The album is the pair's first collaboration since 1972, and is dedicated to the memory of Andy Warhol, their mentor, who had died unexpectedly in 1987. Drella was a nickname for Warhol, a portmanteau of Dracula and Cinderella, used by Warhol's crowd.
Songs for Drella offers a kind of vie romancée of Warhol, focusing on his interpersonal relations. The songs fall roughly into three categories: Warhol's (semi-fictitious) first-person perspective, third-person narratives chronicling events and affairs, and first-person feelings towards and commentaries on Warhol by Reed and Cale themselves.
The pair had been playing the songs live in 1989 as a song cycle before committing them to tape. By the end of recording Cale vowed never to work with Reed again due to personal differences; nevertheless, Songs for Drella would prove to be the overture to a full-blown Velvet Underground reunion: a one-off performance of "Heroin" in 1990, and a tour in 1993.
Although the album was conceived as an indivisible whole, a single was released off it, "Nobody But You".
Forever Changed
Lou Reed & John Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Took a trip around the world and never came back
Black silhouettes, crisscrossed tracks never came back
Forever changed, forever changed
You might think I'm frivolous, uncaring and cold
You might think I'm frivolous - depends on your point of view
I left my old life behind me and never went back
Forever changed, forever changed
Got to get to the city - get a job
Got to get some work to see me through
My old life's disappearing from view
Hong Kong - and I was changed
Burma and India - and I was changed
Only art to see me through
Only heart to see me through
My old life disappearing from view
Brigid and Pat - please see me through
The whole thing quickly receding
My life disappearing - disappearing from view
Forever changed, forever changed
I left my old life behind and was forever changed
Forever changed
The opening lines reveal the transformative experience of the singer where he lost himself while traveling and never returned to his old life. The train entering the city symbolizes his journey towards change, leaving his old life behind. The “black silhouettes, crisscrossed tracks” reinforce the idea of the irreversible nature of his transformation. The central theme of the song is transformation, and how the singer is forever changed after traveling and experiencing different cultures.
In the second verse, the singer suggests that his frivolousness and uncaring nature are subjective, depending on the viewpoint of the observer. He mentions Andy Warhol, whose artwork represents both the high and the low society. The singer left his old life behind, turning his back on the conventional path, to find himself somewhere else.
The third verse talks about his journey to find work and survive, as he leaves behind his old life that is rapidly fading from view. He mentions several places that he has been to, and each place has changed him in some way. However, he notes that art and his heart are what helps him through this transformative experience, that has changed him forever. The song concludes with the repetition of the phrase “forever changed” suggesting that the transformation is permanent.
Line by Line Meaning
Train entering the city - I lost myself and never came back
Entering the city on the train, I felt like I completely lost myself and never returned to who I used to be.
Took a trip around the world and never came back
I went on a trip around the world, but I never really came back as the same person I was before.
Black silhouettes, crisscrossed tracks never came back
As the train passed through, the silhouettes and tracks crossed each other, much like how I felt I never returned to the same path of my old life.
You might think I'm frivolous, uncaring and cold
Some people may think I am shallow, indifferent, and detached.
You might think I'm frivolous - depends on your point of view
Whether or not you see me as shallow and indifferent depends on your perspective.
Society Andy who paints and records them - the high and the low
Like Andy Warhol, I observe and create art that reflects both the glamourous and mundane aspects of society.
I left my old life behind me and never went back
I made a break from my old life and never went back to it.
Got to get to the city - get a job
I needed to get to the city to find work.
Got to get some work to see me through
I needed to find a job in order to stay afloat financially.
My old life's disappearing from view
As I moved on, my previous life was slowly fading away from my sight.
Hong Kong - and I was changed
My experiences in Hong Kong transformed me in some way.
Burma and India - and I was changed
My travels to Burma and India also had a profound impact on me.
Only art to see me through
When things got tough, the only thing that kept me going was my art.
Only heart to see me through
My own determination and inner strength were the only things that helped me make it through tough times.
Brigid and Pat - please see me through
I relied on the support of my friends Brigid and Pat to help me during difficult times.
The whole thing quickly receding
My old life was quickly disappearing from view.
My life disappearing - disappearing from view
My previous life was slowly disappearing from my sight and from my memory.
Forever changed, forever changed
I was completely transformed by my experiences, and I would never be the same person again.
I left my old life behind and was forever changed
By breaking away from my previous life, I was forever changed and transformed by my new experiences.
Forever changed, forever changed
I could never go back to who I was before my travels and experiences, and as such was forever changed.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN DAVIES CALE, LOU A. REED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sternumagnum
The whole album is a greatly underappreciated masterpiece. A pure gem, from start to finish.
@danialkashin234
It took me two years to appreciate this masterpiece. It's always nice when you start to like an album which seemed uninteresting at the first glance)
@owenwoodley6039
How about the tension just simmering in the background
@alessandromarchesini9039
Sternumagnum, fuck you say? Underappreciated? By who? You sure? How you know is underappreciated? Do the right thing, hide yourself under your bullshits and sleep...
@sternumagnum
@@alessandromarchesini9039 underappreciated by both the public at large and most critics. That was not just "a good LP". It was brilliant. And now, little Sandrino, I'd appreciate it if you just jog on.
@guidogherardi7953
I have always considered this album a masterpiece.
@MrNegraMusica
It is not just the powerful guitar playing, or the virtuoso singing and piano playing. It is the relentless tension, the ravishing and poetic lyrics. This is a huge album.
@shinkuju
"Songs for Drella" is an authenthic masterpiece!!!!
@owenwoodley6039
Lou is so under rated in the guitarists discussions
@spiritofmaynardtrent
I first heard this song by John Cale on the Basquiat movie soundtrack. Just wonderful! For me the best Version of Hallelujah ever!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤