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".
Slip Away
Lou Reed & John Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And have an open house no more
The said the Factory must change
And slowly slip away
But if I have to live in fear
Where will I get my ideas
With all those crazy people gone
Still there's no more Billy Name
And Ondine is not the same
Wonton and the Turtle gone
Slowly slip away
Slowly slip away
If I close the Factory door
And don't see those people anymore
If I give in to infamy
I'll slowly slip away
I know it seems that friends are right
Hello daylight, goodbye night
But starlight is so quiet here
Think I'll slowly slip away
What can I do by myself
It's good to here from someone else
It's good to hear a crazy voice
That will not slip away
Will not slip away
If I have to live in fear
My ideas will slowly slip away
If I have to live in fear
I'm afraid my life will slip away
If you can't see me past my door
Why your thoughts could slowly slip away
If I have to lock the door
Another life exists no more slip away
Friends have said to lock the door
Watch out for who comes through the door
The said the Factory must change
But I don't
want to slip away
Lou Reed & John Cale's song Slip Away is a reflection on the changes happening at Andy Warhol's Factory in the late '60s. The first stanza has a sense of paranoia - people have told the writer to lock the door and not have an open house any more, inferring that the way things were might be too dangerous or too revealing. The second stanza laments the loss of some key figures from the Factory, which makes the writer feel as though they are slowly slipping away as well. Throughout the song, there is a sense that the Factory, as it was, is coming to an end and that something important is being lost.
Line by Line Meaning
People said to lock the door and have an open house no more
Friends have suggested that I stop letting just anyone into my life
The said the Factory must change and slowly slip away
People have been telling me that my reputation and legacy are at risk, and that I need to make changes to avoid slowly fading into obscurity
But if I have to live in fear, where will I get my ideas
If I allow myself to be limited by fear, my creativity and innovation will suffer
With all those crazy people gone, will I slowly slip away
If I distance myself from the eccentric and unpredictable individuals who inspire me, I may lose my edge and fade into mediocrity
Still there's no more Billy Name, and Ondine is not the same
I miss the unique and irreplaceable qualities of certain friends who have passed or moved on
Wonton and the Turtle gone; Slowly slip away...slowly slip away
The loss of certain individuals and aspects of my life feels like a slow erosion of my identity and legacy
If I close the Factory door and don't see those people anymore
If I cut off the source of my inspiration and innovation, I may lose my creative edge
If I give in yo infamy...I'll slowly slip away
If I compromise my values and pursue fame at any cost, I risk losing my authenticity and fading into obscurity
I know it seems that friends are right; Hello daylight, goodbye night
Although I'm hesitant to change, I recognize that my friends have valid concerns and it may be time to move on
But starlight is so quiet here, think I'll slowly slip away
Without certain people and experiences in my life, everything feels dull and uninspiring, as if I'm gradually fading into the background
What can I do by myself, it's good to here from someone else
I'm realizing that I can't do everything alone, and it's valuable to have outside perspectives and support
It's good to hear a crazy voice that will not slip away; Will not slip away
It's refreshing and inspiring to hear from someone who's not afraid to be unconventional and who won't disappear from my life
If I have to live in fear my ideas will slowly slip away
The more I allow fear to hold me back, the more my creativity and innovation will suffer
If I have to live in fear I'm afraid my life will slip away
Constantly living in fear will slowly erode my quality of life and sense of identity
If you can't see me past my door; Why your thoughts could slowly slip away
If you judge and dismiss me based on surface-level appearances or misconceptions, you may miss out on my true value and insights
If I have to lock the door, another life exists no more; Slip away
If I cut off certain people or aspects of my life, it feels like I'm losing a part of myself and my legacy
Friends have said to lock the door; Watch out for who comes through the door
Although my friends are trying to protect me, they may not always have my best interests in mind
The said the Factory must change; But I don't want to slowly slip away
Although my friends and colleagues are urging me to adapt and change, I'm hesitant to risk losing my authenticity and unique contributions
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN CALE, LOU REED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind