The musician would have turned 76 today, March 2nd, 2018
"We are the people who allow our own destruction ." This is a phrase that carries great power and raises countless discussions on current issues. In the face of global warming, governments that don't represent us, attacks on the world media, and other challenges we face today, the phrase seems to have been written just a few days ago, but in reality, it has existed for decades. A young poet from the New York underground wrote it: Lou Reed.
A previously unreleased collection of poems will be published this year, featuring recordings of the singer-songwriter performing at St. Mark's Church in New York in 1971. The book is titled * Do Angels Need Haircuts? * and will be released in April. It also includes works by his widow, Laurie Anderson, as well as introductions to each poem written by Lou Reed himself.
Among the 12 poems and short stories, only three have been publicly released in some form. Two of them as zines and one as a song by the band Velvet Underground. Below, you can read the translation of the poem "We Are The People," first published on the website of the British newspaper The Guardian this Friday, May 2nd, the day Lou Reed would have turned 76. The text is also accompanied by a recording made in the church.
“We are the people without land. We are the people without tradition. We are the people who don't know how to die peacefully and comfortably. We are the thoughts of pain and sadness. The endings of tomorrow. We are the wicks of the rulers and the jokes of the kings.”.
We are the people without rights. We are the people who know only lies and despair. We are the people without a country, without a voice, or without a mirror. We are the crystal gaze through the density and vastness of a furious nation. We are the victims of an unread manifesto about the lack of intensity and a heavy void.
We are the people without sadness who move beyond national pride and the indifference of instinct's parody. We are the people who are desperate beyond emotion because it defies thought. We are the people who allow our own destruction and remain loyal. We are the insects of others' thoughts. A casualty of day, night, space, and god without race, nationality, or religion. We are the people. The people. The people
Lou Reed passed away in 2013 and is considered one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century. His work first gained prominence with the Velvet Underground alongside Nico (vocals), Sterling Morrison (guitar), Angus MacAlise (drums), who was later replaced by Maureen Tucker, and Doug Yule (bass), who later took over John Cale's position. They became an essential group in the history of Rock and Roll for their experimental sound, which was considered avant-garde in the 1960s.
His solo career, which followed the band, reinforced the musician's importance not only in the rock genre but also in the world of literature, with his lyrics inspiring countless poets and writers. Hits like "Perfect Day" and "Walk on the Wild Side" are still considered works of art today. He recorded 20 albums, including Lulu , a collaboration with Metallica.
The poetry published here was written sometime during 1970 when he left the Velvet Underground and went to work with his father at his accounting firm. After six months on the job, he decided to compose his solo material.
The remaining poems that will be included in the book will not be revealed until its official publication. According to The Guardian, the texts cover themes of politics, love, sex, and whiskey, nothing surprising for Lou Reed fans. At the time he wrote them, the musician was a close colleague of Patti Smith, another famous composer and poet. Smith delivered the induction speech for the musician's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 and declared that "as a poet, he must be considered a solitary artist" and concluded by saying, "Lou, thank you for your brutality and benevolence in transforming your poetry into music."
