Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed, 1972

Il titolo della canzone è ripreso dall’omonimo romanzo del 1956 scritto da Nelson Algren,

Andy Warhol progettò di trasformarlo in un musical nel 1971, commisionandolo al giovane Lou Reed, per poi abbandonare l'idea.

Lou decise comunque di lanciare questa stupenda canzone che ne divenne il "classico" per eccellenza, sostituendo i personaggi dell'opera di Algren e costruendo un quadro fatto da figure tipicamente warholiane, così come erano state pensate dal genio della pop art.

Ognuna delle strofe fissa una immagine rappresentativa delle personalità dei personaggi simbolo di “Walk on the wild side”, condensando i temi di omosessualità, prostituzione, droga, senza decretarne giudizi ma solo descrivendo la realtà del mondo, del suo lato "oscuro" ma parte della normalità quotidiana, invitando l'ascoltatore a comprendere e superare con ironia la falsa visione dei benpensanti alfieri delle rigide regole sociali.

Testo

Holly came from Miami F.L.A.

hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A.

Plucked her eyebrows on the way

shaved her leg and then he was a she

She says, hey babe

take a walk on the wild side

said, hey honey

take a walk on the wild side

 

Candy came from out on the island

in the backroom she was everybody’s darling

But she never lost her head

even when she was givin’ head

She says, hey babe

take a walk on the wild side

said, hey babe

take a walk on the wild side

and the coloured girls go

Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo

doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo

 

Little Joe never once gave it away

everybody had to pay and pay

A hustle here and a hustle there

New York City is the place where they said

Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side

I said, hey Joe

take a walk on the wild side

 

Sugar Plum Fairy came and hit the streets

lookin’ for soul food and a place to eat

Went to the Apollo

you should have seen him go-go-go

They said, hey Sugar

take a walk on the wild side

I said, hey babe

take a walk on the wild side

all right, huh

 

Jackie is just speeding away

thought she was James Dean for a day

Then I guess she had to crash

valium would have helped that bash

She said, hey babe

take a walk on the wild side

I said, hey honey

take a walk on the wild side

and the coloured girls say

Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo


 

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