Lou Reed: Leave Her Johnny

From: Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys, ANTI- 2006.

Buy CD: http://www.amazon.com/Rogues-Gallery-Pirate-Ballads-Chanteys/dp/B000GGSMD0/re...

Explanatory liner notes by record label ANTI-:

Lou Reed - guitar, vocals; Antony - bkg vocals; Jane Scarpantoni - cello
Recorded at John Kilgore Sound & Recording - Engineered by John Kilgore, assisted by Patrick Ford. Rob Wasserman - bass
Recorded at Prairie Sun Studios, Cotati, CA
This chantey traditionally allowed for the airing of grievances at the end of a voyage and was used at the capstan while warping her in, or in the final session at the pumps. Very obscene verses were sometimes sung.

Image: Ло: Little Mermaid, August 4, 2010:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37167854@N08/4860651347

Artist's website:
http://www.loureed.com

Lyrics and annotations in
http://ismaels.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/rogue%e2%80%99s-gallery-the-art-of-th...

This is a private video for documentary reasons. There is no copyright infringement intended. Please do not use sounds and visuals unless you are their owner.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• pirate
• song
• siren
• sound
• sea
• sailor
• girls
• woman
• bikini
• vintage
• ballad
• shanty
• halyard
• chantey
• shanties
• mermaid
• whaling
• whalers
• herman
• melville
• moby
• dick
• seafare
• velvet
• underground
• independent

[Beemerboy324]

Yep, some artists, when asked if they would some songs - should say no. This is proof of that.

[92Windsor]

this is worse than any drunk singing it!!!

[shantyman101]

@rouseg54 -- how well i remember the Arethusa sitting off Upnor.

Thanks for the memory.

[shantyman101]

I hate to be negative, but this is shit.

He has taken a piece of history and raped it

[harmonairbass]

I am huge Lou Reed fan but this a very poor attempt at this classic remake

. This song should be recorded with feeling. Some musicians just like to hear the sound of their voice no matter what the cost. I'm sure he would have done a much better job of this tune if he had put his heart into it. It's what most song writers achieve to do.

[theBVint]

Fantastic. Lou Reed made something new of this, both here and in his original song, "CREMATION: Ashes to Ashes", from his album Magic and Loss. To all ye nay-sayers: music is alive, as long as we give it life.

[rouseg54]

@ScottAln05 Very true. I`ve been listening to Lou for decades. My point was his style not his manner. The song isnt meant to be `happy go lucky`. It`s a sad song about leaving a ship but sung with the lilt of a shanty.

[ScottAln05]

@rouseg54, I'm cool with your comment, but Lou isn't exactly a happy guy. Most of his songs are expressions of aggression or sadness. So an expectation of a happy-go-lucky interpretation by Lou is unrealistic.

[rouseg54]

Your absolutely right. Many years ago when I was in my early teens I was sent onto a four masted brig called the Arethusa. It was more like a floating borstal and we learned to take harsh treatment and give it out. They wouldnt allow it today. But looking back I wouldnt have missed it for the world and I first heard this song there. The modern Arethusa is a sea cadet ship but if you watch the first Rocky film you can see my Arethusa . He runs past it. It was sold to the USA in the 1970s.

[thirteenfingers]

@rouseg54 Got to agree with you there. He's really not done this any justice at all.

From the wrench of leaving your ship and home of months or years embodied in a shanty to something so tuneless and hard to listen to.

Not good.

[rouseg54]

sorry to all lou fans but this is awful! A wonderful shanty made to sound like a dirge.