Im Waiting For The Man
The Velvet Undeground And Nico Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Twenty-six dollars in my hand
Up to Lexington, 125
Feel sick and dirty, more dead than alive
I'm waiting for my man
Hey, white boy, what you doin' uptown?
Hey, white boy, you chasin' our women around?
I'm just lookin' for a dear, dear friend of mine
I'm waiting for my man
Here he comes, he's all dressed in black
PR shoes and a big straw hat
He's never early, he's always late
First thing you learn is you always gotta wait
I'm waiting for my man
Up to a Brownstone, up three flights of stairs
Everybody's pinned you, but nobody cares
He's got the works, gives you sweet taste
Ah then you gotta split because you got no time to waste
I'm waiting for my man
Baby don't you holler, darlin' don't you bawl and shout
I'm feeling good, you know I'm gonna work it on out
I'm feeling good, I'm feeling oh so fine
Until tomorrow, but that's just some other time
I'm waiting for my man
The Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting for the Man" is a song that tells a story about a drug addict in search of his dealer. The song opens with the lyrics “I’m waiting for my man, twenty-six dollars in my hand, up to Lexington, 125, feeling sick and dirty, more dead than alive.” These lyrics provide insight into the singer's current state of being, indicating that he is desperate for a fix and has gone as far as to sell all of his possessions to obtain the money for the drugs.
Further into the song, the singer encounters a group of Black men who question why he is in the predominantly Black neighborhood of Harlem. This is highlighted by the lyrics “Hey, white boy, what you doin' uptown? Hey, white boy, you chasin' our women around?” The singer responds apologetically, clarifying that he is only searching for his dealer and not causing any trouble.
As the song progresses, the singer's dealer arrives, described as “all dressed in black, PR shoes and a big straw hat.” The lyrics detail the dealers’ punctuality, with the line “He's never early, he's always late, first thing you learn is you always gotta wait.”
The song concludes with the dealer taking the singer to a brownstone apartment and providing him with the drugs that he is desperately seeking. The final lines of the song “Baby don't you holler, darlin' don't you bawl and shout, I'm feeling good, you know I'm gonna work it on out, I'm feeling good, I'm feeling oh so fine, until tomorrow but that's just some other time,” indicate that the singer is temporarily satisfied with his fix but it is only a matter of time before the cycle of addiction takes hold once again.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm waiting for my man
The singer is waiting for someone who will give them a drug fix.
Twenty-six dollars in my hand
The singer has enough money to buy a dose of drugs.
Up to Lexington, 125
The singer is going to a street corner where their drug dealer is located.
Feel sick and dirty, more dead than alive
The artist is feeling terrible before getting their dose of drugs.
Hey, white boy, what you doin' uptown?
A black person is questioning the artist's presence in that part of town.
Hey, white boy, you chasin' our women around?
The black person assumes the singer is trying to flirt with black women.
Oh pardon me sir, it's the furthest from my mind
The singer denies the accusation and tries to excuse their presence there.
I'm just lookin' for a dear, dear friend of mine
The artist is lying to cover up their real motive for being there.
Here he comes, he's all dressed in black
The drug dealer is approaching wearing dark clothes.
PR shoes and a big straw hat
The drug dealer is wearing fancy shoes and a noticeable hat.
He's never early, he's always late
The drug dealer is not punctual and often keeps his clients waiting.
First thing you learn is you always gotta wait
Waiting for the drug dealer is a common part of the experience.
Up to a Brownstone, up three flights of stairs
The drug dealer's location is in a building with several stairs to climb.
Everybody's pinned you, but nobody cares
Although the area is crowded and crowded, no one pays attention to the singer because their presence there is unremarkable.
He's got the works, gives you sweet taste
The drug dealer provides good quality drugs that taste sweet.
Ah then you gotta split because you got no time to waste
Once the deal is over, the artist has to leave quickly to avoid trouble with the authorities or others.
Baby don't you holler, darlin' don't you bawl and shout
The artist reassures someone who cares about them not to worry because they are feeling good.
I'm feeling good, you know I'm gonna work it on out
The singer cherishes the good feeling that the drugs provide.
I'm feeling good, I'm feeling oh so fine
The singer is in a state of euphoria after receiving their drug dose.
Until tomorrow, but that's just some other time
The artist is aware that they will need to get more drugs in the future, but is not worrying about it at the moment.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LOU REED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind