Lou Reed's Quotes

I don't think anybody is anybody else's moral compass. Maybe listening to my music is not the best idea if you live a very constricted life. Or maybe it is.

In the late '70s I started to search for the perfect sound - whatever that might be, before that I was mainly interested in drugs, insanity and the rock'n'roll lifestyle.

Raymond Chandler managed to write about L.A. his whole career. Should I keep going writing about New York? Is that what I should be doing? Songwriting doesn't work that way.

One chord is fine. Two chords are pushing it. Three chords and you're into jazz.

I think that everything happens for a reason, everything happens when it's going to happen.

I think it's pretentious to create art just for the sake of stroking the artists ego.

I don't think I'm in any position to call myself a martial artist. I'm a student of the martial arts.

Life is like Sanskrit read to a pony.

I always believed that I have something important to say and I said it.

I think life is far too short to concentrate on your past. I rather look into the future.

My God is rock'n'roll.

I don't like nostalgia unless it's mine.

How can anybody learn anything from an artwork when the piece of art only reflects the vanity of the artist and not reality?

I don't believe in dressing up reality. I don't believe in using makeup to make things look smoother.

Perfect Night is minimalistic and that's what makes it so forceful.

The most important part of my religion is to play guitar.

I cleaned up my act because otherwise I would have kicked the bucket.

I tried to give up drugs by drinking.

I'm an artist and that means I can be as egotistical as I want to be.

I don't mind a repetitive chorus; I mind repetitive verse. I mean, it's the same amount of space. Why would you have only three diamonds if you can have six?

But I'm also talented and I know when I created something great and Perfect Night is something great, no doubt, no but.

I always thought martial arts was the most modern choreography we could have right now, and I always wanted to put it to music.

I can concentrate on my art.

I don't know anyone actually who does care what a critic says.

I don't know what goes on in the crowd. I've had them show up and throw beer cans at me. I caused riots in most of the major cities.

I don't like overdubs, never liked them.

I don't like the word rock opera, but I'm trying to write on that level that's reserved for plays still, or novels.

I don't really think about what the subject of my next album will be. I just know that I'm going to make another album.

Any fool can say he is wise but only someone wise can admit he is a fool.

Not really interested in covering other bands songs to be honest.