Lou Reed, Peter Hitchens and the ridiculous Daily Mail.

[Stat Brother]

Where are the heroin references in Perfect Day ? I thought it was about celebrating spending a lovely day with someone, doing simple things like going to the zoo and stuff.

There's enough about the song to have interpreted as someone or something, that thing being heroin.
Plus the fact the quantities of heroin Lou was getting through at the time.

The highlighted section being the one concentrated on because of it's escapism.

Just a perfect day
Drink sangria in the park
And then later, when it gets dark
We go home

Just a perfect day
Feed animals in the zoo
Then later a movie, too
And then home

Oh, it's such a perfect day
I'm glad I spent it with you
Oh, such a perfect day
You just keep me hanging on
You just keep me hanging on

Just a perfect day
Problems all left alone
Weekenders on our own
It's such fun

Just a perfect day
You made me forget myself
I thought I was someone else
Someone good

Oh, it's such a perfect day
I'm glad I spent it with you
Oh, such a perfect day
You just keep me hanging on
You just keep me hanging on

You're going to reap just what you sow
You're going to reap just what you sow
You're going to reap just what you sow
You're going to reap just what you sow

The argument falls down when thinking that Reed wasn't really one for hidden meaning.
If he was writing about heroin he wrote about heroin:-

I don't know just where I'm going
But I'm goin' to try for the kingdom if I can
'cause it makes me feel like I'm a man
When I put a spike into my vein
Then I tell you things aren't quite the same

When I'm rushing on my run
And I feel just like jesus' son
And I guess I just don't know
And I guess that I just don't know

I have made very big decision
I'm goin' to try to nullify my life
'cause when the blood begins to flow
When it shoots up the dropper's neck
When I'm closing in on death

You can't help me not you guys
All you sweet girls with all your sweet talk
You can all go take a walk
And I guess I just don't know
And I guess I just don't know

I wish that I was born a thousand years ago
I wish that I'd sailed the darkened seas
On a great big clipper ship
Going from this land here to that
I put on a sailor's suit and cap

Away from the big city
Where a man cannot be free
Of all the evils in this town
And of himself and those around
Oh, and I guess I just don't know
Oh, and I guess I just don't know

Heroin, be the death of me
Heroin, it's my wife and it's my life
Because a mainer to my vein
Leads to a center in my head
And then I'm better off than dead

When the smack begins to flow
Then I really don't care anymore
About all the jim-jims in this town
And everybody putting everybody else down
And all of the politicians makin' crazy sounds
All the dead bodies piled up in mounds, yeah

Wow, that heroin is in my blood
And the blood is in my head
Yeah, the god's good as dead
Ooohhh, God that I'm not aware
I just don't care
And I guess I just don't know
And I guess I just don't know

 

[Dandyman]

Is it too jaded to suggest that if someone is stupid enough to take smack because of a song then they are probably stupid enough to take it full stop ?

 

[Mike's Small]

I cannot bring myself to read that poor excuse for a newspaper but apparently they claimed the lyric 'death of me' from 'Heroin' was prophetic. Yes it was, if you think he predicted he would die 41 years later and not from heroin. Retards.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

I cannot bring myself to read that poor excuse for a newspaper but apparently they claimed the lyric 'death of me' from 'Heroin' was prophetic. Yes it was, if you think he predicted he would die 41 years later and not from heroin. Retards.

It's amazing that all the Daily Mail haters who post on here say the paper is a rag and yet they quote their left wing views on it because it's the 'thing to do'.. (I'm in the left wing standing up for the working man club).so you do read it then,when you get over this the Left is for the working man attitude and wake up to the real world maybe you would put the country before you say 'what's in it for me'...but I don't count on you changing your views nor would I want too....viva le difference...cue left wing backlash...

 

[Nibble]

It's amazing that all the Daily Mail haters who post on here say the paper is a rag and yet they quote their left wing views on it because it's the 'thing to do'.. (I'm in the left wing standing up for the working man club).so you do read it then,when you get over this the Left is for the working man attitude and wake up to the real world maybe you would put the country before you say 'what's in it for me'...but I don't count on you changing your views nor would I want too....viva le difference...cue left wing backlash...

I cannot speak for anyone else but I don't read the mail myself unless I hear of a specific article I'd like to read for myself. I heard about this latest particular delivery of bilge on the radio and I checked it out. I know you won't have a word against it as you used to sleep under it on a factory floor before Thatcher changed your world or whatever but you don't have to be a left loon to realise their putrid agenda.

 

[cheshunt seagull]

The album 'Berlin'.
makes being a junkie sound really appealing and 'New York, Drella, Magic and Loss etc are full of drug references..... Ffs does this paper ever do any research.

 

[BadFish]

My question is: Does one take drugs because they listened to The Velvet Underground/Lou Reed or does one listen to The Velvet Underground/Lou Reed because they take drugs?

 

[BadFish]

The album 'Berlin'.
makes being a junkie sound really appealing and 'New York, Drella, Magic and Loss etc are full of drug references..... Ffs does this paper ever do any research.

They said the same about Trainspotting, My experience was that it did more to put me off than glamorise it, well that and Zammo. Just say no NO!

 

[Seagull kimchi]

Hitchens, speaking for The Mail on the wireless now accusing Lou Reed of dangerously glamorising drugs. Really? One day after his death? How sensitive.

Yours,
Permanently Outraged of Hampton.

Unbelievable isn't it! How can they feel it's appropriate to undermine a musical legend hours after his death is announced? There's plenty of really bad influences alive they could be going after - most of them in positions of real power.

 

[attila]

FOR LOU

I think hard, but I'm fourteen
And l don't know what you mean.
'Giving head.' As clear as mud.
Is that a bit like giving blood?

 

[spring hall convert]

Unbelievable isn't it! How can they feel it's appropriate to undermine a musical legend hours after his death is announced? There's plenty of really bad influences alive they could be going after - most of them in positions of real power.

Whilst they give column inches to the most vapid, meaningless, talentless "celebrities" going (even if it is just to get as many clicks as possible.) Regardless of the wrongs or rights of his personal life as you see it, Lou Reed was a legend of recorded music. He is responsible for inspiring generations of musicians to pick up a guitar or write a lyric. IMHO for American musicians only Dylan, Elvis, Springsteen, Brian Wilson, Prince & Michael Jackson are in the same bracket when it comes the legacy of their recorded works. They couldn't even really give him the credit he DESERVES for that. That is just plain wrong.

Let's call the Mail out for what it is, a trolling newspaper. It gains its advertising revenue from generating clicks and buys through outrage from left and right alike and they must be bloody good at it because we fall for it every time.

 

[MICK PATCHAM]

@ springhall convert " This from the paper that was outraged about Thatcher's memory being besmirched by people celebrating their death."

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Is there a pinch of envy in there too? It might just be my imagination

Of course, you could take the Daily Mail article as a bit of a commercial for drug use - as it points out, Lou Reed lasted 71 years and Keith Richards is "still going strong."

 

[BBassic]

The thing that depresses me the most about the Mail is that there are people who actually buy it and, worse still, actually believe the sputum it puts out.

 

[nicko31]

Hitchins really is a nasty little Englander, the Daily Mail and him are a match made in heaven. He was shocking on last weeks BBC Question Time..

 

[Mike's Small]

It's amazing that all the Daily Mail haters who post on here say the paper is a rag and yet they quote their left wing views on it because it's the 'thing to do'.. (I'm in the left wing standing up for the working man club).so you do read it then,when you get over this the Left is for the working man attitude and wake up to the real world maybe you would put the country before you say 'what's in it for me'...but I don't count on you changing your views nor would I want too....viva le difference...cue left wing backlash...

Firstly, my opinion of that newspaper has nothing to do with politics. Secondly, the punctuation and spelling in your response shows that the Mail obviously doesn't educate their readers either.

 

[Questions]

I could listen to Lou Reed telling life stories,
Or I could read The Mail.

Mmmm what to do.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

The thing that depresses me the most about the Mail is that there are people who actually buy it and, worse still, actually believe the sputum it puts out.

Please tell us your choice of paper...you know,one that does not have a political agenda one way or the other...much to your displeasure,the Daily Mail is the second most popular daily newspaper,they must have done something right...as far as I can see it is the only paper that has a correction and apology colunm every day and always gives the person who is named a right to reply.

 

[El Presidente]

Please tell us your choice of paper...you know,one that does not have a political agenda one way or the other...much to your displeasure,the Daily Mail is the second most popular daily newspaper,they must have done something right...as far as I can see it is the only paper that has a correction and apology colunm every day and always gives the person who is named a right to reply.

My choice of paper is The FT. Not great for the football granted but free of politically motivated drivel.

Not as popular as the Mail, but I recall Hitler being popular, so in your books he must have been doing something right too?

 

[Mutts Nuts]

Check this out then

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...ow-Lou-Reeds-excesses-finally-caught-him.html

The lyrics that they accuse of glamorising drugs both mention ill health/ death
They clearly don't understand that sexuality isn't the 100% Gay/ 100% Straight choice they think it is. Fair play at least they don't print open homophobia any more.
They can't resist having a pop at the BBC

This from the paper that was outraged about Thatcher's memory being besmirched by people celebrating their death.

Normally I won't click on a Mail article, knowing that I'm fuelling their advertising but I just couldn't resist this one.

He liked his drugs then