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Lou Reed

Lou Reed Books

Musician

Lou Reed was an American musician, lyricist, and guitarist, hailed as one of the most influential artists in rock history. Known for his diverse musical style, ranging from rock and folk to experimental music, Reed left an indelible mark on the music scene. His hit songs include 'Walk on the Wild Side' and 'Perfect Day', which are still widely celebrated today.

Pass Thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics

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Lou Reed: The Last Interview: and Other...

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I'll Be Your Mirror: The Collected Lyrics

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Perfect Day

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The Raven

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Related Quotes

“There's a bit of magic in everything And then some loss to even things out.”

Loss Magic Balance Lyrics

Book:I'll Be Your Mirror: The Collected Lyrics

Source: I'll Be Your Mirror: The Collected Lyrics

“Most of you won't like this, and I don't blame you at all. It's not meant for you. [Liner notes to Metal Machine Music]”

Artistic Integrity

Author:Lou Reed

“Just a perfect day, problems all left alone.”

Happy No Problem Perfect Day

Book:Perfect Day

Source: Perfect Day

“Psychologically, it's better that I think that I'm dirt.”

Thinking Insanity Dirt

Author:Lou Reed

“Caroline says as she gets up from the floor, you can hit me all you want to, but I don't love you anymore.”

Want Violence Love You Get Up Violence Against Women I Don't Love You Don't Love You Anymore I Don't Love You Anymore

Author:Lou Reed

“I dreamed that I was young and smart, and it was not a waste. I dreamed that there was a point of life, and to the human race.”

Humans Young Race Education Waste Smart Human Race

Book:Pass Thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics

Source: Pass Thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics

“Teach them about anger, the sin that comes with dawning. Teach them about flowers, and the beauty of forgiveness.”

Sin Education Teach Flower

Book:Pass Thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics

Source: Pass Thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics

“I don't think anybody is anybody else's moral compass.”

Thinking Moral Morality Compass Moral Compass

Book:Lou Reed: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations

Source: Lou Reed: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations

“One of my rules is: Never listen to your old stuff.”

Stuff Old Stuff

Author:Lou Reed

“For a while, I felt a little self-impelled to write Lou Reed Kind of songs. I should have understood that a Lou Reed song was anything I wanted to write about.”

Should Writing Kind Littles Self Wanted Song Felt Understood Should Have Reeds

Author:Lou Reed

“My week beats your year.”

Years Week Beats

Book:Pass Thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics

Source: Pass Thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics

“And I feel just like Jesus' son”

Feels Jesus Son Feels Just

Author:Lou Reed

“An eye for an eye is elemental.”

Eye Elementals Eye For An Eye

Author:Lou Reed

“There are problems in these times, but none of them are mineI'm beginning to see the light”

Author:Lou Reed

“First thing you learnis that you'vealways got to wait”

Author:Lou Reed

“As you practice things, you get better. I mean I've worked very hard on changing my life and taking what is good about it and trying to jettison the things I think were not good about it. I think the key word is "discipline," focus. I'm always working at it, but I'm not always successful.”

Thinking Trying Mean Hard Practice Successful Focus Keys Discipline Get Better Changing My Life Always Working

Author:Lou Reed

“You do what you love, or you get arrested.”

Arrested What You Love

Book:Lou Reed: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations

Source: Lou Reed: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations

“I like mindless disco... they say the lyrics are stupid and repetitious. So what's wrong with that? So is lying in the sun. Not everything has to be serious.”

Lying Sun Stupid Serious Mindless Disco

Author:Lou Reed

“When you're growing up in a small town You know you'll grow down in a small town There is only one good use for a small town You hate it and you know you'll have to leave.”

Knows Use Hate Grows Growing Up Growing Towns Small Town Growing Up In A Small Town

Book:Pass Thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics

Source: Pass Thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics

“Moving on has allowed me to know who I am and to be present in all that I do. I take this forward in my work and in my personal relationships. It is a powerful program and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to move on with their life.”

Knows Moving Powerful Program Who I Am Moving On Personal Relationships

Author:Lou Reed

“Sometimes, you've got to be in a place. You're just another guy. You can just blend in. I live out in the wilds of nowhere, out in Jersey. Even there, there's sometimes problems. College students like journey out there and show up at 11 o'clock at night, on my porch, looking into the door not saying anything. My wife and I are sitting there; it's really creepy.”

Sometimes Shows Problem Night Guy Wife Doors Journey Students College Sitting My Wife Clock Jersey Creepy Other Guys Porch College Students Really Creepy

Author:Lou Reed

“I've gone out with my shotgun. This is hunting country out there. You better run.”

Country Running Gone Hunting Shotguns

Author:Lou Reed

“People didn't know certain things about me, which... I was out of creative writing class in school, Syracuse University; had a B.A. in English and wanted to write the great American novel but I also loved rock and roll. I was in bar bands all through college, playing fraternities and have to know all the songs in the top 10. That kind of thing.”

“All I want to do, is write rock and roll that you could listen to as you got older, and it wouldn't lose anything; it would be timeless, in the subject matter and the literacy of the lyrics.”

Want Writing Matter Would Be Loses Subjects Rocks Rock And Roll Timeless Literacy Subject Matter

Author:Lou Reed

“I never liked the Beatles. I thought they were garbage.”

Author:Lou Reed

“Research, research, research. It means everything.”

Book:Lou Reed: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations

Source: Lou Reed: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations

“I write whatever shows up. That's good enough for me. I'm part of the first generation that wants to still do original material and not tour around as an oldies act.”

Want Writing Firsts Stills Enough Shows Generations Materials Originals Good Enough Oldies

Book:Lou Reed: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations

Source: Lou Reed: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations

“When critics ask you if you feel vindicated by other critics - I didn't like critics then, and I don't like them now. There you go. I've always been outside the mainstream, and it stayed that way.”

Ifs Way Feels Asks Critics Mainstream Vindicated

Author:Lou Reed

“The gay people know where I'm at. Straight people may not know where I'm at, but they find it kind of interesting when they show up and see what is sitting around them.”

People Knows Kind May Shows Interesting Gay Sitting Gay People Sitting Around

Author:Lou Reed

“It's interesting to have a conglomeration of people that covers the strata from A to Z... There's a certain element of the audience that's intellectually oriented, into the lyrics... then there's another element of the audience that's into a sex trip. I'm into both of them.”

People Certain Sex Interesting Audience Elements

Author:Lou Reed

“It's fun to be in a small club and to be able to look somebody right in the eye and watch them just freak. Then it's fun to be in front of thousands of people and watch a couple of hundred freaking out of their minds.”

People Mind Looks Eye Able Fun Watches Fronts Couple Hundred Clubs Freak Freaking Out

Author:Lou Reed

“To debate political objectives, views, and goals is the most American thing conceivable.”

Political Goal Views Debate Objectives

Author:Lou Reed

“One thing I've often thought is that I never want to tell anybody else what to do. It's hard enough to figure out what I want to do.”

Want Hard Enough One Thing Figures

Author:Lou Reed

“Music is an amazing thing. I don't know if we really think about it the same way we consider a painting an amazing thing. I mean, a painting is, in quotes, imaginary. There is nothing on the canvas when you start; and writing a song, there is nothing there when you start.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Way Writing Mean Song Painting Music Is Imaginary Canvas Amazing Things

Author:Lou Reed

“You can't always trust your mother.”

Author:Lou Reed

“Electricity comes from other planets.”

Planets Electricity

Book:Pass Thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics

Source: Pass Thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics

“When the past makes you laugh and you can savor the magic that lets you survive your own war, you'll find that that fire is passion and there's a door up ahead - not a wall.”

War Past Passion Laughing Fire Doors Magic Wall Make You Laugh

Author:Lou Reed

“But it's not only: What are you going to do about touring, it's: What are you going to do with your life? Is there a point to what we do? I think there is. Making music, creating beautiful things. We have to be in love with the good and the beautiful. If we are not, then you're in a nihilistic state.”

Ifs Thinking States Beautiful Life Is Creating Beautiful Things Touring

Author:Lou Reed

“I'm not leaving New York. And neither is anyone else. We're here. We are quintessential Americans - we're not only American, but New York-American.”

New York Leaving Quintessential

Author:Lou Reed

“I wish I had a talking book that told me how to act and look, a talking book that contained keys to past and present memories”

Looks Book Past Wish Memories Talking Keys Past And Present

Author:Lou Reed

“Honey, I'm a cocksucker, what are you?”

Author:Lou Reed

“You know the expression 'God protects fools and drunks'? I qualify for both.”

Knows Expression Fool Protect

Author:Lou Reed

“People can vote for who ever they want. That doesn't mean I have to go near them.”

People Want Mean Vote

Author:Lou Reed

“I love Ornette Coleman. I love Don Cherry. I love the way those guys play.”

Way Play Guy Cherries

Author:Lou Reed

“Families that live out in the suburbs often make each other cry.”

Author:Lou Reed

“High energy does not necessarily mean fast, high energy has to do with heart.”

Heart Mean Doe Energy High Energy

Author:Lou Reed

“To wish for the crazy times one last time and freeze it in the memory of a camera is the least a great artist can do.”

Lasts Artist Wish Can Do Memories Crazy Cameras Last Time Great Art Freeze Great Artist Crazy Times

Author:Lou Reed

“Looking through the viewfinder for me is like being in a movie theater. That's what I like about it.”

Theater Movie Theater

Author:Lou Reed

“Bodily changes take place, like the thing with the kick.”

Author:Lou Reed

“But I found tai chi when I was studying with Leung Shum, who teaches Eagle Claw and Wu Hao.”

Found Teach Study Eagles Claws Tai Chi

Author:Lou Reed

About the Author

Born: March 2, 1942
Died: October 27, 2013
Known for: Musician
Quotes: 202

Related Topics

Thinking People Knows Writing Ifs Mean Rocks Want Art Doe

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Pass Thru Fire: The Collected LyricsRelated source material

Lou Reed: The Last Interview: and Other ConversationsRelated source material

I'll Be Your Mirror: The Collected LyricsRelated source material

Perfect DayRelated source material

The RavenRelated source material

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