About the song
Lou Reed, a pioneering figure in the world of rock music, crafted a gritty and uncompromising anthem with “Dirty Blvd.” This iconic track, released in 1992 as part of his album *Magic and Loss*, delves into the raw underbelly of New York City, painting a vivid picture of its seedy streets, relentless pace, and the characters who inhabit its margins.
With its driving rhythm, distorted guitar riffs, and Reed’s signature gravelly vocals, “Dirty Blvd.” immediately establishes a sense of urban urgency. The song’s title itself evokes imagery of a desolate street, a place where dreams are shattered and realities are harsh. Reed’s lyrics paint a portrait of a city that is both alluring and repulsive, a place where glamour and squalor coexist side by side.
The song’s opening lines, “I walked on the boulevard / Where the dirty water flows,” immediately immerse the listener in the gritty atmosphere of the city. Reed’s poetic imagery conjures up vivid mental pictures of the city’s streets, its canals, and the people who navigate its treacherous waters. The song’s chorus, with its repetitive refrain of “Dirty boulevard,” serves as a haunting mantra, underscoring the song’s themes of alienation and despair.
Throughout the song, Reed explores the darker side of the American Dream, revealing the disillusionment and despair that can accompany success. He references the city’s iconic landmarks, such as the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, but does so with a cynical undertone. These symbols of hope and aspiration are juxtaposed with the harsh realities of poverty, addiction, and violence.
Reed’s lyrics also touch on themes of mortality and the fleeting nature of life. He references his own mortality, referencing a “dirty grave” and the inevitability of death. This sense of existential dread adds a layer of depth and complexity to the song, making it more than just a gritty urban anthem.
“Dirty Blvd.” is a powerful and evocative piece of music that captures the essence of New York City and the human condition. Through its gritty sound and poetic lyrics, the song invites listeners to confront the darker side of the American Dream and to contemplate the complexities of life and death. It remains a timeless classic, a testament to Lou Reed’s enduring legacy as a songwriter and a visionary artist.
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Lyrics
Pedro lives out of the Wilshire Hotel
He looks out a window without glass
The walls are made of cardboard, newspapers on his feet
And his father beats him ’cause he’s too tired to beg
He’s got nine brothers and sisters
They’re brought up on their knees
It’s hard to run when a coat hanger beats you on the thighs
Pedro dreams of being older and killing the old man
But that’s a slim chance, he’s going to the boulevard
He’s gonna end up on the dirty boulevard
He’s going out to the dirty boulevard
He’s going down to the dirty boulevard
This room cost $2, 000 dollars a month
You can believe it, man, it’s true
Somewhere a landlord’s laughing ’til he wets his pants
No one dreams of being a doctor or a lawyer or anything
They dream of dealing on the dirty boulevard
“Give me your hungry, your tired, your poor, I’ll piss on ’em”
That’s what the statue of bigotry says
Your poor huddled masses, let’s club ’em to death
And get it over with and just dump ’em on the boulevard
Get ’em out on the dirty boulevard
Going out to the dirty boulevard
They’re going down on the dirty boulevard
Going out…
Outside it’s a bright night, there’s an opera at Lincoln Center
Movie stars arrive by limousine
The klieg lights shoot up over the skyline of Manhattan
But the lights are out on the mean streets
A small kid stands by the Lincoln Tunnel
He is selling plastic roses for a buck
The traffic’s backed up to 39th street
The TV whores are calling the cops out for a suck
And back at the Wilshire, Pedro sits there dreaming
He’s found a book on magic in a garbage can
He looks at the pictures and stares up at the cracked ceiling
“At the count of three, ” he says, “I hope I can disappear”
And fly, fly away from this dirty boulevard
I want to fly from dirty boulevard
I wanna fly from dirty boulevard
I want to fly, fly, fly, fly from dirty boulevard
I wanna fly away
I wanna fly
Fly, fly away
I wanna fly
Fly, fly away
fly, fly away
(Fly, fly, fly away) fly away (I wanna fly away)
(Fly, fly, fly away) I wanna fly, I’m gonna fly away