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)
Women
Lou Reed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're a solace to the world in a terrible state
They're a blessing to the eyes, a balm to soul
What a nightmare to have no women in the world
I love women ...
We all love women
I know that it was sexist, but I was on the sly
I couldn't keep my hands off women
And I won't till I die
I love women ...
We all love women
A woman's love can lift you up, and women can inspire
I feel like buying flowers and hiring a celestial choir
A choir of castratis to serenade my love
They'd sing a little Bach for us and then we'd make love
I love women
I love women
We all love women
We love women
In this song, Lou Reed expresses his love for women in different ways. He praises women for their ability to comfort the world during its difficult times, and described them as a blessing to both the eyes and soul. Reed then goes ahead to state how terrible it would be for the world to lack women. He talks about his attraction to women from an early age when he would sneakily gaze at magazines. He is unashamedly a lover of women and cannot see himself ever changing.
Reed then switches to a more romantic tone, where he speaks of how a woman's love can lift you up and be inspiring. He describes how he feels moved to buy flowers for his loved one and hire a choir to sing for them. He then humorously mentions hiring a choir made up of castrati (men who have been castrated before they reach puberty) to serenade his love before they make love themselves.
Lou Reed's "Women" is a song about appreciation for the female gender, in different ways, and how they impact men's lives positively, as lovers, and icons to behold.
Line by Line Meaning
I love women, I think they are great
Women are amazing and I deeply admire them.
They're a solace to the world in a terrible state
Women give comfort to the world when it is in a bad situation.
They're a blessing to the eyes, a balm to soul
Looking at women is a joyful experience and they bring peace to the soul.
What a nightmare to have no women in the world
The world would be a terrible place to exist in without any women.
I used to look at women in the magazines
I used to look at pictures of women in magazines and feel attracted to them.
I know that it was sexist, but I was on the sly
Although I knew that it was not morally right, I still did it secretly.
I couldn't keep my hands off women
I was so attracted to women that I could not resist touching them.
And I won't till I die
I will always be attracted to women for the rest of my life.
A woman's love can lift you up, and women can inspire
The love of a woman can be very uplifting and women are a source of inspiration.
I feel like buying flowers and hiring a celestial choir
Women make me happy and I want to do something special for them.
A choir of castratis to serenade my love
I would want to honor the love of a woman in a dramatic way, like by hiring a choir.
They'd sing a little Bach for us and then we'd make love
After enjoying the music together, we would feel intimate and show our love for each other.
I love women
I have a great admiration and affection for women.
We all love women
Other people share the same love and admiration for women.
We love women
Women are valued and cherished by many people.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LOU REED, PAUL DUDLEY WALDEN PKA GURU JOSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
PDMF
Lou Reed Lyrics
"Women"
I love women, I think they're great
they're a solace to the world in a terrible state
They're a blessing to the eyes, a balm to soul
what a nightmare to have no women in the world
I love women
I love women
I love women
we all love women
I used to look at women in the magazines
I know that it was sexist, but I was in my teens
I was very bitter, all my sex was on the sly
I couldn't keep my hands off women, and I won't till I die
I love women
ah, I love women
we love women
we all love women
A woman's love can lift you up, and women can inspire
I feel like buying flowers and hiring a celestial choir
A choir of castratis to serenade my love
they'd sing a little Bach for us and then we'd make love
I love women
I love women
We all love women
we love women
The Betbet Underground
lou's a funny guy, just cracks me up everytime
Cam Pyper
Just don't know what to make of this. So very odd.
Joel Neugebauer
Just listened to this album yesterday. It would have been Lou's Birthday today. I feel your spirit, Lou. I miss you!
Colin Williams
The blue mask....a very, very, VERY underrated album.....R.I.P, LOU REED,we all miss you.
Jan Green
Lou was a genius.
04opocin
Released as a single in the Netherlands and Spain and as a promotional single in France and Italy in 1982.
Steven Van Heemst
There was nor will never be any one like Lou Reed. He was a poet a NYC man
clc3111
Plus funny
emma duncan
As God is my witness, I once saw this on MTV, sure, it was at 4 in the morning...but there it was!
Mike Mendizabal
@Travels With Brindle Lou Reed hated it.