The conception of th… Read Full Bio ↴A collaboration between Lou Reed and Metallica.
The conception of the collaboration project began in 2009 when both Metallica and Lou Reed performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary Concert. After that performance, the two entities began "kicking around the idea of making a record together," but didn't start working together until two years later. In February 2011, Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett announced that in May 2011 the group would start working on something that's "not 100 percent a Metallica record. It's a recording project, let's put it that way." The secret project was publicly revealed to be a collaboration with Lou Reed once the recording of the album had been completed in June 2011.
The collaboration was originally intended to be Metallica re-recording various previously unreleased tracks Reed had written over the years. Among these unreleased demos was a collection of songs composed for a play called Lulu—a theatrical production of two plays originally written by the German playwright Frank Wedekind. Reed shared the demos of these songs with the members of Metallica to help bring the "piece to the next level,"and the group provided "significant arrangement contributions" to the material.[8] David Fricke of Rolling Stone heard at least two of the songs from the project in June 2011—"Pumping Blood" and "Mistress Dread"—and described their sound as a "raging union of [Reed's] 1973 noir classic, Berlin, and Metallica's '86 crusher, Master of Puppets."
Dragon
Lou Reed & Metallica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love for you is no beginning
You're not really there
Hallucination
I thought you were listening
Hallucination
I thought you were listening
I understand you think you're above it
The adolescent sense of the sky
The feeling of billowing heartbeats
The fingertips run through your hair
They run through your hair
Hallucination
Hallucination
Oh you think you're so special
That there's no law meant for you
You come and go like the goddess you are
We're mere mortals below
Fingertips run through your hair
We are mere mortals below
Are meant to be peons
Are meant to be servants
Are meant to be dismissible objects
One fucks with
One fucks with
Poor pitiful creature
The winner in heartbreak
The winner in caring
The winner in every minuscule method of wearing
Your heart on your sleeve
A red star of idiocy
An idiot's idiocy
My, my caring for you
Caring for you
Do you think we're a book
Some kind of a table
You can rest your feet on when you're able
Red star of idiocy
An idiot's idiocy
My caring for you
Poor pitiful creature
To notice the pining
The self deprivation
The self flagellation of you
Dear worshipers
We do like you regal
We do like you haughty
We do love to look upon your perfect body
The hair on your shoulders
The smell of your armpit
The taste of your vulva and everything on it
We all really love you
And you have no meaning
You don't even see us
You were never caring
You go do what you do
You do it for you
No one exists with you
You're way above caring
Leave a trail upon the wake
That no one ever tries to take
Because waiting for you
Thinking of you
Is another way of dying
Is another way of dying
I'm clawing your chest
'Til your collarbone bleeds
Piercing your nipples 'til I bite them off
I scratch your face and bite your shoulders
Way above caring
Way above caring
And your Kotex jukebox
Your Kotex jukebox
I'm doomed, I'm swearing
Waiting for you
In your high heels and nightie
Your leather dress squeaking
Latex now sweating, waiting for you
In your tincture
Your opium white bathrobe
Your white tiles run red now
Are we both dead now?
The liquid exchange of our heart
The liquid exchange of our heart
Are we both dead now?
You're way above caring
Your heart on your sleeve
A red star of idiocy
An idiot's idiocy
My caring
My caring for you
My caring for you
You're way beyond caring
Your heart on your sleeve
A red star of idiocy
An idiot's idiocy
My caring for you
Oblivious to caring
Oblivious to caring
Oblivious to caring
Leave a trail upon the wake
That no one ever tries to take
Because waiting for you
Because thinking of you
Is another way of dying
You're way above caring
Oblivious to caring
Oblivious to caring
You poor pitiful creature
The mistake of feeling
The one who rejects you is the winner,
It's true
The winner in heartbreak
The winner in caring
The winner in every minuscule method of wearing
Your heart on your sleeve
A red star of idiocy
An idiot's idiocy
Your heart on your fuckin' sleeve
My caring for you
We were meant to be peons
We're meant to be peons
Mere mortals below
Meant to be servants
Meant to be dismissible objects one fucks with
Oh, oh, oh you're so special
No law meant for you
You come and go like the goddess you are
The fingertips run through your hair
A billowing heart beats
Feeling
Feeling
What a glorious feeling
To be so rejected
So rejected
An idiot's idiocy
My caring for you
You think I'm a book or a table
You can rest your fuckin' feet on
When you're able
The taste of your vulva, everything on it
The hair on your shoulders
The smell of your armpit
We do love you, to look upon your perfect body
We love you regal
We love you haughty
Oblivious to caring
Oblivious to caring
Caring
Oh my dear
Oh my dear
Oh my dear
Oblivious to caring
Are we really dead now?
Are we both dead now?
The song "Dragon" by Lou Reed and Metallica explores the theme of unrequited love and rejection through vivid and disturbing imagery. The lyrics are written from the perspective of a person completely infatuated with someone who does not reciprocate their feelings. The person they are obsessed with is depicted as being completely oblivious to the singer's devotion, and they come off as haughty and entitled.
The song's lyrics contain a lot of violent and sexual imagery, which intensifies the feelings of desperation and frustration. The singer expresses a desire to harm the object of their affection, to claw at their chest and bite their nipples, and come across as a pitiful and disturbed character. The chorus reinforces the idea of the singer's obsession being a type of hallucination, something completely unreal and unattainable.
Overall, the song is a very intense exploration of unhealthy, one-sided love that cannot be fulfilled. The imagery used throughout the lyrics adds to the sense of desperation and futility, and the final repetition of the phrase "oblivious to caring" hammers home the theme of rejection and the idea that the person the singer is in love with will never notice or care about them.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't actually care
You don't have any real feelings for anyone
Love for you is no beginning
You don't believe in true love
You're not really there
You're detached and unavailable emotionally
Hallucination
Fantasy or illusion
I thought you were listening
I believed you were paying attention to me
I understand you think you're above it
You believe you are superior to others
The adolescent sense of the sky
The naive and misguided view of the world
The feeling of billowing heartbeats
The physical sensation of excitement or fear
The fingertips run through your hair
A sensual and pleasurable experience
Oh you think you're so special
You have a sense of entitlement and superiority
That there's no law meant for you
You believe you can do whatever you want without consequence
You come and go like the goddess you are
You have an aura of divine or supernatural power
We're mere mortals below
We are insignificant and powerless compared to you
Are meant to be peons
We are supposed to be lowly and servile followers
Are meant to be servants
We are supposed to be subservient to you
Are meant to be dismissible objects
We are regarded as disposable or insignificant
One fucks with
One messes around or manipulates
Poor pitiful creature
Sympathetic and mocking description of someone
The winner in heartbreak
The person who handles breakups the best
The winner in caring
The person who cares the least in a relationship
The winner in every minuscule method of wearing
The person who has the best fashion sense
Your heart on your sleeve
You openly express your emotions
A red star of idiocy
A symbol of foolishness and poor judgment
An idiot's idiocy
An act of foolishness and poor judgment by someone who is already foolish and lacks judgment
My, my caring for you
My foolish and excessive love for you
Do you think we're a book
Do you see us as just objects that you can use at your convenience
Some kind of a table
Like a piece of furniture
You can rest your feet on when you're able
You can take advantage of whenever you want
To notice the pining
To be aware of the longing and sadness
The self deprivation
The act of harming oneself or denying oneself of pleasure
The self flagellation of you
The act of punishing oneself, often through physical harm or criticism
Dear worshipers
Sarcastic term for those who obsess over and idolize someone else
We do like you regal
We enjoy seeing you in a royal or divine manner
We do like you haughty
We enjoy seeing you arrogant and snobbish
We do love to look upon your perfect body
We admire and objectify your physical appearance
The hair on your shoulders
The hair on your shoulder area
The smell of your armpit
The scent from your underarm area
The taste of your vulva and everything on it
The act of oral sex on a woman and savoring every aspect of it
We all really love you
We are all infatuated with you
And you have no meaning
You are devoid of genuine emotion or purpose
You don't even see us
You don't even acknowledge our existence or importance
You were never caring
You never had any real concern or empathy for us
You go do what you do
You continue to act in your usual manner
You do it for you
You act for your own selfish reasons
No one exists with you
You are alone in your own world
You're way above caring
You are beyond the reach of any emotion, positive or negative
Leave a trail upon the wake
Leave a marking or impression behind as a result of your actions
That no one ever tries to take
That is so unappealing or dangerous that no one dares to pursue it
Because waiting for you
Because anticipating and hoping for your attention or affection
Thinking of you
Reflecting on or obsessing over you
Is another way of dying
Is a source of emotional pain and distress
I'm clawing your chest
I'm hurting you
'Til your collarbone bleeds
To the point of causing physical harm or injury
Piercing your nipples 'til I bite them off
Hurting you in a savage and perverse manner
I scratch your face and bite your shoulders
Causing you pain through physical means
Way above caring
Beyond the point of any genuine feeling or concern
And your Kotex jukebox
A derogatory reference to a woman's genitals
I'm doomed, I'm swearing
I'm cursed or destined to suffer, and I'm expressing swear words because of it
In your high heels and nightie
The image of you in revealing and provocative clothing
Your leather dress squeaking
The sound of your clothing rubbing together in a suggestive manner
Latex now sweating, waiting for you
The feeling of anticipation and desire, made more intense by the rubber clothing
In your tincture
In a container, possibly of alcohol or perfume
Your opium white bathrobe
A luxurious or exotic item of clothing
Your white tiles run red now
A sign of blood or violence that has stained the white walls or floors
Are we both dead now?
Are our feelings or passion extinguished completely?
The liquid exchange of our heart
The sharing of our emotions and desires, possibly through physical means
You poor pitiful creature
You are an object to be pitied and mocked for your lack of real emotion or empathy
The mistake of feeling
The error or danger of being too open or vulnerable with your emotions
The one who rejects you is the winner,
It's true
The person who ends the relationship or avoids emotional attachment is the one who comes out on top
My caring for you
My misguided and excessive love for you
We're meant to be peons
We are destined to be lowly and subservient followers
Mere mortals below
We are insignificant and powerless compared to you
Meant to be servants
We are supposed to be subservient to you
Meant to be dismissible objects one fucks with
We are regarded as disposable or insignificant playthings for others
The taste of your vulva, everything on it
The act of savoring every aspect of a woman's genitalia and sexuality
You think I'm a book or a table
You see me as a mere object to be used as you please
You can rest your fuckin' feet on
You can take advantage of my presence and service
When you're able
When it's convenient for you
To be so rejected
To be so devoid of love or validation
Your heart on your sleeve
Your emotions and feelings are readily apparent to others
A red star of idiocy
A symbol of foolishness and poor judgment
An idiot's idiocy
A foolish and senseless act by someone who lacks wisdom or common sense
Oblivious to caring
Unaware or indifferent to the feelings or emotions of others
Are we really dead now?
Is our relationship or passion truly over and lifeless?
You poor pitiful creature
A final mocking statement of your insignificance and lack of real emotion or empathy
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KIRK HAMMETT, JAMES HETFIELD, LOU REED, ROBERT TRUJILLO, LARS ULRICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@deimosrock4415
Man this is avant garde, it's a master piece. Not for the masses.
@infectedvoice4670
Thankfully.
@MichaelDFox
Imagine if this was your introduction to Metallica.
@estromberg5153
Ngl I've only heard a couple of Metallica songs before so lulu has been my main introduction lmao
@millershredz2044
@E Stromberg yeah. this is fucking garbage. the riffs are wasted with a guy like this
@HeavyRaiden
@E Stromberg Please check out Master Of Puppets and Ride The Lightning. You'll get it then.
@oscarbrittingham-detxemend396
@Rippy No Cap metallica was beyond lucky to play with someone as cool as lou reed lmao
@Samford_
@Oscar Brittingham-Detxemendy sure but lulu is still hot fucking garbage
@alejandroserrano7755
This album truly is some abstract stuff. Two styles that clash hard and makes for an uncomfortable experience. Which I think its the purpose of the album. Even the artwork makes you feel like that. Props to Metallica for making such a artsy album given their fame and status.
@johnnymoon
I never thot about it like that. It’s weird because I hated this album when I first hear about it, but as the years go on I’m starting to appreciate it.