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)
Outside
Lou Reed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Outside
Outside, reflects the worst of styles
Outside
Inside when you're in my arms
A mindless child is still to be born
Inside, baby, when we come inside
Outside
Outside, misbehavior seethes
Outside
Mindless repression dominates the street
While I kneel down and kiss your feet
Inside, baby, when we come inside
Outside
Outside, they don't think they breed
Outside
Outside, emotion determines need
Outside
Outside, the world's a mindless child
That we could bring to life in your arms
Inside, baby, when we come inside
Outside, the politics of hate and greed
Outside
Outside, the world's a mindless child
Outside
But when I hold you in my arms
It's a mindless child that you want
Inside, no matter 'bout the world outside
Inside, a baby's what you want inside
In Lou Reed's song "Outside," the title itself represents being outside and removed from the rest of the world, a place where things seem to be much more unpleasant and troublesome. The world outside reeks of negativity, chaos, corruption, and irrational behavior. Outside reflects society's worst aspects such as politics of greed, misbehavior and mindless repression. It can be said that outside is full of ignorance, which the world deems essential to survival. However, Inside, when two people are together, it is a place of comfort where there is a mindless child yet to be born. The mindless child represents something pure, free from the toxicity of the world outside, something precious that can emerge in the arms of two souls in love. This pure nature is absent in the outside world where people are corrupted and have all sorts of negative motives.
Line by Line Meaning
Outside, the world's a mindless child
The world outside is like a naive child, unaware of its actions and consequences.
Outside, reflects the worst of styles
The outside world displays the worst behaviors and attitudes.
Inside when you're in my arms
Being in my arms brings you inner peace and comfort.
A mindless child is still to be born
A pure and innocent child is yet to be born in this world.
Inside, baby, when we come inside
When we are together in a safe space, we can be ourselves without any external pressures.
Outside, the politics of greed
The outside world is consumed by greed and selfishness.
Outside, misbehavior seethes
Outside, people act out of order and misbehave due to various reasons.
Mindless repression dominates the street
People out on the streets are subjected to thoughtless oppression.
While I kneel down and kiss your feet
I show my love and devotion towards you by bowing down and kissing your feet.
Outside
The external world is full of chaos and problems.
Outside, they don't think they breed
People outside do not seem to think before taking actions that would affect others.
Outside, emotion determines need
Emotions rule the outside world, making people act irrationally.
That we could bring to life in your arms
Together, we can awaken and nurture the innocent child within us.
Outside, the politics of hate and greed
Outside world is ruled by the politics of hatred and greed.
But when I hold you in my arms
Being physically close to you makes everything else fade away.
It's a mindless child that you want
What you truly want is a pure and innocent mind, like that of a child.
Inside, no matter 'bout the world outside
The only thing that matters is the love that we have for each other, regardless of what's happening outside.
Inside, a baby's what you want inside
On a deeper level, all you truly want is the child-like innocence and purity within the soul.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LOU REED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind