Nick Lowe, Nutted by Reality | Throwback Vibez

In the 41^st edition of Throwback Vibez (2026), we recollect and reflect on “Nutted by Reality” by English singer, songwriter, and producer Nick Lowe.

Can you feel those vibes, those surefire Throwback Vibez?! Throwback Vibez is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past. Ah, there is nothing like a good oldie to get you fired up! The records featured in this column feature gems from the 20^th century, with a few exceptions. All genres of music are welcome. In the 41^st edition of Throwback Vibez (2026), we recollect and reflect on “Nutted by Reality” performed by Nick Lowe.

Yikes… Is he, English singer, songwriter, and producer Nick Lowe (b. 1949), referencing Cuban political leader Fidel Castro (1926 – 2016)? Lowe opines, “What a dirty lowdown thing to do / To mess him up like that.” Castration is not sexy, if you catch my drift.  And to address the elephant in the room, no, Fidel Castro was not castrated. Lowe’s references to Castro and castration make the first verse of “Nutted by Reality” incredibly engaging.  “Nutted by Reality” is the 10^th track from his 1978 album, Jesus of Cool.  Lowe wrote and produced the memorable cut where, “Ever since the day they fiddled around / I said he ain’t never been the same.”

“Nutted by Reality” is a song you must hear at least once in your lifetime. The music and musicianship are excellent.  The groove and the bass line are everything.  Later, there is a production switch, which keeps the song engaging to the nth degree.  Still, it is the playful vocals and the outlandish, tongue-in-cheek songwriting where Nick Lowe’s bread is buttered. Once more, a castrated Castro colorfully appears in the tongue-in-cheek second verse.  Following the first and second verse is a brief refrain (“I say oooh-la”).  This precedes the centerpiece, the chorus, where the titular lyrics first appear. Initially, Lowe speaks about Castro being nutted by reality.  In the second and third iterations of the chorus, it’s he who is nutted.

“See I’d been livin’ in a different world

Then I was nutted by reality

I had been living in another tree

Then I flew down to see what happens.”

All three of the choruses are slightly different.  The final two verses also contrast with the first and second. The lyrics continue to be intriguing. In the third verse, Lowe visits his sister, who “has never been that fond of me.” In the fourth and final verse, Low was “Listening to an echo /… Even though I couldn’t see it, it was the most,” and “speaking in a foreign tongue / My pleasure gave no pleasure.” Wow, wow, wow. A truly rare gem from the late 1970s, “Nutted by Reality” is nothing short of a trip.

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Nick Lowe » Jesus of Cool » Yep Roc Records » 1978

Nick Lowe, Nutted by Reality: Throwback Vibez No. 41 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Yep Roc Records; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Gordon Johnson, schubinger from Pixabay]

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