Bardo for Lou Reed: Beginning to See the Light

Well, I’m beginning to see the light
Some people work very hard,
But still they never get it right.
Well I’m beginning to see the light.

Wine in the morning, and some breakfast at night.
I’m beginning to see the light.
Here we go again, playing the fool again.
Here we go again, acting hard again.
Well I’m beginning to see the light.

I wore my teeth in my hands
So I could mess the hair of the night
Well I’m beginning to see the light.
I met myself in a dream
And I just wanna tell you, everything was alright
I’m beginning to see the light.

Here comes two of you, which one will you chose?
One is black, one is blue.
Don’t look just what to do.
Well I’m beginning to see the light.

There are problems in these times
But ooh, none of them are mine
I’m beginning to see the light.

Here we go again, I thought that you were my friend.
Here we go again, I thought that you were my friend.
How does it feel to be loved?
How does it feel to be loved?
How does it feel to be loved?
How does it feel to be loved?
How does it feel to be loved?

* * * * *

Satellite’s gone, up to the skies …

Lou Reed, musical genius, lyricist and proud son of Freeport, Long Island, born in Brooklyn, New York on March 2, 1942, died in Southhampton, Long Island on October 27, 2013. For further Lou Reed tributes on this site, start here.

11 Responses

  1. I am so sad.
    I am so sad.

    Sad for Laurie: peace to you old friend. May you find serenity.

    Sad for New York. You have lost a bard.

    Sad for all of us. Lou brightened our path and made honesty a more possible outcome.

    We are made smaller by his passing.

    Well,
    Gate, gate, paragate,
    parasamgate bhodi svaha.

    All the Best.

    jpm

  2. This comes as quite a sad
    This comes as quite a sad surprise. When i saw this Lou Reed post it never crossed my mind that it was on account of his dying

    So young.

    It’s been such a perfect day. I’m glad I spent it with you.

  3. Lou Reed definitely inspired
    Lou Reed definitely inspired an entire generation to make music. I think he once said, and I’m paraphrasing, that the album Velvet Underground & Nico sold only 30,000 but they inspired 30,000 people to start their own bands and make music. He was both sensitive and gritty. New York City gritty. RIP Lou

  4. You’re so right, TKG – a
    You’re so right, TKG – a Ranger Companion in this wilderness for decades.. wet autumn it was .. and I listened to him and Nico still the sixties… and then he gave consolation … in all lively things:

    There’s a bit of magic in every thing –
    and then some loss to even things out —

    Thanks

  5. ‘… you pass through hurt
    ‘… you pass through hurt
    you pass through an ever present past
    And it’s best not to wait for luck to save you
    pass through the fire …’
    ThankYou, Levi – I knew here would be a homebase with sad news like that (those quotes had been my late wife’s favorites..)
    SeeYou
    walter

  6. Amazing. So much of that
    Amazing. So much of that early VU stuff still plays so well here nearly 50 years later. Fifty! It had to happen on a Sunday Morning, no?

  7. I gasped when I heard the
    I gasped when I heard the news early yesterday morning. Another of my poet rocker heroes passes on. What genius; his lyrics and music live on, continuing to inspire not only musicians, but also poets.

  8. What else did we expect after
    What else did we expect after Lou’s passing? After all the kudos and claims of genius will come the war of biographers, each vying for the title of ‘the best biography’… then the movie which certainly must already be in the wings, the script 90% complete just waiting for yesterday’s news so the movie can begin… and his albums..? wait for “Lou Reed: the Complete Collection” with a photo book just in time for Christmas.

    Lou Reed will be hailed in every which way he never personally heard from the thousands of fans, just like all the other American music heroes that get laid to rest, their memories for sale to the highest bidders before their candles burn out as the next ‘icon of a generation’ passes.

    Farewell, Lou, you left a legacy for future generations.

  9. A few years ago I was jamming
    A few years ago I was jamming with some old friends in a basement in Ottawa; I was in town for some business. I wasn’t too interested in what they were playing – Black Sabbath, Rush, etc – but it was nice to play with them. I think they actually invited me because I know most of the chords and words for all the old Stones classics. But every now and then I get to add a song into the mix, and eventually I’m singing Sweet Jane – a sped up slightly punked up version that was pretty close to how a band I was in played it back in the 70s, and actually pretty close to how Lou was playing around Take No Prisoners. They keep up as best they could, but it’s pretty much the drummer laying down a solid beat and everyone else filling in around my rhythmn guitar while I sing. At the end, one says “Wow, I never thought I would hear a Cowboy Junkies song played like that”. They all nod. I kept quiet.

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