Songs For Drella

Words and music: lou reed & john cale

It wasn't me who shamed you, it's not fair to say that
You wanted to work i gave you a chance at that
It wasn't me who hurt you, that's more credit that i'm worth
Don't threaten me with the things you'll do to you

It wasn't me who shamed you, it wasn't me who brought you down
You did it to yourself without any help from me
It wasn't me who hurt you, i showed you possibilities
The problems you had were there before you met me

I didn't say this had to be
You can't blame these things on me
It wasn't , it wasn't me, it wasn't me
I know she's dead, it wasn't me

It wasn't me who changed you, you did it to yourself
I'm not an excuse for the hole you dropped in
I'm not simple minded but i'm not father to you at all
Death exists but you do things to yourself

I never said give up control
I never said stick a needle in your arm and die
It wasn't , it wasn't me, it wasn't me
I know she's dead but it wasn't me

It wasn't me who shamed you, who covered you with mud
You did it to yourself without any help from me
You act as i could've told you or stopped you like some god
But people never listen and you know that that's a fact

I never said slit your wrists and die
I never said throw your life away
It wasn't , it wasn't me, it wasn't me
You're killing yourself - you can't blame me

Words and music: lou reed & john cale

Andy was a catholic, the ethic ran through his bones
He lived alone with his mother, collecting gossip and toys
Every sunday when he went to church
He'd kneel in his pew and say, "it's just work,
All that matters is work."

He was a lot of things, what i remember most
He'd say, "i've got to bring home the bacon, someone's got to bring home the roast."
He'd get to the factory early
If you'd ask him he'd tell you straight out
It's just work, the most important thing is work
No matter what i did it never seemed enough
He said i was lazy, i said i was young
He said, "how many songs did you write?"
I'd written zero, i'd lied and said, "ten."
"you won't be young forever
You should have written fifteen"
It's work, the most important thing is work
It's work, the most important thing is work

"you ought to make things big
People like it that way
And the songs with the dirty words - record them that way"
Andy liked to stir up trouble, he was funny that way
He said, "it's just work, all that matters is work"
Andy sat down to talk one day
He said decide what you want
Do you want to expand your parameters
Or play museums like some dilettante
I fired him on the spot, he got red and called me a rat
It was the worst word that he could think of
And i've never seen him like that
It's just work, i thought he said it's just work
Work, he said it's just work

Andy said a lot of things, i stored them all away in my head
Sometimes when i can't decide what i should do
I think what would andy have said
He'd probably say you think too much
That's 'cause there's work that you don't want to do
It's work, the most important thing is work
Work, the most important thing is work

Words and music: lou reed & john cale

Starlight open wide, starlight open up you door
This is new york calling with movies on the street
Movies with real people, what you get is what you see
Starlight open wide, andy's cecil b. demille
Come on l.a. give us a call
We've got superstars who talk, they'll do anything at all
Ingrid, viva, little joe, baby jane, and eddie s.
But you better call us soon before we talk ourselves to death
Starlight open wide everybody is a star
Split screen 8-hour movies
We've got color, we've got sound
Won't you recognize us, we're everything you hate
Andy loves old hollywood movies, he'll scare you hypocrites to death
You know that shooting up's for real
That person who's screaming, that's the way he really feels
We're all improvising, five movies in a week
If hollywood doesn't call us - we'll be sick
Starlight open wide
Do to movies what you did to art
Can you see beauty in ugliness, or is it playing in the dirt
There are stars out on the new york streets
We want to capture them on film
But if no one wants to see them
We'll make another and another
Starlight let us in that magic room
We've all dreamt of hollywood
, it can't happen too soon
Won't you give us a million dollars the rent is due
And will give you 2 movies and a painting
Starlight open wide!

Words and music: lou reed & john cale

Andy it's me, haven't seen you in a while
I wished i talked to you more when you were alive
I thought you were self-assured when you acted shy
Hello it's me
I really miss you, i really miss your mind
I haven't heard ideas like that in such a long, long time
I loved to watch you draw and watch you paint
But when i saw you last i turned away

When billy name was sick and locked up in his room
You asked me for some speed, i though it was for you
I'm sorry that i doubted your good heart
Things always seem to end before they start

Hello it's me, that was a great gallery show
Your cow wallpaper and your floating silver pillows
I wish i paid more attention when they laughed at you
Hello it's me

"pop goes pop artist," the headline said
"is shooting a put-on, is warhol really dead?"
You get less time for stealing a car
I remember thinking as i heard my own record in a bar

They really hated you, now all that's changed
But i have some resentments that can never be unmade
You hit me where it hurt i didn't laugh
Your diaries are not a worthy epitaph

Oh well now andy - guess we've got to go
I hope some way somehow you like this little show
I know it's late in coming but it's the only way i know
Hello it's me - goodnight andy...
Goodbye, andy

Words and music: lou reed & john cale

It was a very cold clear fall night
I had a terrible dream
Billy name and brigid were playing under my stair case on the second floor about two o'clock in the morning

I woke up because amos and archie had started barking
That made me very angry because i wasn't feeling well and i told them i was very cross the real me that they just better remember what happened to sam the bad cat that was left at home and got s
Nd went pussy heaven

It was a very cold clear fall night
Some snowflakes were falling
Gee, it was so beautiful
And so i went to get my camera to take some pictures
And then i was taking the pictures
But the exposure thing wasn't right
And i was going to call fred or gerry
To find out how to get set it
I was too late
And then i remembered they were still probably at dinner
And anyway
I felt really bad and didn't want to talk to anybody
But the snowflakes were so beautiful and real looking
And i really wanted to hold them
And that's when i heard the voices
From down the hall near the stairs
So i got a flashlight
And i was scared and i went out into the hallway
There's been all kinds of troubles
Lately in the neighborhood
And someone's got to bring home the bacon and anyway
There were brigid and billy playing

And under the stair case
Was a little meadow sort of like the park at 23rd street
Where all the young kids go and play frisbee
Gee, that must be fun
Maybe we should do an article on that in the magazine
But they'll just tell me i'm stupid and it won't sell
But i'll just hold my ground this time, i mean
It's my magazine, isn't it?

So i was thinking that as the snowflakes fell
And i heard those voices having so much fun
Gee, it would be so great to have some fun
So i called billy
But either he didn't hear me or he didn't want to answer
Which was so strange
Because
Even if i don't like reunions i've always loved billy
I'm so glad he's working
I mean it's different than ondine
He keeps touring with those movies
And he doesn't even pay us and the film
I mean the film's just going to disintegrate and then what
I mean he's so normal off of drugs
I just don't get it

And then i saw john cale
He's been looking really great
He's been coming by the office to exercise with me
Ronnie said i have a muscle
But he's been really mean since he went to aa
I mean what does it mean
When you give up drinking and then you're still so mean
He says i'm being lazy but i'm not
I'm just can't find any ideas
I mean i'm just not
Let's face it
Going to get any ideas up at the office

And seeing john made me think of the velvets
And i had been thinking about them
When i was on st. marks place
Going to that new gallery those sweet new kids have opened
But the thought i was old
And then i saw the old dom
The old club where we did our first shows
It was so great
And i don't understand about that velvet's first album
I mean i did the cover
I was the producer
And i always see it repackaged
And i've never gotten a penny from it
How could that be
I should call henry
But it was good seeing john
I did a cover for him
But i did in black and white and he change it to color
It would have been worth more if he'd left it my way
But you can never tell any body anything i've leaned that

I tried calling again to billy and john
They wouldn't recognize me it was like i wasn't there
Why won't they let me in

And then i saw lou
I'm so mad at him
Lou reed got married and didn't invite me
I mean is it because he thought i'd bring too many people
I don't get it
Could have at least called
I mean he's doing so great
Why doesn't he call me?
I saw him at the mtv show
And he was one row away and he didn't even say hello
I don't get it
You know i hate lou
I really do
He won't even hire us for his videos
And i was proud of him

I was so scared today
There was blood leaking thought my shirt
From those old scars from being shot
And the corset i wear to keep my insides in was hurting
And i did three sets of fifteen pushups
And four sets of ten setups
But then my insides hurt
And i saw drops of blood on my shirt and i remember
The doctors saying i was dead
And then later they had to take blood out of my hand
'couse they ran out or veins
But then
All this thinking was making me an old grouch
And you can't do anything anyway so
If they wouldn't let me play with them in my own dream
I was just going to have to make another
And another
And another
Gee, wouldn't it be funny if i died in this dream
Before i could make another one up

And nobody called

And nobody came

Words and music: lou reed & john cale

Train entering the city - i lost myself and never come back
Took a trip around the world and never came back
Black silhouettes, crisscrossed tracks never came back

Forever changed, forever changed

You might think i'm frivolous, uncaring and cold
You might think i'm frivolous - depends on your point of view
Society and who paints and records them - the high and the low
I left my all life behind me and never went back

Forever changed, forever changed

Got to get to the city - get a job
Got to get some work to see me through
My old life's disappearing from view
Hong kong - and i was changed
Burma and india - and i was changed
Only art to see me through
Only heart to see me through
My old life disappearing from my view
Brigid and pat - please see me through
The whole thing quickly receding
My life disappearing - disappearing from view

Forever changed, forever changed

I left my old life behind and was forever changed
Forever changed

Words and music: lou reed & john cale

The trouble with a classicist he looks at a tree
That's all he sees, he paints a tree
The trouble with a classicist he looks at the sky
He doesn't ask why, he just paints a sky

The trouble with an impressionist, he looks at a log
And he doesn't know who he is, standing, staring, at this log
And surrealist memories are too amorphous and proud
While those downtown macho painters are just alcoholic
The trouble with impressionist is
The trouble with impressionist is

The trouble with personalities, they're too wrapped up in style
It's too personal, they're in love with their own guile
They're like illegal aliens trying to make a buck
They're driving gypsy cabs but they're thinking like a truck
The trouble with personalities is
The trouble with personalities is

I like the druggy downtown kids who spray paint walls and trains
I like their lack of training, their primitive technique
I think sometimes it hurts you when you stay too long in school
I think sometimes it hurts you when you're afraid to be called a fool
The trouble with classicists is
The trouble with classicists is