Berlín
Lou Reed John Cale Nico Lyrics


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This next-
Oh, thank you
This next song, we're gonna make believe
We're in, uh, Casablanca
And I'm Humphrey Bogart, and this is what I'm gonna sing to Lauren Bacall
And it's called Berlin

By Berlin, by the wall
You were five foot, ten inches tall
It was oh-so nice
Hey honey, it was candlelight and Dubonnet on ice

We were in a small cafe
And you could hear the guitars play
It was oh-so nice
Hey baby, it was, uh, paradise

You're right, woah, and I'm wrong
You know I'm going to miss you now that you're gone
One sweet day

You're right, woah, and I'm wrong
You know I'm going to miss you now that you're gone
One sweet day
One sweet day

We were in a small cafe
You could hear the guitars play
It was oh-so nice
Candlelight and Dubonnet on ice

Don't you forget, hire a vet
He hasn't had that much fun yet
It was oh-so nice
Hey honey, it was paradise

You're right and I'm wrong
You know I'm going to miss you now that you're gone
One sweet day

You're right, woah, and I'm wrong
You know I'm going to miss you now that you're gone
One sweet day
Oh, oh, one sweet day

One sweet day, one sweet day
One sweet day, baby, baby, one sweet day




One sweet day, baby, baby, one sweet day
Baby, baby, one sweet day

Overall Meaning

The song "Berlin" by Lou Reed, John Cale, and Nico tells the story of a fairy tale romance that takes place in the city of Berlin during the height of the Cold War. The lyrics paint a picture of two lovers basking in the candlelight of a small cafe, sharing Dubonnet on ice. The singer is Humphrey Bogart, and he sings of his love for Lauren Bacall, who represents the female lover in this romance.


Through their story, the song speaks to the longing for love and the desire for a world where walls and barriers don't exist. The line "by Berlin, by the wall" is a reference to the Berlin Wall that divided the city into East and West during the Cold War. By placing the lovers on the Western side of the wall, the lyrics suggest a yearning for a time and place where they can be together without the threat of political and physical division.


The song implies a possible critique of the American government and its role in perpetuating the Cold War. The line "Don't you forget, hire a vet/He hasn't had that much fun yet" is a reference to the Vietnam War that was taking place during the time of the song's composition. By urging the hiring of veterans, the lyrics suggest a need to support those who have been negatively impacted by war while implicitly acknowledging the negative tolls of militaristic policies.


Overall, the lyrics to "Berlin" convey a sense of nostalgia and romanticism as well as a longing for societal change and freedom from division.


Line by Line Meaning

By Berlin, by the wall
In Berlin, near the wall


You were five foot, ten inches tall
You were tall, about 5'10''


It was oh-so nice
It was very pleasant


Hey honey, it was candlelight and Dubonnet on ice
There was romantic candlelight and chilled Dubonnet to drink


We were in a small cafe
We were at a cozy cafe


And you could hear the guitars play
You could hear guitar music in the background


Hey baby, it was, uh, paradise
It was like paradise, I must say


You're right, woah, and I'm wrong
You're correct and I was mistaken


You know I'm going to miss you now that you're gone
I'll miss you now that you're away


One sweet day
Hopefully, one day we'll meet again


Don't you forget, hire a vet
Remember to hire a veteran


He hasn't had that much fun yet
They haven't had as much enjoyment yet


It was oh-so nice
It was very enjoyable


Hey honey, it was paradise
It felt like heaven


One sweet day
Hopefully, one day we'll reunite soon


Oh, oh, one sweet day
Hopefully, one day soon


One sweet day, one sweet day
Hopefully, we'll see each other again soon


One sweet day, baby, baby, one sweet day
Hopefully, we'll reunite soon


Baby, baby, one sweet day
Soon, we'll see each other again




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lou Reed

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@CarnivalofLVX

This is the best performance I’ve ever seen. And this version of Berlin is by far the best. Beautiful

@lelandthomosoniii4743

He's reading
Urban Poetry!

@annamonaco5959

amassed by performance but sound too!

@ninonr.2728

this is absolutely the best live I never saw in my entire life and i'm still amazed every time I see it

@poopmcstuffins4417

it's so beautiful

@visionaerie

Hey john cale is stil with us. Him and mo tucker...appreciate. Was this post -VU lou reed ...? Either way.....bad ass. They wuz bad ass.

@user-yz9kz6vt9y

Yes, it's amazing! I think it helped Lou to have the subject of his song sitting beside him!

@romulod.9780

@Z Oh yeah, "Berlin" is most definitely a song about Nico. :)

@carltoeski

Half of the views must be me. I've been listening to this for the last couple of months everyday on repeat. Will never get tired of this, it's a gem!
I love lou, john and nico ❤

@slaterslater5944

The other half is me :-)

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