In today’s song of the day, Lou Reed sings about Andy Warhol and discusses his personal feelings toward Valerie Solanas, the woman who shot and nearly killed him.
Judging from the lyrics, this song was written after Warhol’s death in 1987 but before Solanas’s death in 1988. Needless to say, Reed did not have much use or sympathy for those who attempted to turn Solanas into a revolutionary icon or who claimed that her action could be explained by her mental illness. Reed demanded retribution and, with this brilliantly angry song, he got a little.
This song comes from Songs For Drella, a 15-song cycle about the life and art of Andy Warhol.
Valerie Solanas took the elevator
got off at the 4th floor
Valerie Solanas took the elevator
got off at the 4th floor
She pointed the gun at Andy saying
you cannot control me anymore
I believe there’s got to be some retribution
I believe an eye for an eye is elemental
I believe that something’s wrong if she’s alive right now
Valerie Solanas took three steps
pointing at the floor
Valerie Solanas waved her gun
pointing at the floor
From inside her idiot madness spoke and bang
Andy fell onto the floor
I believe life’s serious enough for retribution
I believe being sick is no excuse and –
I believe I would’ve pulled the switch on her myself
When they got him to the hospital
his pulse was gone they thought that he was dead
His guts were pouring from his wounds
onto the floor they thought that he was dead
Not until years later would
the hospital do to him what she could not
what she could not
Where were you, you didn’t come to see me
Andy said, I think I died, why didn’t you come to see me
Andy said, It hurt so much, they took blood from my hand
I believe there’s got to be some retribution
I believe there’s got to be some retribution
I believe we are all the poorer for it now
Visit me, visit me
Visit me, visit me
Visit me, why didn’t you visit me
visit me, why didn’t you visit me
Visit me, visit me
visit me, why didn’t you visit me
Songwriters: John Cale/Lou Reed