5 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
How Do You Think It Feels Lyrics
How do you think it feels
When you're speeding and lonely
Come here baby
How do you think it feels
When all you can say is: If only
If only I had a little
If only I had some change
If only, if only, only
How do you think it feels
And when do you think it stops ?
How do you think it feels
When you've been up for five days
Come down here Mama
Hunting around always - ooh
'Cause you're afraid of sleeping
How do you think it feels
To feel like a wolf and foxy
How do you think it feels
To always make love by proxy ?
How do you think it feels
And when do you think it stops ?
When do you think it stops ?
When you're speeding and lonely
Come here baby
How do you think it feels
When all you can say is: If only
If only I had some change
If only, if only, only
How do you think it feels
And when do you think it stops ?
When you've been up for five days
Come down here Mama
Hunting around always - ooh
'Cause you're afraid of sleeping
To feel like a wolf and foxy
How do you think it feels
To always make love by proxy ?
How do you think it feels
And when do you think it stops ?
When do you think it stops ?
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
This song, and it's companion, "Oh JIm" are the centerpieces to Lou Reed's 1973 concept album, Berlin. In the album, Reed tells the story of two doomed lovers, Jim, the primary narrator of the album, and Caroline, his drug addicted wife. Jim narrates the album as a retrospective, explaining how Caroline became dependent on the external validation of others (called "two-bit friends," by Jim) and became a drug addict, selling herself to get another fix. In the story arc of the album, this song occurs just after Jim discovers that Caroline has begun prostituting herself to support her growing amphetamine addiction. The song is posed as a series of searing questions: "How do you think it feels when all you can say is 'if only: if only I had a little, if only I had some change, if only, if only if only...'" Here Jim mocks Caroline's drug seeking behavior when she's desperate for a fix. The interjections in the song "Come 'ere baby - Come down here, Mama" presumably come from men attempting to pick up Caroline. The song contains two of the most searing lines ever written, in my opinion: "How do you think it feels when you've been up for five days, hunting around always, 'cause you're afraid of sleeping" and "How do you think it feels to always make love by proxy?" All in all, this is one of the crown jewels of the Berlin album, an under appreciated album that I think highlights some of Reed's best lyrics ever.
Is the song about Reed? Maybe, but probably not. He has held throughout the years that Berlin was an original work and not related to his life. Indeed, many of the songs were penned at discontinuous times in his life, and assembled and rewritten for the purpose of the album.
@landfillpoet i read or heard an interview with his gf at the time. she referred to a specific moment in the studio, when berlin was recorded, where - if i remember correctly - a collective creeping out ensued [if that's the right way of saying it] when they all got the notion that lou reed sang about their relationship. of course that doesn't mean that she wasn't projecting.
@landfillpoet i read or heard an interview with his gf at the time. she referred to a specific moment in the studio, when berlin was recorded, where - if i remember correctly - a collective creeping out ensued [if that's the right way of saying it] when they all got the notion that lou reed sang about their relationship. of course that doesn't mean that she wasn't projecting.
This song just builds. He sounds so desperate it is painful to listen to. Lou doesn't mind showing the worst parts of his personality. It's great.
Realy hits the spot this track. His emotion is untouched on this track and a few others on the album.
amazing song by a god. this song is about being a drug addict.
speeeeed freak.
@crazy/beautiful Junkie
@crazy/beautiful Junkie