Waiting for the Man

About Waiting for the Man

"I'm Waiting for the Man" (sometimes titled "I'm Waiting for My Man") is a song by the American rock band the Velvet Underground, written by Lou Reed. It was first released on their 1967 debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico. The song is about waiting on a streetcorner in Harlem, near the intersection of Lexington Avenue and 125th Street, in New York City and purchasing $26 worth of heroin (equivalent to $211 in 2019), sung from the point of view of the purchaser, who has presumably traveled to Harlem from another part of the city; the "man" in the title is a drug dealer. Along with traditional guitars, bass, and drums, the song also features pounding, percussive rock-and-roll barrelhouse-style piano. It is one of the band's more popular songs, and one of their many compositions featuring drugs as subject matter. After leaving the band in 1970, Lou Reed continued to incorporate it into his solo live performances. It was released as a single in October 1971 (with "There She Goes Again" on the B-side) credited to "Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground" on MGM Records. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it #159 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song would go on to influence David Bowie in the writing of his 1977 song "'Heroes'". more »

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I'm waiting for the man
Twenty six dollars in my hand
Up to Lexington, One Two Five
So sick and dirty more dead than alive
I'm waiting for the man

Hey white boy, what you doing uptown?
Hey white boy, you're chasing all the women around
Oh pardon me sir it's furthest from my mind
I'm just looking for a good friend of mine
I'm waiting for the man

Here he comes, he's all dressed in black
PR shoes, and a big straw hat
He's never early, he's always late
First thing you learn is that you've always got to wait
I'm waiting for the man

Brown stone building and three flights of stairs
Nobody stops you 'cause nobody cares
He's got the works and he gives you sweet taste
But then you've got to split because you've got no time to waste
I'm waiting for the man

Baby don't you holler, darling don't you scream and shout
I'm feeling good, I'm going to work it on out
I'm feeling good, I'm feeling so fine
Until tomorrow but that's just another time
I'm waiting for the man 

I'm waiting for the man
Twenty six dollars lying there in my hand
Up to Lexington, One Two Five five
So sick and dirty more dead than alive
I'm waiting for the man

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David Bowie

David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 - 10 January 2016), known by his stage name David Bowie ( /ˈboʊ.i/ BOH-ee), was an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s. He is known for his distinctive voice as well as the intellectual depth and considerable eclecticism of his work. more »

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