In Berlin, by the wall
You were five foot ten inches tall
It was very nice
Candlelight and Dubonnet on ice
We were in a small cafe
You could hear the guitars play
It was very nice
Oh honey, it was paradise.
You were five foot ten inches tall
It was very nice
Candlelight and Dubonnet on ice
We were in a small cafe
You could hear the guitars play
It was very nice
Oh honey, it was paradise.
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Um, for those who don't know, this isn't really literally about anything in Lou Reed's life- it was precurser track (and part of it was the lead track) of his 1973 concept album, 'Berlin', which told the story of two drug-addicted bohemians in Berlin who fall in love. So it isn't about Nico or anything to do with Lou, it's just his vehicle for the story of Berlin.
i read somewhere this was about nico, which makes sense. she's really tall (you were five foot ten inches tall), she's german, she left the velvet underground (i'm gonna miss you now that you're gone), etc.
it's not about nico because Reed hated the fact that Warhol made them us Nico so why would he "miss her now"
Never associatedc this track with Nico to be honest.
I've never really thought of Nico at all in relation to this song, or album. As far as I can see the only definite similarities between Caroline(the female concerned, as we discover later in the album) and Nico is that they're both German, and both relatively tall. Aside from that, the relationship between Jim and Caroline implied in this song and accross the rest of the record doesn't seem to be too reminiscent of that between the supposed relationship between Lou and Nico. But who knows?
To me, it seems that this song is setting the scene, and the mood, for the rest of the album. The lyrics indicate the sort of relationship Jim and Caroline had before the tragedies that follow struck: give us a bit of constrast. And that dramatic piano sets the depressing yet powerful feel that the record's become famous for.
Nico lived in Berlin, she stood exactly "five foot, ten inches tall" and shared other characteristics describing the subject of other songs on the album. It is hard for me to believe that these details of Reed's muse are mere coincidence. While the relationship was described as volatile, by several accounts Lou and Nico mixed love with hate and some say they had a fling in Berlin. After the breakup of the Velvet Underground and before the release of Berlin, Lou and Nico reunited with John Cale, thus they performed together without being forced by Andy Warhol.
I thought this is about Brigid Berlin who was active in War holes factory scene in 60s and not about Nico
the chorus is beautiful. I mean, the verses are too, but they're so mellow they sort of pass me by. I wish they didn't though because the rest of the song is so good...ugh
i think it might be about nico because i read that they had an affair while they were touring