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)
Shooting Star
Lou Reed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking out after you
It's just a story about winners and glory
And you know that it's true
Ah ha, oh yeah, you're just a shooting star
Ah ha, oh yeah, you're just a shooting star
Of another car
And later persuasion would permit the arranging
Of a ...
And to cause more confusion, and to make this illusion
Would have gone too far
And it's my ambition, of a jacket ignition
In a cadillac metal car
Ah ha, oh yeah, you're just a shooting star
Ah ha, oh yeah, you're just a shooting star
Ah ha, oh yeah, you're just a shooting star
Ah ha, oh yeah, you're just a shooting star
You're just a shooting star
In Lou Reed's song Shooting Star, the lyrics tell the story of a person who has experienced glory and success, but ultimately is just a fleeting moment, like a shooting star. The opening lines suggest that everyone has their moment of glory and those around them look up to them, but it's just a story about winners and glory that doesn't last. The repetition of "Ah ha, oh yeah, you're just a shooting star" emphasizes the idea that the person being talked about is not a permanent fixture.
The following lines talk about how some people may have achieved success from different circumstances or with the help of others, further emphasizing the idea that it's not just talent or hard work that brings success. The reference to a "jacket ignition in a Cadillac metal car" suggests that there is an element of image and status behind success as well.
Overall, the lyrics suggest that success is not a guarantee and even for those who achieve it, it may not last. The imagery of a shooting star adds to the message that success is fleeting and should be appreciated while it lasts.
Line by Line Meaning
All the people had their share of the glory
Everyone has their moments of success and celebration
looking out after you
Watching over you
It's just a story about winners and glory
This is simply a tale of triumph and achievement
and you know that it's true
And it's a fact that you acknowledge
Ah ha, oh yeah, you're just a shooting star
You're a flash in the pan, here today and gone tomorrow
Some men may glory from a different condition
Some people might achieve success in a different way
of another car
Perhaps by driving a different type of vehicle or pursuing a different path
And later persuasion would permit the arranging
And further convincing could lead to the arrangement of
of a ...
Of something unspecified
And to cause more confusion, and to make this illusion
To add more chaos and make this false belief
would have gone too far
Would have been taken to an extreme
And it's my ambition, of a jacket ignition
And my goal is to start up my jacket
in a Cadillac metal car
In a vehicle made of strong Cadillac metal
Ah ha, oh yeah, you're just a shooting star
You're just a temporary phenomenon, not meant to last
Ah ha, oh yeah, you're just a shooting star
Again emphasizing that you're only fleeting
Ah ha, oh yeah, you're just a shooting star
Once more, underscoring that you'll disappear in no time
Ah ha, oh yeah, you're just a shooting star
For the fourth and final time, driving home the point that you'll fade away quickly
You're just a shooting star
A reminder of the song's central message, that fame and success are often fleeting
Lyrics © SONY ATV MUSIC PUB LLC
Written by: LEWIS ALLEN REED, LOU REED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind