Black Angel's Death Song

Nico, The Velvet Underground

About 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:
2012
3:16
#3

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Myriad had choice 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 GT
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 razors, forgetting the pain
Antiseptic remains cool, good buy
So you fly to the cozy brown snow of the east
Gonna choose, choose again

Sacrificials remain make it hard to forget
Where you come from, the stools of your eyes serve to realize fame
Choose again
And Rovermans' refrain of the sacrilege recluse
For the loss of a horse
With 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
And if the stone glances off, split didactics in two
Leave the color 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-che
Ka-tah-ko
Choose to choose
Choose to choose
Choose to go

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Nico

Nico (born Christa Päffgen; 16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988) was a German singer, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress, who initially rose to fame as a Warhol Superstar in the 1960s. She is known for both her vocal collaboration on The Velvet Underground's debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967), and her work as a solo artist from the late 1960s through the early 1980s. She also had roles in several films, including a cameo in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960) and Andy Warhol's Chelsea Girls (1966), as herself. Nico died in July 1988, as a result of injuries sustained in a cycling accident while vacationing in Ibiza with her son. 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


13 facts about this song

Music Origins
"Black Angel's Death Song" is a song written by Lou Reed and John Cale, members of the band The Velvet Underground, not Nico, although she was part of the band for a while.
Album Debut
The track is a part of the band's debut album "The Velvet Underground & Nico," released in 1967.
Conceptualization
Both Reed and Cale composed this song before Velvet Underground was formed.
Artistic Inception
The song's title was inspired by a short story written by the black comedian Lord Buckley, titled "Black Cross".
Producer Dispute
The band's then-producer, Andy Warhol, and the main engineer, Tom Wilson, were initially at odds about including this song on the album. Warhol wanted it there, but Wilson did not, leading to tensions.
Inspiration
The song's lyrics are inspired by expressionist writings, which is very much present in its syntax and imagery.
Composition
The song features Cale's screeching electric viola, a perfect example of the discordant way he liked to play the instrument.
Band Conflict
Allegedly, it was the band's insistence on playing "Black Angel's Death Song" that led to them being fired from their residency at a New York venue called Café Bizarre.
Avant-Garde Style
The song is known for its avant-garde style, described as existentialist and inaccessible or difficult for many.
Cult Status
The Velvet Underground & Nico, including "Black Angel's Death Song", didn't achieve commercial success at first, but has since gained a cult following and is considered a significant influence on many punk and post-punk bands.
Discontinuation
The Velvet Underground stopped performing "Black Angel's Death Song" live after the departure of John Cale in 1968.
Infrequent Performances
Lou Reed rarely performed the song during his solo career. It was played occasionally in the late '70s and not at all in the years after.
Legacy
Despite originally being one of the less popular tracks on the album, the song has since been praised for its exemplification of The Velvet Underground's unique sound and artistic vision.

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