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)

White Light/White Heat
Lou Reed Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

White light goin' messin' up my mind
Don't you know, it's gonna make me go blind
White heat, goin' down to my toes
Lord have mercy, white light had it, goodness knows

White light goin' down to my brain
Hey, don't you know it's gonna make me insane
White heat, down to my toes

Lord have mercy, white light had it, goodness knows
Forget it

White light
Ohh, white light
Ahhh, white heat
Ohh, yeah, white light

White light goin' messin' up my mind
Don't you know, it's gonna make me go blind
White light, goin' down to my toes
Lord have mercy, white light had it, goodness knows

White light goin' messin' up my brain
Don't you know it's gonna make me insane
White heat, goin' down to my toes
Lord have mercy, white light had it, goodness knows
Forget it

Ohh, white light
Yeah, aaah, white light
White heat
Oh, baby, white light
White light, now, now, now

White light goin' messin' up my mind
Don't you know, it's gonna make me go blind
White heat, goin' down to my toes
Lord have mercy, white light had it, goodness knows

White light goin' down to my brain, ooohhh
Oh, don't you know it's gonna make me insane
White heat, goin' down to my toes
Lord have mercy, white light had it, goodness knows
Forget it

White light
Ohh, white light

Ohh, baby, white heat
Yeah, white light

Overall Meaning

Lou Reed’s song “White Light/White Heat” is a tribute to the effects of drugs like speed, cocaine, and heroin on the mind and the body. The song is full of energy and intensity, with a driving rhythm, urgent vocals, and dissonant guitar riffs. The lyrics describe the experience of being overwhelmed by the rush of a drug, represented by the “white light” and “white heat” that messes up the singer’s mind and body.

The repeated refrain of “white light, white heat” is like a mantra that captures the hypnotic and addictive nature of drug use. The lyrics also convey a sense of danger and risk, as the singer acknowledges that the drug is “gonna make me go blind” and “gonna make me insane.” Despite these warnings, the singer seems unable to resist the powerful allure of the drug and the intense sensory experience it brings.

Overall, “White Light/White Heat” is a raw and uncompromising portrayal of the highs and lows of drug addiction, as well as a testament to Lou Reed’s skill as a songwriter and performer.

Line by Line Meaning

White light goin' messin' up my mind
The bright light is affecting my state of mind

Don't you know, it's gonna make me go blind
The light is so bright it will cause blindness

White heat, goin' down to my toes
The heat from the light is making me feel it all over my body

Lord have mercy, white light had it, goodness knows
I can't handle this intense light anymore

White light goin' down to my brain
The light is having an impact on my brain

Hey, don't you know it's gonna make me insane
This light is driving me crazy

Forget it
I can't deal with this anymore

White light
Intense and blinding light

Ohh, white light
Exclamation to emphasize the brightness of the light

Ahhh, white heat
Exclamation to emphasize the heat from the light

Ohh, yeah, white light
acknowledging how bright the light is

White light goin' down to my toes
The light is so intense that I can even feel it in my toes

White light goin' messin' up my brain
The light is having an impact on my state of mind

White heat, down to my toes
The heat from the light is making me feel physically uncomfortable

Lord have mercy, white light had it, goodness knows
I am struggling to handle the brightness and heat of the light

White light goin' messin' up my mind
The bright light is affecting my state of mind

White light, goin' down to my toes
The light is so intense that I can even feel it in my toes

White light goin' down to my brain, ooohhh
The intensity of the light is impacting my brain even more

Oh, don't you know it's gonna make me insane
The light is driving me even more crazy

White light
Intense and blinding light

Ohh, baby, white heat
Exclamation to emphasize the intense heat from the light

Yeah, white light
The light is so intense and overpowering

Lyrics © SONY ATV MUSIC PUB LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LOU REED

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@fci1

7y↑33

One of the best live albums ever released.

@lucamontanarilughi6457

6y↑1

Absolutely!

@mamonkhatib8492

5y↑1

Great group

@antmac2545

3y↑2

Never leaves the top of my Play List.

@usandthemakakelly2535

2y↑1

Desert island album...

@realwario

2y↑15

My favourite versión by far, the bass is wicked

@usandthemakakelly2535

2y↑1

WICKED! 🤙

@garyrasberryjr.552

Prakash John on bass

@apprendrelebalafon9819

15w↑3

Le morceau de légende mes amis !!!
Ça groove monstrueux du début à la fin et ça monte monte monte....
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

@ivanmay7890

3y↑7

I really wish I had met Lou Reed. He was the genius of punk music.

@BIRISHPM

8y↑17

Lou with two incredible lead guitarists, Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner. With these gentlemen playing together, it's hand you can't beat.

@michaelsmith54

8w↑1

Prakash John on bass.

@walterfechter8080

32w↑1

This one's a Rock N Roll locomotive at full throttle, no brakes and heading for a wall. This one and "Kick Out the Jams" (The MC5) has all the subtilty of a solid concrete block tossed through a plate glass window. Simply bruisin'! Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner were a formidable duo. Prakesh John on bass is incredible. I remember buying "Rock N Roll Animal" when it debuted. I wore it out in short order. Lou Reed (RIP)

@patrickproost5707

2y↑3

Steve Hunter 's best job ever!! He has put his name on this one !

@rogerfoster3519

2y↑3

Reed rocks

@freddiemoises6020

1y↑4

The God Father of Punk

@michelflowers7180

6y↑3

Wunderbare Seite... Vielen Dank fürs Runterladen ( Rock `n Roll did save my Live )...

@keithplunk6611

12w

First time I heard a Maestro phase shifter on the guitar intro to Sweet Jane. Talk about a galvanizing moment! Only thing better was a Uni-vibe on Machine Gun on Band Of Gypsies or Clapton rockin' a wah wah. Man I was blessed to hear those pedals! Thankyou soooo much for making me spend ALL my money on guitar effects. I salute the men.who brought them to life. Oh...Behave! Killer stomp box inventors! 😜

@DaveGoldShow

51w↑1

Shit Kickin' guitar play!

@buda0420

8y↑14

This song is so badass how am i the first to comment on it.

@omikredarhcs8221

2y↑2

I commented on it decades ago when it first came out

@union4everdixienever

1y↑3

Far and away the very best version of this song ever released. Where the original captured the pulsating, orgasmically charged rush of slamming methamphetamine, this embodies the relentless euphoria and feeling of super-soldier invincibility brought on from smoking ice. For all the talk about glam’s obvious influence on Lou’s sound in this era, I hear this song in particular as more of a proto-hardcore punk reimagining.

As near as I can tell, Lou ditched this version—along with most of the RNRA adaptations—because of how almost comically these tracks showcase the backing band’s outrageous talent vs. Lou’s vocals, which meld perfectly but obviously lack the technical proficiency on full display everywhere else. What a shame. I’ve always been surprised more bands haven’t chosen to cover this song—specifically this version.

@frankpinkowski534

14w

From the 2012 movie Lawless.

@Kmarty2000

3y↑2

The very same band appeared in the Bette Midler movie "The Rose", as her backing band. Strange, but true! Great shots of Penti Glan playing a bizarre -looking Camco drum set. Then, Alice Cooper heard this very album and stole the band away from Lou Reed. You can see this band on Alice's "Welcome to My Nightmare". Aye, rock n' roll is a harsh mistress.

@AlbertoOlivieri

7y↑9

Who is the Bassist? Great Job here!!

@TheSchmidty63

7y↑4

Prakash John, he's awesome. He went on to play on several Alice Cooper albums & tours.

@AlbertoOlivieri

Thanks!!

@martbook

4y↑4

@@TheSchmidty63 And played with George Clinton

@realwario

Dude, that bass blow my mind

@AlbertoOlivieri

2y↑1

@@realwario Found out...His name is Prakash John....

2 More Replies...

@xtremerisaxtremerisa1046

23w↑1

Need to go from this to Train Kept A Rollin' from Aerosmith (well, sorta), for SURE!!

@danielmeara9376

you must be kidding me. aerosmith grade school compared to this

@timgracyk

1y↑1

Everyone agrees this is great--except for Lou Reed. I read that Lou Reed resented being upstaged--maybe resented it as early as during the live shows or maybe when the LP became a hit (he enjoyed commercial success at last--he probably asked himself "Have I sold out?"). He viewed this hot band as a mistake. It was like he was pushed to the side, a mere vocalist between guitar solos, not the star performer. He performed with these skilled musicians but did not know ahead of time that these guys would get so much applause (I'm not sure he personally hired them--maybe someone else such as Bob Ezrin did the hiring). In 1972, before being with these amazing musicians, Lou Reed's live shows had weak musicians. Those shows were a snooze, and Lou Reed's career was stalling. Then magic with the late 1973 Rock and Roll Animal concerts.. Audiences listening to FM radio felt Lou Reed struck gold with Wagner, Hunter, Prakash John (amazing bass player), and Penti Glan (great drums). But Lou didn't feel that way. From 1975 onwards Lou Reed would never again let others upstage him. He would NOT allow great musicians like Wagner and Hunter to steal shows. The result in Lou Reed's later years: mediocre records, disappointing live shows. Lots of people went to Lou Reed live shows in the late 1970s expecting THIS kind of hot show (the Rock and Roll Animal lp was a big hit, as I said), but audiences at shows from 1975 onwards felt disappointment. By the way, I had a friend who went to a Lou Reed live show around 1974 or 1975 with the expectation that it would be like Rock and Roll Animal. My friend was amazed that Lou Reed was shooting up heroin on the stage. Ah, but maybe it was medicine for diabetes--or nothing. Was real heroin being used, or was this mere theater (like in an Alice Cooper show)? Nobody can know for sure except for Lou Reed.