European Son
Nico, The Velvet Underground
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You killed your European son You spit on those under twenty-one But now your blue car's gone You better say so long Hey hey, bye bye bye You made your wallpapers green You want to make love to the scene Your European son is gone You'd better say so long Your clown's bid you goodbye
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
Written by: John Davies Cale, Lou A. Reed, Maureen Tucker, Sterling Morrison
Lyrics © GARNANT MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
8 facts about this song
Origin"European Son" is a track from "The Velvet Underground & Nico", the debut album of the American rock band The Velvet Underground. It was recorded in 1966 and released in March 1967.
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Composition of SongThis specific song is a collaborative effort of Lou Reed, John Cale, and Sterling Morrison. Iconic singer Nico, famous for her deep, androgynous voice, however, does not appear on this song despite the album taking her name.
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Unique StructureUnlike most conventional songs, "European Son" does not have a consistent melody or structure. It is an avant-garde noise piece and a proto-punk rock song, and mostly consists of instrumental noises and occasional spoken word lines.
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InscriptionThe song was originally dedicated to Delmore Schwartz, a mentor of lead artist Lou Reed at Syracuse University. Schwartz was a well-known poet and critic.
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Longest DurationWith a running time of more than seven minutes, "European Son" is the longest song on "The Velvet Underground & Nico" album.
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Experimental SoundThe song is distinguished for its instrumental noises that include smashing bottles and the feedback of the amplifier, which highlight the band's experimental approach towards music.
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Controversial AdjustmentThe original lyrics of the song were significantly altered for the final version. The initial verses portrayed a sarcastic appreciation for a theoretical "European son", but the final version dropped this narration.
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Alternative Noise Genre“European Son” is often regarded as an early pioneer of noise music, a genre of music that is characterized by the expressive use of noise within a musical context.
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Citation
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"European Son Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 14 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/35450761/Nico/European+Son>.
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