Heroin

Buy the Album at Rhino.com

Written by: Lou Reed
Produced by: Andy Warhol, Tom Wilson
Released: March '67 on Verve
Charts: Non-single

This seven-minute, two-chord track on the Velvet Underground's first album spiked out its territory with lyrics about shooting up until you felt like Jesus' son. It gave the Velvets their dark image as New York decadents. "Heroin" speeds up and slows down, becoming a whirling spectacle of guitars and viola. "It wasn't pro or con," Reed said. "It was just about taking heroin from the point of view of someone taking it. I'm still not sure what was such a big deal. So there's a song called 'Heroin.' So what?" Drummer Moe Tucker disagreed: "I consider it our greatest triumph."

Appears on: The Velvet Underground and Nico (Polydor)

Next: Penny Lane

Back to RS 500 Albums!
Back to RS 500 Songs!