Uploaded February 2015 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
"I write a song called 'Heroin', you would have thought that I murdered the Pope or something"
- Lou Reed on March 20, 1987, as told to Joe Smith
Lou Reed. Lou Reed. Here we bring you a rarely heard interview Lou recored in 1987. It's vintage Lou. Salty and sweet. Earnest and cocky. Grouchy and kind of endearing. Reed (and his legendary band The Velvet Underground) were those musicians who never got the extensive accolades or awards--nor the riches many of their contemporaries found. Yet he never seemed to waver in his search for the perfect sound and his quest "to elevate the rock and roll song and take it where it hadn't been taken before." Here we present some interview outtakes that give a taste for this iconic American musician. Lou Reed died of liver disease on October 27, 2013. He was 71.
In this animated film Lou Reed talks about chasing off nosy college kids on his porch with his shotgun, how he dreamed about writing the great American novel while at Syracuse University, "how savage the reaction against" the Velvet Underground was, the intention of taking books and putting them into songs, writing rock and roll you could grow old with, not thinking The Doors or the Beatles were up to the level of his band, and how he hoped to elevate the rock and roll song to where it hadn't been before.
RIP, Lou.
LOU REED QUOTES
"What we had was ambition and a goal ... to elevate the rock and roll song and take it where it hadn't been taken before."
"I have faith in my own vision, and didn't want them to tamper with it."
"Don't thin my voice out and make it like that high shit. This is the way I sound."
" I've gone out with my shotgun. This is hunting country out there. You better run."
"I wanted to write the great American novel but I also loved rock and roll."
"I got a little puzzled at how savage the reaction against us was."
Hear the full, unedited interview, learn more about Lou Reed including a pic of his college band, and see some sweet Lou Reed GIFs @ blankonblank.org/interviews/lou-reed-guns-ammo-the-velvet-underground
Subscribe for new episodes every other Tuesday (it's free):
youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=blankonblank
Executive Producer: David Gerlach
Animator: Patrick Smith
Audio Producer: Amy Drozdowska
Watch our previous episodes:
BB King on The Blues
youtube.com/watch?v=-tIphqWYu_s
Elliott Smith on Freaks
youtube.com/watch?v=pAP3sYaaBv4
Robin Williams on Masks
youtube.com/watch?v=2PHGmIAv4Dc
Wayne Coyne on Living with Death
youtube.com/watch?v=OJXU7f0hI30
Maya Angelou on Con Men
youtube.com/watch?v=VybIJEA41yk
Bette Davis on The Sexes
youtube.com/watch?v=RNnTUyrxzWY
Michael Jackson on Godliness
youtube.com/watch?v=YoCa3Po7M_8
Jimi Hendrix on The Experience
youtube.com/watch?v=nK2lfs_uiwk
Meryl Streep on Beauty
youtube.com/watch?v=OG_T5dwnJuM
Philip Seymour Hoffman on Happiness
youtube.com/watch?v=Osn8rjkPyYM
David Bowie on Stardust
youtu.be/lFIDXXDsxAo
Gene Wilder on The Truth
youtube.com/watch?v=8PUW2POEjX4
John Lennon on Love
youtu.be/DmvmnYEy9NY
Johnny Cash on The Gospel
youtu.be/ALGi0tcFCcw
Heath Ledger on Role Playing
youtu.be/qDRUzbAa6lI
Tupac on Life and Death
youtube.com/watch?v=6x2FqX2YZws
Kurt Cobain on Identity
youtu.be/C1Z2BkZaOQc
Janis Joplin on Rejection
youtube.com/watch?v=VdF4b1_LQnQ
Barry White on Making Love
youtube.com/watch?v=SmJIlqjYGkw
Maurice Sendak on Being a Kid
youtube.com/watch?v=KvtgqJTVVhE
Carol Burnett on Finding Home
youtube.com/watch?v=Aixlc1DJZiE
Grace Kelly on JFK
youtube.com/watch?v=K5EOuppHoTM
Farrah Fawcett on Stiletto Power
youtu.be/8Eskff0RUQ8
Beastie Boys on Being Stupid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4mx2P...
David Foster Wallace on Ambition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5R8gd...
Wilt Chamberlain on Tall Tales
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxLiVn...
Larry King on Getting Seduced
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yD8Pz...
Jim Morrison on Why Fat is Beautiful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhszZ5...
Music
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
"Venus in Furs"
"Heroin"
"Rock and Roll"
LOU REED
"Perfect Day"
Photos
P. TUFTS
PHIL KING
via FLICKR
"I write a song called 'Heroin', you would have thought that I murdered the Pope or something"
- Lou Reed on March 20, 1987, as told to Joe Smith
Lou Reed. Lou Reed. Here we bring you a rarely heard interview Lou recored in 1987. It's vintage Lou. Salty and sweet. Earnest and cocky. Grouchy and kind of endearing. Reed (and his legendary band The Velvet Underground) were those musicians who never got the extensive accolades or awards--nor the riches many of their contemporaries found. Yet he never seemed to waver in his search for the perfect sound and his quest "to elevate the rock and roll song and take it where it hadn't been taken before." Here we present some interview outtakes that give a taste for this iconic American musician. Lou Reed died of liver disease on October 27, 2013. He was 71.
In this animated film Lou Reed talks about chasing off nosy college kids on his porch with his shotgun, how he dreamed about writing the great American novel while at Syracuse University, "how savage the reaction against" the Velvet Underground was, the intention of taking books and putting them into songs, writing rock and roll you could grow old with, not thinking The Doors or the Beatles were up to the level of his band, and how he hoped to elevate the rock and roll song to where it hadn't been before.
RIP, Lou.
LOU REED QUOTES
"What we had was ambition and a goal ... to elevate the rock and roll song and take it where it hadn't been taken before."
"I have faith in my own vision, and didn't want them to tamper with it."
"Don't thin my voice out and make it like that high shit. This is the way I sound."
" I've gone out with my shotgun. This is hunting country out there. You better run."
"I wanted to write the great American novel but I also loved rock and roll."
"I got a little puzzled at how savage the reaction against us was."
Hear the full, unedited interview, learn more about Lou Reed including a pic of his college band, and see some sweet Lou Reed GIFs @ blankonblank.org/interviews/lou-reed-guns-ammo-the-velvet-underground
Subscribe for new episodes every other Tuesday (it's free):
youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=blankonblank
Executive Producer: David Gerlach
Animator: Patrick Smith
Audio Producer: Amy Drozdowska
Watch our previous episodes:
BB King on The Blues
youtube.com/watch?v=-tIphqWYu_s
Elliott Smith on Freaks
youtube.com/watch?v=pAP3sYaaBv4
Robin Williams on Masks
youtube.com/watch?v=2PHGmIAv4Dc
Wayne Coyne on Living with Death
youtube.com/watch?v=OJXU7f0hI30
Maya Angelou on Con Men
youtube.com/watch?v=VybIJEA41yk
Bette Davis on The Sexes
youtube.com/watch?v=RNnTUyrxzWY
Michael Jackson on Godliness
youtube.com/watch?v=YoCa3Po7M_8
Jimi Hendrix on The Experience
youtube.com/watch?v=nK2lfs_uiwk
Meryl Streep on Beauty
youtube.com/watch?v=OG_T5dwnJuM
Philip Seymour Hoffman on Happiness
youtube.com/watch?v=Osn8rjkPyYM
David Bowie on Stardust
youtu.be/lFIDXXDsxAo
Gene Wilder on The Truth
youtube.com/watch?v=8PUW2POEjX4
John Lennon on Love
youtu.be/DmvmnYEy9NY
Johnny Cash on The Gospel
youtu.be/ALGi0tcFCcw
Heath Ledger on Role Playing
youtu.be/qDRUzbAa6lI
Tupac on Life and Death
youtube.com/watch?v=6x2FqX2YZws
Kurt Cobain on Identity
youtu.be/C1Z2BkZaOQc
Janis Joplin on Rejection
youtube.com/watch?v=VdF4b1_LQnQ
Barry White on Making Love
youtube.com/watch?v=SmJIlqjYGkw
Maurice Sendak on Being a Kid
youtube.com/watch?v=KvtgqJTVVhE
Carol Burnett on Finding Home
youtube.com/watch?v=Aixlc1DJZiE
Grace Kelly on JFK
youtube.com/watch?v=K5EOuppHoTM
Farrah Fawcett on Stiletto Power
youtu.be/8Eskff0RUQ8
Beastie Boys on Being Stupid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4mx2P...
David Foster Wallace on Ambition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5R8gd...
Wilt Chamberlain on Tall Tales
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxLiVn...
Larry King on Getting Seduced
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yD8Pz...
Jim Morrison on Why Fat is Beautiful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhszZ5...
Music
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
"Venus in Furs"
"Heroin"
"Rock and Roll"
LOU REED
"Perfect Day"
Photos
P. TUFTS
PHIL KING
via FLICKR
