Lou Reed, “Walk on the Wild Side” | Outlandish Rock 🎸🤘

In the 12^th edition of Outlandish Rock 🎸🤘, we explore the outlandishness behind the song “Walk on the Wild Side” performed by Lou Reed.

Bring

on the outlandishness! Outlandish Rock 🎸🤘 provides background information and insight into rock and metal songs that raise eyebrows and stir the pot.  The records featured on Outlandish Rock 🎸🤘 can be classic or brand new. In the 12^th edition of Outlandish Rock 🎸🤘 (2022), we explore 🎵 “Walk on the Wild Side” performed by the late, great 🎙 Lou Reed.

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Theme & Lyrics ✍ 

When it comes to the late, great 🎙 Lou Reed, the first song that comes to mind is: 🎵 “Walk on the Wild Side”.  Had Reed recorded no other songs, let alone been part of 🎙The Velvet Underground, “Walk on the Wild Side” would’ve been sufficient.  The standout from 💿 Transformer, written about Andy Warhol’s friends and the New York underground, earned Reed his sole entry on the pop charts, peaking at no. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.  So, what makes “Walk on the Wild Side” outlandish? It’s the colorful characters Reed sings about – Holly, Candy, Little Joe, Sugar Plum Fairy, and Jackie – and some of the happenings.

In the first verse, Lou sings about Holly Woodlawn: “Plucked her eyebrows on the way / Shaved her legs and then he was a she.” Yes, Holly was transgender, a topic today that wasn’t often covered in rock or any musical genre back in the day.  In the second verse, Candy Darling (also trans) gets her moment, with arguably the most famous line in the song: “But she never lost her head / Even when she was giving head.” Wow! Mentioning oral sex – a blow job – in an early 70s song? I mean, it’s commonplace now, particularly in rap, but eyebrow-raising then. In the third verse, Reed portrays bisexual actor Joe Dallesandro as a hustler, true to the character he plays, not his real persona.  In the fourth, Sugar Plum Fairy (Joe Campbell, a former lover of gay activist, Harvey Milk) gets his moment, while Jackie Curtis’ demons (“Jackie is just speeding away…”) in the fifth and final verse preface her eventual death from a heroin overdose at just 38.  How Reed portrays oddballs and misfits make “Walk on the Wild Side” not only outlandish, but a certified classic.

Another reason why “Walk on the Wild Side” is so great? The music.  Lou Reed keeps things on the lighter side, which is perfect.  After all, it is the lyrics, which tell a compelling story, that are ultimately the reason why this song is a success.  That said, musically, the bass line, the background vocals where (“the colored girls say / doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo), and the baritone saxophone solo mark some of the song’s bright spots.

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Final Thoughts 💭

🎵 “Walk on the Wild Side” is one of the greatest songs of all time by my estimations.  Lou Reed brilliantly captures the oddballs perfectly, and I say that with the greatest respect. It’s hard not to notice that Reed names five LGBTQ+ people in this song. Reed himself struggled with his sexuality. Bi.org notes that “Although Reed is sometimes considered the first out rock star, Reed’s bisexuality was only implied,” and that he “often tried to downplay his bisexuality.”  So, can it be argued that Reed considered himself an oddball? A misfit? Likely.

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

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Lou Reed, “Walk on the Wild Side”: Outlandish Rock 🎸🤘 No. 12 (2022) [📷: Brent Faulkner, Conna Lee, Madelin Berry, The Musical Hype, Pexels, RCA, Sebastian Ervi, Vinícius Caricatte]

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