Submitted By: Mike Spindell, Guest Blogger
Lou Reed Rock N’ Roll Poet, Singer and Musician died this week at the age of 71. To my mind he was a far greater artist than the world gave him credit for being. What made him special besides his guitar virtuosity; the distinctive sound of his music; his unique voice; was that his lyrics reflected his raw emotional reaction to the life he saw around him. We see many of the Rock N’ Roll Idols of our youth trade their revolutionary sentiments for a knighthood and celebrity lifestyle. Yet Rock N’ Roll in its inception began as outlaw music in the 50’s. The main cause of R&R’s horrifying the mainstream in America was that it was White musicians copying the blues styles of what were then called “Race Records” because they were performed by great Black artists. The initial horror at Elvis wasn’t just the movement of his hips, but the fact that this quintessentially southern White boy was singing Black music. The music industry soon tamed Elvis as it tamed those to come with some exceptions. Lou Reed was never tamed and was never really listed in the top tier of Rock Legends by a public that found his lyrics too raw and too filled with what was the seamy side of American life. What follows are the lyrics to one of Lou Reed’s angriest and greatest songs as pertinent to America today as it was when he wrote it in 1989. Afterwards you can hear him sing it. To me one of the two great American poets of the last 100 years died this week and people think he was just another Rock N’ Roll singer.
Dirty Blvd. by Lou Reed
Pedro lives out of the Wilshire Hotel
He looks out a window without glass
The walls are made of cardboard, newspapers on his feet
His father beats him cause he’s too tired to beg
He’s got 9 brothers and sisters
They’re brought up on their knees
It’s hard to run when a coat hanger beats you on the thighs
Pedro dreams of being older and killing the old man
But that’s a slim chance he’s going to the boulevard
He’s going to end up, on the dirty boulevard
He’s going out, to the dirty boulevard
He’s going down, to the dirty boulevard
This room cost 2,000 dollars a month
You can believe it man it’s true
Somewhere a landlord’s laughing till he wets his pants
No one here dreams of being a doctor or a lawyer or anything
They dream of dealing on the dirty boulevard
Get to end up, on the dirty boulevard
Going out, to the dirty boulevard
He’s going down, on the dirty boulevard
Going out
Outside it’s a bright night
There’s an opera at Lincoln Center
Movie stars arrive by limousine
The klieg lights shoot up over the skyline of Manhattan
But the lights are out on the Mean Streets
A small kid stands by the Lincoln Tunnel
He’s selling plastic roses for a buck
The traffic’s backed up to 39th street
The TV whores are calling the cops out for a suck
And back at the Wilshire, Pedro sits there dreaming
He’s found a book on magic in a garbage can
He looks at the pictures and stares at the cracked ceiling
“At the count of 3” he says, “I hope I can disappear”
And fly fly away, from this dirty boulevard
I want to fly, from dirty boulevard
I want to fly, from dirty boulevard
I want to fly-fly-fly-fly, from dirty boulevard
I want to fly away
I want to fly
Fly, fly away
I want to fly
Fly-fly away (Fly a-)
Fly-fly-fly (-way, ooohhh…)
Fly-fly away (I want to fly-fly away)
Fly away (I want to fly, wow-woh, no, fly away)
Notes on Dirty Blvd.
Dirty Blvd is the 3rd of 14 tracks on Lou Reed’s 15th solo album, New York, released in 1989 to broad critical acclaim. In New York, Reed builds upon on his longtime theme of documenting New York City’s underbelly and its most stigmatized and downtrodden residents. It is regarded as one of his most conceptual albums, and in the liner notes Reed himself instructs listeners to take in the whole album in one sitting, “as though it were a book or a movie.” Apologies to Lou for breaking it down song-by-song.
Dirty Blvd describes the life of Pedro, a boy living and hustling in seedy areas of Manhattan. Pedro’s wish to magically disappear is his only respite from an abusive father, abysmal living conditions, and a bleak future that Reed portrays as near-inevitable. Reed’s deadpan delivery implies that he’s seen many unfortunate youth like Pedro end up “dealing on the dirty boulevard.”
More broadly, Dirty Blvd is a lament for the poor and vulnerable in a New York that, in the late 1980s, was beginning its obsession with “cleaning up” its most notorious districts of crime and vice. Longtime NYC mayor Ed Koch was leaving office and future mayor Rudy Giuliani was beginning to rear his ugly head. The NYPD was growing in power, and police-inflicted violence against the homeless was becoming commonplace:
“Your poor huddled masses, let’s club ‘em to death
And get it over with and just dump ’em on the boulevard.”
This comes from the website Rock Genius: http://rock.rapgenius.com/Lou-reed-dirty-blvd-lyrics
Twenty-four years after Lou Reed wrote this song the Billionaire who bought the New York City Mayoralty will soon be leaving office having accomplished all that Lou Reed Predicted. I will miss this great poet of the underbelly of our society.
Submitted By: Mike Spindell, Guest Blogger
I was told never to never respond to anonymous threats or accusations. When someone appears out of nowhere and immediately stalks me, making crazy accusations w/o any evidence, I feel no compulsion to “deny.”. My wife has been stalked on her website, and accusations like this have been made on her Amazon comment page. Maybe this is the same person. I don’t know, but the bile spewed is the same. Same, no proof, fake name, horseshit. Many people have reported it as abuse. Both my wife and I have dealt w/ stalkers who want harm to us. I had a guy I investigated call my daughter and tell her he was “going to get me.” She was 12. My wife has been threatened by people she sent to prison. I always use my name and stand by whatever I say or do. This person, in case you can’t tell, has a huge ax to grind. It will be edifying to see how this plays out.
Juliet, you have no idea must how truly creepy he is.It gets worse.
Note, he does not deny what he has been accused of by several people who have had the great misfortune to cross paths with this fellow. Now he engages in bullying here, pulls back when confronted with his behavior b commenters then and attempts to act reasonable. His true nature will always come to the surface.
Oh, I’m not surprised, I’m just astounded you would come here instead of walking your dogs.
Walking her dogs? You literally just made her point for her.
Fcuking creepy.
“Oh, I’m not surprised, I’m just astounded you would come here instead of walking your dogs.”
So Nick,
did you know Anne and the reference to walking her dogs was a personal one, because it sure sounds like it. And were you banned from the Althouse Blog.
Mr. Spinelli feigns surprise. He is well aware his actions. His victims have exchanged notes and found that he engages in the same bullying here that he does elsewhere. Bullies need to be confronted with their behavior head on.
Wow!
Bron, Mr. Spinelli is a known internet bully. He is no longer allowed to comment on the Ann Althouse blog because of his abusive behavior. He bullied commenters there and eosewhere and used his status as a PI, licensed in WI to obtain private information about the commenters he tussles with. Then he proceeds to publish this information on public forums. He is a man with low scruples IMO, by his actions. I think commenters here need to be aware of what this man has done and continues to do to those he interacts wih online. I see he attempts to moderate his behavior somewhat here, but do not be fooled, this guy is scary.
Annie:
and you are lily white by saying “My God! What an insufferable bore Nick Spinelli is.”
Isnt that just your opinion? And wasnt it you who showed nick the first round of aggression by calling him an insufferable bore? and now you are saying it wouldnt surprise you if he beats his wife?
Pardon me if I think you are a bully.
Mike Spindell:
I was reading the thread and all of a sudden I came to that and it was after Nick had said something to Juliet. So I thought, based on yours and nicks past history, that you were implying he beat his wife.
It was out of the blue with no context, so I hope you can see how I might make that mistake.
Please accept my apologies for not recognizing a “hyperbolic analogy.”
Ayn Rand really had nothing to do with my mistaken inferrence.
And no I was not trying to stir the pot. I was mearly asking for clarification, I figured you wouldnt think that about nick and I wanted to keep this from escalting into a blog bellum domesticum.
Mr. Spinelli displays aggression to strangers, it wouldn’t be a stretch to surmise he does beat his wife. Internet bullies are the lowest of the low.
LSL, it’s Sunday.
I believe those who beatify themselves such as Nick Spinelli are called narcissists. I have been reading this blog for quite sometime and have been pulled out of my silence to say that Mr. Spinelli is an internet bully, an insufferable bore and braggart. His presence here drags down commentary.
Mike Spindell:
are you implying Nick is a wife beater? If so how do you figure?
wouldnt it be better to say something like “come and sit next to me, said the spider to the fly.”?
Wife beater is a pretty low blow, especially if you dont have any evidence.
“Wife beater is a pretty low blow, especially if you dont have any evidence.”
Bron,
Enjoying stirring the pot much? I didn’t imply, or say Nick beat his wife and I would never think that of him. I was merely using a hyperbolic analogy. You know a logic thingy that Ayn Rand knows nothing about. 🙂
Geeez Nick,
You sure you haven’t been turning water into fire water……
Mike S.,
I come here for the information to be learned…. Unfortunately we have a character that wants all the attention and lime light…. You know the USA channel is looking for characters….. Maybe they should apply…..
Thanks for the Van Gogh…. Info…. I learned something I never learned before.?.
Said the wife beater to his wife:
“Darling, I only wanted to show how much I love you.”
Mike,
Thanks for posting that video. McLean’s song about Vincent is a lovely poem/tribute to the artist.
Geez Juliet, You had mentioned previously that you operated a business. I was trying to put water on the fire instead of gasoline, like a couple here are doing. I would like to know more, if you want to share.
Juliet,
Wise up, will ya? There’s so much you fail to realize. Let nick open up your eyes to the reality of what goes on in this forum.
Juliet, It appears both you and another commenter have been drinking poison tea this morning. Being a business person, I have said many times there are few things more edifying and sobering then having to make a payroll, something I did for decades. Why don’t we put the vitriol aside and discuss the difficulties you experienced operating your own business.
I know, Elaine! I’m such a babe in the woods. I wish I had a big, strong man to mansplain things to me.
Nick is, of course, implying I’ve never run a business. You know, lazy Democrats and all. I’ve actually owned three successful businesses, and am in the process (hopefully) of getting a fourth off the ground. Ironically, a lack of affordable health insurance forced me to close my businesses and work for law firms. The ACA has changed all that.