This song has been sampled 27 different times. This was played on the radio in 1972. Imagine. Everyone mentioned in this song is a real person- stars from movies made by Andy Warhol's factory. Holly Woodlawn was a trans actress in Warhol films. Candy Cane escaped to Greenwich Village from an abusive family on Long Island, Joe Dallesandro was a street hustler who ended up in Warhol films. Sugar Plum Fairy was a character played by Joe Campbell in a Warhol film. He became Harvey Milks lover. Jackie was a huge Warhol star. He said of her - "Jackie Curtis is not a drag queen. Jackie is an artist. A pioneer without a frontier." Lou Reed had an enormous influence on music at the time.
You've completely overlooked the fact that this song came out in 1972. It was groundbreaking to hear such topics in a hit song played on the radio. The fact that you were taken aback listening to this song 50 years later speaks volumes about its historical impact. Try and have some perspective when you listen to music...
Spot on! True story. It is NYC In 1965 -71. 6.5 is a good score. I would bump it up to 8.5, just because of the backstory, and I know who he's talking about on every verse. Plus David Bowie and Mick Ronson in the the back.
Not a bad song, interesting...WT.... This is a classic and we all sang it when it came on and loved it. This was before everyone became uptight about everything, before woke, before PC and a time when people didn't get up in arms about every little thing said.
It's interesting but also personal and iconic. It's in movies and sampled by other artists. The particulars are apparently just as taboo today as they were 50 yrs ago, which is extraordinarily sad.
I first remember hearing this song in 1972. The politically correct police would shit their pants if this song came out today. Hell, they wouldn’t even allow this song to come out today. Yet they play it all the time on the classic rock stations. go figure. The bass guitar line makes the song. 🎵🎶💕🤘
What are you talking about? That song is full of racist innuendo and you say it's a great song. The color girls? Went to the Apollo watch them go? Do you even recognize what you're listening to? I really don't think you do.
As far as the "colored girls go," that was homage to 1950s and 1960s black radio, a time when "colored" didn't have negative connotations, necessarily.
I'm willing to bet money that the person who wrote this comment: a) is white; b) is under the age of 40; c) knows nothing about the background of this song; d) isn't aware that saying 'colored' in the 60s and 70s is equivalent to saying 'people of color' in 2023. Other than that, it's a brilliant comment.
