Word: reed
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...then Reed lets loose his anger with songs about a rapist, a masochist, a drunkard and a man going insane. Reed paints the latter two characters as victims of society. His wrath for the rapist, though, knows no end The subject of "The Gun" is a "dirty animal" who won't hesitate to "blow your brains out" to satisfy his urges. Even more frightening and intense are the almost unbearable lyrics of the album's title...
While every track is vintage Reed, two in particular stand out. One could spend hours trying to figure out "The Heroine," a bare, haunting song that features only a guitar and Reed's voice. At first, it seems a tale of adventure on the high seas that sports one hitch: the hero is a woman. But the cut takes on added significance when one remembers the Velvet Underground sang "Heroin," a violently direct song about drugs. All at once, the drug imagery emerges...
...metaphor is neither facile nor gratuitous, and Reed crafts it carefully throughout...
...John Kennedy Died" is poignantly reminiscent of Bob Dylan at his best. Reed tells the story of where he was and how he heard about Kennedy's assassination. The narrative constitutes the middle section of the song while the lyrics of simultaneous hope and despair begin and end the piece...
...dream may seem simple. But a few years ago it probably would not even have been there. Reed has swallowed his bitterness and now seems willing to admit that as bleak as things look, better days may still follow...