in the ocean
Down by the sea
at the beach
Here come the waves
The waves are coming
Here come the waves
The waves are coming
Here come the waves
The waves are coming
Here come the waves
The waves are coming
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lou Reed
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Arya Samanta
Here comes the ocean
and the waves down by the sea
Here comes the ocean
and the waves where have they been
Don't swim tonight my love, the sea is mad my love
it's known to drive men crazy
Malcolm has burned at sea, the castle it sits and reeks
the madness can make you hazy
But here come the waves
down by the shore
Washing the rocks that have been here
centuries or more
Down by the sea
Here come the ocean
and the waves down by the sea
Here comes the ocean
and the waves where have they been
Castles glowing at night, towers above out fright
warlocks decapitating
Malcolm he lives on hate, serve your brain on a plate
feasts on your mouth for dinner
But here come the waves
down by the sea
Washing the eyes of the men
who have died
Down by the sea
Here come the waves (x4)
Joelle Benoit
It's crazy the diversity of Lou Reed inspiration, maybe the best one for that.
Jay
I love Lou Reed From the first Velvet Underground album (have 21 V.U. CD’s) to this solo Lou Reed album (have over 50 Lou Reed CD’s) .
K T
This version is the one most folks first heard, but my favorite is still the Velvets original, which wasn't officially released until the "VU" LP released in 1985. Nothing short of majestic!
GONTIER FRANCOIS
VU is à MASTERPIECE ! Perhaps the best album ever
Robert O'Brian
there was the 1969 LIVE VU LP . . . "Ocean" and "Lisa Says" were both on it
Henrik Piirto
Yes, I agree! I bought the same album in 1988, my first Velvet Album. After that I bought all of their albums, and cursed myself being born so late. Because of having it first, VU album is for me maybe the most important. The version of Ocean in that album is the best!
CorbCorbin
@James Warhol
Yes. One of my favorite songs.
Johnny BushHogg
Rowland S Howard did an amazing cover of it too.
Jonesy
Despite all the bad things that some critics and some 'music' people this is actually a very good album and deserves it place in the anals of rock and roll...
Dean Duluoz
@Johnny B Goode. Magic and Loss is amazing too