Lou Reed - Street Hassle (Official Audio) 

many years ago, i was flying back from hawaii to seattle in the middle of the night. my dad passed me an earbud with this playing and we just stared out the window and listened until we landed, neither of us saying a single word. ever since then it’s become tradition for me to listen to this on flights.

I’m so glad Lou Reed existed and was a genius, I couldn’t imagine life without him.

I'm so sorry Lou. I didn't understand you when I was younger. I love you. RIP. I thought you were like the others. Thank you.

Beautiful, poetic and tragic. This is the definitive Lou Reed song. Dark, disturbing, atmospheric and heartbreaking.

How am I only just now hearing this? Absolutely beautiful

we never met, but you changed my life Lou. thanks

Strings do great work here. And Bruce Springsteen's spoken word piece is superb.

One of the most honest, heartfelt songs I've ever heard.

May be his masterpiece.

I only saw Lou Reed play on three occasions and each were stunning. His poems brought to larger than life drama within each story he tells, are unique. This, PERFECT DAY & PALE BLUE EYES are songs I’ve loved these past 48 years. Lou was 20th century’s Rimbaud.

I sleep better at night knowing The Boss and Lou Reed collaborated

🗣 BAKER FOR LIFE!!!!!

LOU + BRUCE= Absolute Matsterpiece

I feel like I have lived these lyrics earlier in my life before I found myself.

That guitar solo is unreal and so underrated. Completely captures that era

baker...baker..baker!

Stumbled upon this gem from the closing credits of The Squid and the Whale.

great bass riff on this track played by lou himself

Freedom is underneath the glass we sip from

The perfect song to walk in the park too when it’s fall time and you want to be alone but people watch at the same time.

One of the best tunes ever

This isnt just a song. It's a canvas. Its pebbles caught in your shoe when youre walking down a rocky street. It's your euphoric smile when you've had a few, but not enough to say you're tipsy. It's the storybooks your parents read you to sleep. It's your frustration of getting stiffed $30 for a bad bag. It's the vision that set fire to the hand that made Mona Lisa.

If anything defines rock as a poetic art with depth and literary heft, this is it. For me the best work of art from the greatest exponent of rock as a serious medium, and perhaps the greatest American art form (though many would argue jazz is).

One of the best songs of XX Century, masterpiece.

Reed's most accomplished composition/recording. I just wish this much overlooked album would get the remaster treatment too. It's long overdue.

I wore out this album when I first got it. This song still influences my writing to this day.

The Squid and the Whale. :D

Man, the discussion about the overdose is chilling. I've known dealers like that.

This was Lou's NYC at the time. It is a great time capsule and a great song

Life's futility, dashed hopes, and the inescapable fate awaiting us all.

Lou Reed's great operatic classical monologue masterpiece,,,

Ladies and gentlemen, the undisputed king of rock and roll... Mr. Lou Reed!

Just finished Anthony deCurtis's book. I'm in love with this song. Can't stop listening to it.

Interesting song. Love the opening riff. One of Lou's lesser known gems.

To me, as someone who has been a huge New Order fan my whole life, this is fascinating to listen to because to me this just sounds SO influential to early New Order when they wrote their best stuff. Forget that Temptation is practically a cover of this song, that baseline in the final part of the song sounds like it could have been written and played by Peter Hook

I saw Lou in 92. I still miss someone.

Whenever I listen to this I get a Jim Jarmusch-like feeling. All the persons participating here could well be characters in "Stranger than paradise" or "Down by the law".

The entire album is a supreme masterpiece, the work of a great musician and surefoot singer, an artist. What more

U gotta luv Lou ,, he was so honest in his music ,to the point of pain at times I think ,, this is a masterpiece in my humble opinion,, I can just see this happening back then in NYC luv the string part ,,everybody is queen for a day ,,sha sha a la la come on let's slip away

I'm just so happy I can still listen to this took many years Still know every word Thank you Lou Reed

Holy Grail song

Saddest song Lou ever wrote for me, this is the star of a massively overlooked album in his catalogue

- ...actually, this is a song in 4 parts - the instrumental from minute 7 to minute 9 is it's own entity...stunning ....

Lou's masterpiece? One of many. For me, he's the most genius man who's ever lived. Thank you so much Lou, for every masterpiece you blessed us with.

Timeless masterpiece

Baker Baker Baker!!!

Partly this is Lou's love song about Rachel, his transexual girlfriend who he had recently split from. Also inspired by Eric Emerson who was a regular at the Factory and supposedly ODed but they threw his body in front of a car so the cops wouldn't investigate any drug stuff. Crazy I know.

great photo of lou on the cover of street hassle, so cool , looks like a pair of raybans

Baker three baby!

Temazoo

Baker! Baker! Baker!

It has always reminded me of Last Exit To Brooklyn. Difficult but beautiful as all hell.

Tramps like us, we were born to pay

Part A: Waltzing Matilda Waltzing Matilda whipped out her wallet Sexy boys smiled in dismay She took out four twenties cause she liked round figures Everybody's queen for a day Oh babe, I'm on fire and you know I admire your body Why don't we slip away Although I'm sure you're certain, it's a rarity me flirtin' Sha la la la this way Oh sha la la la la - sha la la la la Hey baby Come on, let's slip away Luscious and gorgeous, oh what humping muscle Call out the National Guard She creamed in her jeans as he picked up her knees From off of the Formica topped bar And cascading slowly, he lifted her wholly and boldly Out of this world And despite people's derision proved to be more than diversion And sha la la la la later on And then sha la la la la la He entered her slowly and showed her where he was coming from And then sha la la la la he made love to her gently It was like she'd never ever come And then sha la la la la, sha la la la la When the sun rose and he made to leave You know sha la la la la, sha la la la la Neither one regretted a thing Part B: Street Hassle Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Slip away Oooh Oooh Oooh Oooh Hey, that cunt's not breathing I think she's had too much of something or other Hey, man, you know what I mean I don't mean to scare you But you're the one who came here And you're the one who's gotta take her when you leave I'm not being smart or trying to be cold on my part And I'm not gonna wear my heart on my sleeve But you know people get all emotional And sometimes man they just don't act rationally Oh, they think they're just on TV Sha la la la, man Why don't you just slip her away You know, I'm glad that we met man It was really nice talking And I really wish that there was a little more time to speak But you know it could be a hassle Trying to explain myself to a police officer About how it was your old lady got herself stiffed And it's not like we could help But there's nothing no one could do And if there was, man, you know I would have been the first Oh when someone turns that blue Well, it's a universal truth Then you just know that bitch will never fuck again By the way, that's really some bad shit That you came to our place with But you ought to be more careful around the little girls It's either the best or it's the worst And since I don't have to choose, I guess I won't And I know this ain't no way to treat a guest But why don't you grab your old lady by the feet And just lay her out in the darkest street And by morning, she's just another hit and run You know, some people got no choice And they can never find a voice To talk with that they can even call their own So the first thing that they see That allows them the right to be Why they follow it You know, it's called bad luck [Bruce Springsteen] Well hey man, that's just a lie It's the lie she tells her friends 'Cause a real song The real song she won't even admit to herself The beating in her heart It's a song lots of people know It's a painful song With a load of sad truth But life's full of sad songs Penny for a wish But wishin' won't make you so, Joe But a pretty kiss or a pretty face can't have its way Joe, tramps like us, we were born to pay Love has gone away And there's no one here now And there's nothing left to say But oh how I miss him, baby Oh baby, come on and slip away Come on baby, why don't you slip away Love has gone away Took the rings off my fingers And there's nothing left to say But oh how, oh how I need it, baby Come on baby, I need you baby Oh, please don't slip away I need your loving so bad, babe Please don't slip away

9:00 Bruuuuuuuuuce !

Though shorter, I like Simple Minds's rendition of this on their Sparkle In The Rain album. In fact, that's what has me here listening to the original.

Para mi entre tantos temas esto es obra pura esto es poesia, esto es volar....Gracias genio!!! Saludos de Lima-Peru!

Sha la la man.

Sound Opinions on NPR just did an hour long show on Lou. It was soooo good! Highly recommend!

Love has gone away

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤Louuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

Thank you Baker for introducing me to this song.

Sha la la maaaan

Any hardcore heroin addict can understand this song, especially part 2. As a a woman, unfortunately I've been a topic of these types of conversations. I dont touch dope anymore, but this song brings up many feelings being from NYC and knowing the scene. Lou reed, said he didn't start using h till the 80"s but this just seems like a real a hard time user to me to come up with this dialogue...whenever it was written.

They think theyre just on TV. Sha la la la man.

Springsteen's Part: Well hey man, that's just a lie It's the lie she tells her friends 'Cause the real song The real song she won't even admit to herself The beating in her heart It's a song lots of people know It's a painful song With a load of sad truth But life's full of sad songs Penny for a wish But wishin' won't make it so, Joe But a pretty kiss or a pretty face can't have its way Joe, tramps like us, we were born to pay

B A K E R .

😎🖤😎🖤😎🖤😎🖤😎🖤😎🖤😎🖤😎🖤= Louuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

BINAURAL :)

"First thing they see allows them the right to be, that's why they follow it man, it's called... bad luck."

Unarguably the best.

POV: Baker 3 and your childhood brought you here

This is epic, yo...you 37 who gave this a thumbs down, wow. You have your opinion and all, but to me, this is simply brilliant.

LOUUUUU

Pair this with the later song from NY called Dirty Blvd and you have bookends of NYC from the 80's to 90's. Poetry.

so good.

I was terrified of this exhibit as a kid.

the most perfect record!! and i was there live at the bottom line. the best show, thanks Brian

This condescending professor with a beard said I should listen to this song. He lived in an elegant house on the other side of Prospect Park - is that even Brooklyn? Kafka was one of his predecessors. He called me a philistine like his brother in law and a local tennis pro, said I wasn't interested in books or interesting movies. Every time I told him I didn't want to listen to this song he dismissively said 'don't be difficult' so I finally relented....

Brutal, honest, discordant...his greatest hit Walk on the Wild Side was completely filthy and it was so cool sounding no one noticed. BTW that's Bruce Springsteen in act 3.

3:51 - 6:54 on repeat...

don;t we just live in times of wonder?

Yes

Excellent track 💙👌🏻

Simple Minds cover was how I discovered this classic 😊

I Love this,,,😎 Bob from Michigan

If people were like music I'd be grateful

o cara eh um poeta

come on let's slip away, poetic opiod

I LOVE U LOU REED.

Holy sheeeit! I didn't know Simple Minds lifted this opening strings?!

Favorite Lou track

❤️🎶

...And that's springsteen w a spoken word part?

Astonishing

Shaaa--laa --La - Lahhh Man,,, Just Slip Away,,, 😎 Bobby D.

Like New Order's Temptation in the beginning

Dead ass can't get over the scrumptious string instrumental

On youtube I usually just listen this song from minute 9:00, but on my mp3 I listen the whole song... much more intense... I guess some stories need to be told from start...

The whole hmjack move eek to. Went. ⛽️🎃💥!!!!