The Black Angel's Death Song

John Cale, Nico, Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground

About The Black Angel's Death Song

"The Black Angel's Death Song" is a song by the Velvet Underground, from their 1967 debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico. It was written by Lou Reed and John Cale. In a footnote to the lyrics, Lou Reed wrote: "The idea here was to string words together for the sheer fun of their sound, not any particular meaning." According to Cale, Sterling Morrison refused to play bass on the song because he disliked having to play it on "Venus in Furs", hence, Cale overdubbed the bassline while Morrison stuck to his usual guitar. In late 1965 Al Aronowitz arranged for the Velvets to play at the Café Bizarre in Greenwich Village for a fortnight in December 1965; while there they played a "furious" version of "Black Angel's Death Song"; the manager ordered them not to play that song again, to which the band responded by playing it again "with a vengeance", and were sacked. 


Year:
2004
4:42
64 
#4

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The myriad choices of his fate
Set themselves out upon a plate
For him to choose
What had he to lose

Not a ghost bloodied country
All covered with sleep
Where the black angel did weep
Not an old city street in the east
Gone to choose

And wandering's brother
Walked on through the night
With his hair in his face
On a long splintered cut from the knife of g.t.

The rally man's patter ran on through the dawn
Until we said so long
To his skull-shrill yell

Shining brightly red-rimmed and
Red-lined with the time
Infused with the choice of the mind
On ice skates scraping chunks
From the bells

Cut mouth bleeding razor's
Forgetting the pain
Antiseptic remains cool goodbye
So you fly
To the cozy brown snow of the east
Gone to choose, choose again

Sacrificials remains make it hard to forget
Where you come from
The stools of your eyes
Serve to realize fame, choose again

And roverman's refrain of the sacrilege recluse
For the loss of a horse
Went the bowels and a tail of a rat
Come again, choose to go

And if epiphany's terror reduced you to shame
Have your head bobbed and weaved
Choose a side to be on

If the stone glances off
Split didactics in two
Leave the colors of the mouse trails
Don't scream, try between
If you choose, if you choose, try to lose
For the loss of remain come and start

Start the game i che che che che i
Che che ka tak koh
Choose to choose
Choose to choose, choose to go

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John Cale

John Davies Cale, OBE (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground. more »

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Written by: Lou A. Reed, John Davies Cale

Lyrics © GARNANT MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Genre Classification
"The Black Angel's Death Song” is considered to fall under the genre of experimental rock — a broad musical genre characterized by the incorporation of unique and unconventional instruments and techniques.
History & Formation
The song was originally presented by Lou Reed and John Cale, the founders of Velvet Underground. It was featured on the band’s debut album, “The Velvet Underground & Nico,” which was released in 1967.
Artists Involved
While John Cale and Nico contributed significantly to the album, Nico did not actually perform in "The Black Angel's Death Song”. The lead vocals were by Lou Reed.
Instrumentation
One of the unique elements in this song is Cale's electric viola, which adds a screeching, dissonant background. - Reed, the primary vocalist for the song, also played guitar.
Songwriting
Lou Reed and John Cale both share songwriting credits for this track. The lyrics are seen as intentionally ambiguous and reinforced by the unsettling viola part.
Album Reputation
The album featuring this song, "The Velvet Underground & Nico," is recognized for its subversive themes and adventurous sound. Despite its initial commercial failure, the album has since been labeled as one of the most influential rock albums.
Controversial Removal
Impressively, the band’s first live performance of "The Black Angel’s Death Song" led to the firing of The Velvet Underground from a residency due to complaints about the noise level.
Influences
The song’s experimental instrumentation and narrative style are representative of the broader art-rock and avant-garde movements of the time, reflecting the artistic influence of figures like Andy Warhol who produced the album.
Sound and Style
"The Black Angel's Death Song" is renowned for its non-traditional structure. It lacks a chorus and uses free verse lyrics, giving it a distinctly poetic feel.
Legacy
In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine named "The Velvet Underground & Nico" as the 13th greatest album of all time. Despite "The Black Angel's Death Song" being less commercially successful compared to other songs on the album, it helped establish the band's avant-garde reputation.

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