Love for Sale: No. 3

'Walk on the Wild Side' (1973)
--Lou Reed

We're not wont to call Billy Joel's New Yorkness into question, but, frankly, "Candy" seems a more believable name for a '70s streetwalker in the Big Apple than "Roberta", who more apt to walk the streets of, say, Allentown. Among the grittier hooker tunes, there is no lovemaking in this song, a Top 20 hit for Reed, who has likely never uttered the phrase "make love."

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Posted by Spinner Staff
Filed under: The Hit List

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Comments (12)

Reader Comments(1 of 1)

Neutral

Kool Kidat 3-14-2008

LUV THIS SONG!

Neutral

Jackat 3-15-2008

AWESOME SONG!!

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derekat 3-18-2008

janes addiction "jane says"

red hot chili peppers "friends"

Neutral

Kevin Copelandat 3-25-2008

If I'm not mistaken, isn't this song about a transexual hooker? I think I feel my dinner coming back up.

Neutral

mattcjohnat 3-25-2008

What about Lou Reed's "Street Hassle"? Much more of an actual hooker song. Also contains the lyrics "he made love to her gently, it was like she'd never ever come"

Neutral

Kareat 3-26-2008

SPINNER- STAFF :

"Walk On the Wild Side" was about Andy Warhol's actressess and the lot.
Most of them, as in Holly and Jackie etc were actresses that were men before they were actresses, and Joe D'Alessandro, yes, he was a hustler, sorta in the beginning, maybe,--or, maybe that was the hype because he played on in pictures.LOL.

Neutral

Kareat 3-26-2008

Derek,yes, they're talking about hookers--or they think they are--but what do you call a transsexual hooker?
It's still a hooker.
Put your dinner back down.

Neutral

Kareat 3-26-2008

MattCJohn, hookers don't come, not supposed to.
He may have been making love to a strange woman, but not seeing a hooker.

Neutral

NJ_Jimcatat 3-26-2008

Lou Reed may be the last person that you'd ever think of as selling out, but this song was used in a 1985 commercial for Honda motor scooters. Lou even appeared in the commercial and said "Don't settle for walking." It aired during Live Aid. Way to go, Mr. NYC street cred!

Neutral

Kareat 3-26-2008

NJ JIMCAT, the song Walk on the WIld Side was used very recently about some car or other too.
And he probably nade a pretty penny on that.
He's older now, (LouReed) and he's sober a while now too.
probably needs the money for his kids or somethng.

Neutral

Kareat 3-26-2008

Spinner Staff, again, Lou Reed actually *did* like those people, it was a sort of love or admiration song.
Are you guys too young to remember? or are you kidding?

Neutral

TripleSat 5-08-2008

1) Candy was Candy Darling of Andy Warhol's entourage (and yes, Derek, a transexual).

2) Jack -Jane Bainter (Jane Says) was an addict, not a hooker. And Friends? Not sure I get the hooker connection, although I'd pay to see Dave & Anthony recreate that one scene from the video...