This is my favorite track from Berlin, and one of the most telling. The song is told from the perspective of Jim, one of the three characters in Berlin (the others being Caroline, and The Waterboy, who is probably an alter ego of Jim), and it describes the downfall of Caroline. "thebodiesobtained"'s analysis was good: the song does indeed describe how Caroline is sucked in to the downward spiral that is the album's central focus. Throughout the album, Reed asserts that Caroline is insecure and damaged, seeking out external validation, first from Jim, and later from her "two-bit friends," as Jim calls them. Here, she walks down the street, meekly ("a child starin' at her feet"). The warm allure of a bar, which Reed sets up in the noisy and tragic opening sequence "Berlin", draws her in. It starts out innocently enough, as she goes in merely to sing, but by the second stanza, we see her exhibitionist side coming out, as "she climbed down off the bar". This is the side that Jim objects to: that Caroline finds affirmation in people other than himself. While he correctly identifies and is rightly concerned by Caroline's problems, it is not her that he is truly concerned about, but rather him losing control over her. The song ends with one of the most brief and yet affecting four lines in the album: "...to the hotel that she called home. It had greenish walls, a bathroom in the hall." In less than twenty lines, Reed has painted an indelible and perfect image of the squalor that Caroline lives in. One of the great songs in the album, by how much it conveys versus how much is actually says. Songwriters should study the paucity of words here in comparison to the richness in images. Perfect.
Great analysis landfillpoet. With the passing of Lou I needed to listen to Berlin again, which I first found about 15 years ago. Brilliant album - every time I listen I hear or feel a new thought/feeling. On Lady Day, the we have the young attractive woman who wants attention and can find easily at the local bar "it had to be that way". The contrast where older lonely men are sitting at the bar watching this pretty younger woman (and wanting more) that turns "To the hotel, that she calls home" and further describes...
Great analysis landfillpoet. With the passing of Lou I needed to listen to Berlin again, which I first found about 15 years ago. Brilliant album - every time I listen I hear or feel a new thought/feeling. On Lady Day, the we have the young attractive woman who wants attention and can find easily at the local bar "it had to be that way". The contrast where older lonely men are sitting at the bar watching this pretty younger woman (and wanting more) that turns "To the hotel, that she calls home" and further describes " It had greenish walls, a bathroom in the hall". To show how crappy her life is, is just brilliant.
This is my favorite track from Berlin, and one of the most telling. The song is told from the perspective of Jim, one of the three characters in Berlin (the others being Caroline, and The Waterboy, who is probably an alter ego of Jim), and it describes the downfall of Caroline. "thebodiesobtained"'s analysis was good: the song does indeed describe how Caroline is sucked in to the downward spiral that is the album's central focus. Throughout the album, Reed asserts that Caroline is insecure and damaged, seeking out external validation, first from Jim, and later from her "two-bit friends," as Jim calls them. Here, she walks down the street, meekly ("a child starin' at her feet"). The warm allure of a bar, which Reed sets up in the noisy and tragic opening sequence "Berlin", draws her in. It starts out innocently enough, as she goes in merely to sing, but by the second stanza, we see her exhibitionist side coming out, as "she climbed down off the bar". This is the side that Jim objects to: that Caroline finds affirmation in people other than himself. While he correctly identifies and is rightly concerned by Caroline's problems, it is not her that he is truly concerned about, but rather him losing control over her. The song ends with one of the most brief and yet affecting four lines in the album: "...to the hotel that she called home. It had greenish walls, a bathroom in the hall." In less than twenty lines, Reed has painted an indelible and perfect image of the squalor that Caroline lives in. One of the great songs in the album, by how much it conveys versus how much is actually says. Songwriters should study the paucity of words here in comparison to the richness in images. Perfect.
Landfillpoet: You are the master! thanks for all the posts
Landfillpoet: You are the master! thanks for all the posts
Great analysis landfillpoet. With the passing of Lou I needed to listen to Berlin again, which I first found about 15 years ago. Brilliant album - every time I listen I hear or feel a new thought/feeling. On Lady Day, the we have the young attractive woman who wants attention and can find easily at the local bar "it had to be that way". The contrast where older lonely men are sitting at the bar watching this pretty younger woman (and wanting more) that turns "To the hotel, that she calls home" and further describes...
Great analysis landfillpoet. With the passing of Lou I needed to listen to Berlin again, which I first found about 15 years ago. Brilliant album - every time I listen I hear or feel a new thought/feeling. On Lady Day, the we have the young attractive woman who wants attention and can find easily at the local bar "it had to be that way". The contrast where older lonely men are sitting at the bar watching this pretty younger woman (and wanting more) that turns "To the hotel, that she calls home" and further describes " It had greenish walls, a bathroom in the hall". To show how crappy her life is, is just brilliant.
@landfillpoet I wasn’t aware that Berlin was a concept album. That’s awesome, makes it even better.
@landfillpoet I wasn’t aware that Berlin was a concept album. That’s awesome, makes it even better.
@landfillpoet I wasn’t aware that Berlin was a concept album. That’s awesome, makes it even better.
@landfillpoet I wasn’t aware that Berlin was a concept album. That’s awesome, makes it even better.