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."
Junior Dad
Lou Reed & Metallica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I was half drowning
An arm above the last wave
Would you come to me
Would you pull me up
Would the effort really hurt you
Is it unfair to ask you
The window broke the silence of the matches
The smoke effortlessly floating
Pull me up
Would you be my lord and savior
Pull me up by my hair
Now would you kiss me, on my lips
Burning fever burning on my forehead
The brain that once was listening now
Shoots out its tiresome message
Won't you pull me up
Scalding, my dead father
Has the motor and he's driving towards
An island of lost souls
Sunny, a monkey then to monkey
I will teach you meanness, fear and blindness
No social redeeming kindness
Or oh, state of grace
Would you pull me up
Would you drop the mental bullet
Would you pull me by the arm up
Would you still kiss my lips
Hiccup, the dream is over
Get the coffee, turn the lights on
Say hello to junior dad
The greatest disappointment
Age withered him and changed him
Into junior dad
Psychic savagery
The greatest disappointment
The greatest disappointment
Age withered him and changed him
Into junior dad
The song Junior Dad by Lou Reed and Metallica explores themes of vulnerability, redemption, and forgiveness. The lyrics describe a person who is half-drowning and asks if someone would come to their rescue, offering to be their lord and savior. The song also touches on death and loss, with the mention of a dead father driving towards an island of lost souls. The chorus repeats the line “the greatest disappointment” and suggests that age has withered and changed someone into “Junior Dad,” possibly referencing the cycle of generational disappointment.
The song builds to a cathartic climax with the repeated refrain of “won’t you pull me up,” as the singer seems to grapple with their own weaknesses and begs for someone to help them. The final lines, “Psychic savagery / The greatest disappointment,” leave the listener with a sense of unease, as if the singer’s redemption may be elusive or uncertain.
This song is a departure from both Lou Reed and Metallica’s usual styles, with its slow and somber melody and the use of a children’s choir. It was released on the 2011 album, “Lulu,” which was met with mixed reviews. Some critics praised the album’s experimentalism, while others panned it as a misguided collaboration.
Line by Line Meaning
Would you come to me
If I was in distress, would you come to my aid?
If I was half drowning
If I was struggling and almost submerged in water
An arm above the last wave
My last hope above the water's surface
Would you pull me up
Would you assist me in rising above my hardships?
Would the effort really hurt you
Would it cause you actual pain to help me out?
Is it unfair to ask you
Is it unjust of me to request your help?
To help pull me up
To aid me in overcoming my struggles
The window broke the silence of the matches
The sound of breaking glass disturbed the matchstick's faint sound
The smoke effortlessly floating
The smoke was gently and naturally rising
Would you be my lord and savior
Would you take on the role of my savior and guide?
Pull me up by my hair
Use my hair as a means to pull me up, with force if necessary
Now would you kiss me, on my lips
Would you express your feelings for me through a kiss?
Burning fever burning on my forehead
A high fever causing heat sensation on the forehead
The brain that once was listening now
The mind that was once actively listening is now unresponsive
Shoots out its tiresome message
The mind is producing a tiring and weary message
Won't you pull me up
Won't you aid me in overcoming my struggles?
Scalding, my dead father
The painful memory of my deceased father
Has the motor and he's driving towards
It's a driving force for me, that memory is potent and painful
An island of lost souls
A place where those struggling are stranded, made up of lost souls
Sunny, a monkey then to monkey
A playful and manipulative attitude from one monkey to another
I will teach you meanness, fear and blindness
I will instill in you negative traits such as cruelty, fright, and ignorance
No social redeeming kindness
There is no goodness to be found in society
Or oh, state of grace
A state of pure goodness and virtue
Would you drop the mental bullet
Would you help me to overcome harmful or destructive thoughts?
Would you pull me by the arm up
Would you use your strength to raise me from my struggles?
Hiccup, the dream is over
The disturbance, or hiccup, reveals that a dream has ended
Get the coffee, turn the lights on
It's time to wake up and enter reality
Say hello to junior dad
Say hello to the older, changed version of the father figure
The greatest disappointment
The ultimate letdown
Age withered him and changed him
The passage of time made the father different
Into junior dad
Transforming him into a less powerful, more vulnerable and junior version of himself
Psychic savagery
The brutal, relentless nature of emotional pain and struggle
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KIRK L. HAMMETT, JAMES ALAN HETFIELD, ROBERT TRUJILLO, LARS ULRICH, LOU A. REED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Damaris Jhoselyn Velazquez Covarrubias
Would you come to me
If I was half drowning
An arm above the last wave
Would you come to me
Would you pull me up
Would the effort really hurt you
Is it unfair to ask you
To help pull me up
The window broke the silence of the matches
The smoke effortlessly floating
Pull me up
Would you be my lord and savior
Pull me up by my hair
Now would you kiss me, on my lips
Burning fever burning on my forehead
The brain that once was listening now
Shoots out its tiresome message
Won't you pull me up
Scalding, my dead father
Has the motor and he's driving towards
An island of lost souls
Sunny, a monkey then to monkey
I will teach you meanness, fear and blindness
No social redeeming kindness
Or oh, state of grace
Would you pull me up
Would you drop the mental bullet
Would you pull me by the arm up
Would you still kiss my lips
Hiccup, the dream is over
Get the coffee, turn the lights on
Say hello to junior dad
The greatest disappointment
Age withered him and changed him
Into junior dad
Psychic savagery
The greatest disappointment
The greatest disappointment
Age withered him and changed him
Into junior dad
א Antor
[Verse 1]
Would you come to me if I was half drowning?
An arm above the last wave?
Would you come to me? Would you pull me up?
Would the effort really hurt you?
Is it unfair to ask you, to help pull me up?
[Verse 2]
The window broke the silence of the matches
The smoke effortlessly floating
Pull me up
Would you be my lord and saviour, pull me up by my hair?
Now would you kiss me, on my lips?
[Verse 3]
Burning fever burning on my forehead
The brain that once was listening
Now shoots out its tiresome message
Won’t you pull me up?
Scalding, my dead father has the motor and he's driving
Towards an island of lost souls
Sunny, a monkey then to monkey
I will teach you meanness, fear and blindness
No social redeeming kindness
Or – oh, state of grace
[Verse 4]
Would you pull me up?
Would you drop the mental bullet?
Would you pull me by the arm up?
Would you still kiss my lips?
Hiccup, the dream is over
Get the coffee, turn the lights on
Say hello to junior dad
The greatest disappointment
Age withered him and changed him
Into junior dad, psychic savagery
The greatest disappointment
The greatest disappointment
Age withered him and changed him
Into junior dad
[Instrumental]
m3n4c32s0c13ty
Reminds me a lot of Hero of the Day. This was one of those rare collaborations of a clash between night and day. This album really is like a work of art at a museum that only few people see the value and meaning in. Rest in Peace, Lou Reed
Paul Mallon
I think the issue with this album is it was marketed as a Metallica with Lou Reed album. It's basically a Lou Reed album with Metallica as his band. I don't like all of this album, and I'm a huge Metallica fan and a moderate Reed fan, but to me, this is a profoundly moving song.
Walking Bombs
this album fuckin rules
Vasilii
In 2011, when Lulu was released, until now, 2023, I think this is Lou's swan song. I remember how upset Lori Anderson was when it wasn't accepted well, and David Bowie told her that it is Lou's masterpiece and people need time to catch up with it. I just don't understand why people can't see the self-loathing, self-serving, man-hating, self-destructive Lulu that Lou writes about Is probably his best work. That being said, Lou, himself said what he didn't accomplish on Berlin , he did on Lulu.
Jong Ma
you are right! this is really the best from him
Kevan Dalzell
His best since the 74ish.
Kevan Dalzell
Ian Astbury (The Cult) was the BIGGEST champion of this album.
J.C
It is mind blowing, it was a work of pure genius. I don’t see how someone could actually listen to it and think it’s just bad but a lot of people don’t really understand music and art.
Larry Weinstein
one of those perfect end-of-life songs like Johnny Cash performing "Hurt" or David Bowie's "Blackstar".... What wonderful musical gifts. Thank you Lou, forever.
Scriabin28
A beautiful and touching comment. It's always great to find other people who "get it."