Lou Reed, Perfect Day | FIERCE Pop + Rock 🔥🤘

In the 37^th edition of FIERCE Pop + Rock 🔥🤘, we highlight “Perfect Day” performed by Lou Reed.

Bring on the bold, FIERCE tracks! FIERCE Pop + Rock 🔥🤘 provides background information and insight into pop, rock, and metal songs that raise eyebrows and stir the pot.  Featured records can be classic or brand new. In the 37^th edition of FIERCE Pop + Rock 🔥🤘 (2023), we explore 🎵 “Perfect Day” performed by 🎙 Lou Reed.

“Just a perfect day, drink Sangria in the park / And then later, when it gets dark, we go home.” The question is, what does a 🎵 “Perfect Day” mean to you? After all, don’t perfect days mean different things to different people. Interestingly, on “Perfect Day” by the late, great 🎙 Lou Reed, the speculation has been made that this highlight from 💿 Transformer has a tie to heroin.  Well, that changes a perfect day then, doesn’t it? According to Reed, who not only performed but wrote the song, it’s not about heroin. The heroin interpretation seems a possibility, particularly how the song was used in a film about heroin addicts, but no slam dunk. This is song where acknowledging its beauty is enough without overthinking the 1972 gem.

“Oh, it’s such a perfect day

I’m glad I spent it with you

Oh, such a perfect day

You just keep me hanging on

You just keep me hanging on.”

The chorus is utterly sublime.  The lyrics are simple, but relative to the verses, particularly the first verse, it is more dynamic. The sound of  “Perfect Day” is perfection realized, thanks to the delightful piano 🎹 playing, and the celestial string 🎻 arrangement. Reed is subtle vocally, particularly during the verses – easygoing and poised (“Just a perfect day, you made me forget myself / I thought I was someone else, someone good”).  He packs more of a punch during the chorus but still, never seems to perspire. More notable than the singing is the songwriting, which is epic.  Also, there are some other noteworthy instrumental moments.  How about how the first chord of the second verse (a parallel minor chord) contrasts the sunny, major key (and major tonic chord) the chorus 🤓? After the second chorus, the piano and string lines are utterly stupendous – oh, the musicianship! One final fierce section is the outro, highlighted by lyrics, “You’re going to reap just what you sow.” A loaded lyric – incredibly deep – it caps off  a 🎵 “Perfect Day” with questions… subject to interpretation. Notably, soul icon 🎙 Al Green covered 🎵 “Perfect Day” more than 50 years after it first arrived in 2023.

🎙 Lou Reed • 💿 Transformer • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 1972

Lou Reed, Perfect Day: FIERCE Pop + Rock 🔥🤘 No. 37 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; RCA; Amr Osman, Deiby Tum Tum, Harry Shelton, Jerome Abel, Pavel Danilyuk, Mavluda Tashbaeva, RDNE Stock project, Vishnu R Nair from Pexels]