I'm Waiting for the Man
Encyclopedia
"I'm Waiting for the Man" is a song by the American
rock
band The Velvet Underground
, written by Lou Reed
. It was first released on their 1967 debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico.
The song is about purchasing 26 dollars worth of heroin in a Harlem
brownstone
near the intersection of Lexington Avenue and 125th Street
in New York City
. The song is sung from the point of view of the purchaser who is presumably traveling to Harlem from another part of the city; the "man" in the song's title is a drug dealer. Along with traditional guitar, bass, and drums, the song also features pounding, percussive rock-and-roll barrelhouse
-style piano. It is one of the band's more popular songs, and one of their many compositions featuring drugs
as subject matter. After leaving the band in 1970, Lou Reed continued to incorporate the song into his solo live performances. Reed does not often sing the song himself anymore.
Released as a single in October of 1971 (b/w "There She Goes Again") as Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground on MGM Records.
In 2004, Rolling Stone
magazine ranked it #159 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The song was among a set of early songs to be recorded by Lou Reed, John Cale
and Sterling Morrison
in the band's Ludlow Street
loft in Manhattan. This version of the song, free of percussion, has a considerably more folk
and even blues
influence in style than the album version. It is available on the first disc of the Peel Slowly and See
box set.
, a different take of the song was originally recorded at Scepter Studios in New York City
. This take of the song is slightly shorter, the piano is less audible and instead of drums, a tambourine is employed. Also of note is that Reed sings "I'm waiting for the man" at the beginning of the song. Through the album version, Reed sings "I'm waiting for my man."
, John Cale
, Nico
, and Maureen Tucker
have all recorded solo versions.
Other artists who have recorded covers of the song include:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
, written by Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
. It was first released on their 1967 debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico.
The song is about purchasing 26 dollars worth of heroin in a Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
brownstone
Brownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic or Jurassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house clad in this material.-Types:-Apostle Island brownstone:...
near the intersection of Lexington Avenue and 125th Street
125th Street (Manhattan)
125th Street is a two-way street that runs east-west in the New York City borough of Manhattan, considered the "Main Street" of Harlem; It is also called Martin Luther King, Jr...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The song is sung from the point of view of the purchaser who is presumably traveling to Harlem from another part of the city; the "man" in the song's title is a drug dealer. Along with traditional guitar, bass, and drums, the song also features pounding, percussive rock-and-roll barrelhouse
Boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie has the following meanings:*Boogie-woogie, a piano-based music style*Boogie-woogie , a swing dance or a dance that imitates the rock-n-roll dance of the 1950s*"Boogie Woogie" , a song by EuroGroove and Dannii Minogue...
-style piano. It is one of the band's more popular songs, and one of their many compositions featuring drugs
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
as subject matter. After leaving the band in 1970, Lou Reed continued to incorporate the song into his solo live performances. Reed does not often sing the song himself anymore.
Released as a single in October of 1971 (b/w "There She Goes Again") as Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground on MGM Records.
In 2004, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine ranked it #159 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Ludlow Street Loft, July 1965
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
and Sterling Morrison
Sterling Morrison
Holmes Sterling Morrison, Jr. was one of the founding members of the rock group The Velvet Underground, usually playing electric guitar, occasionally bass guitar, and singing backing vocals.-Biography:...
in the band's Ludlow Street
Ludlow Street (Manhattan)
Ludlow Street runs between Houston and Division Streets on the Lower East Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan, an important cultural street rich with history....
loft in Manhattan. This version of the song, free of percussion, has a considerably more folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and even blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
influence in style than the album version. It is available on the first disc of the Peel Slowly and See
Peel Slowly and See
Peel Slowly and See is a five-disc box set of material by The Velvet Underground. It was released in September 1995 by Polydor.-Compilation:...
box set.
Scepter Studios, April 1966
Before the final album version of the song was re-recorded at T.T.G. Studios, in Hollywood, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, a different take of the song was originally recorded at Scepter Studios in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. This take of the song is slightly shorter, the piano is less audible and instead of drums, a tambourine is employed. Also of note is that Reed sings "I'm waiting for the man" at the beginning of the song. Through the album version, Reed sings "I'm waiting for my man."
Cover versions
Velvet Underground members Lou ReedLou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
, John Cale
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
, Nico
Nico
Nico was a German singer, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress, who initially rose to fame as a Warhol Superstar in the 1960s...
, and Maureen Tucker
Maureen Tucker
Maureen Ann "Moe" Tucker is a musician best known for having been the drummer for the rock group The Velvet Underground.- The Velvet Underground :...
have all recorded solo versions.
Other artists who have recorded covers of the song include:
- BauhausBauhaus (band)Bauhaus was an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy , Daniel Ash , Kevin Haskins and David J . The band was originally Bauhaus 1919 before they dropped the numerical portion within a year of formation...
(with NicoNicoNico was a German singer, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress, who initially rose to fame as a Warhol Superstar in the 1960s...
) - BeckBeckBeck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, a curiously discordant jangle - Celibate RiflesThe Celibate RiflesThe Celibate Rifles are a punk rock band from Sydney, Australia.The band was formed in 1979 and released their first album Sideroxylon in April 1983 on the Hot Records label...
- David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
. A version of the song appeared on David Bowie's Live: Santa Monica '72Live Santa Monica '72Live Santa Monica '72 is a live album by David Bowie. It was released on in the United Kingdom and in the United States. It is the official release of the bootleg album Santa Monica '72.-Track listing:...
featuring Mick RonsonMick RonsonMichael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...
on guitar. This performance was used in the 2000 film Almost FamousAlmost FamousAlmost Famous is a 2000 musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe and telling the fictional story of a teenage journalist writing for Rolling Stone magazine while covering the fictitious rock band Stillwater , and his efforts to get his first cover story published...
. Bowie also performed the song on his Isolar tour of 1976, and one such performance appears on the Live Nassau Coliseum ’76 records in the 2010 Special Edition and Deluxe Edition box set releases of the Station to StationStation to StationStation to Station is the tenth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released by RCA Records in 1976. Commonly regarded as one of his most significant works, Station to Station is also notable as the vehicle for Bowie's last great 'character', The Thin White Duke...
album. - EaterEaterEater were an early British punk band from London who took their name from a Marc Bolan lyric. In 2001, the band’s second single, "Thinking of the USA" , was included in a leading British music magazine’s list of the best punk-rock singles of all-time...
, an unusually up-tempo 1978 version by punk teenagers - Električni OrgazamElektrični OrgazamElektrični Orgazam is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade. Originally starting as a combination of New Wave, punk rock and post-punk, the band later slowly changed their style, becoming a mainstream rock act.- New Wave years :...
, on their album of English language covers Les Chansones PopulairesLes Chansones Populaires-Personnel:*Grof — bass guitar*Piko — drums*Ljubomir Jovanović — guitar*Srđan Gojković — guitar, lead vocals*Ljubomir Đukić — piano, synthesizer, vocals... - Été 67Été 67Été 67 is a rock band created in 1998 in Esneux , Belgium. They generally sing in French, but also do some covers in English and Dutch...
, on the Belgian (but not French) version of their eponymous first album - BeckJeff BeckGeoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
-PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
's The YardbirdsThe Yardbirds- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals... - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the DarkOrchestral Manoeuvres in the DarkOrchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England...
as a B-side to the extended-play version of MessagesMessages (OMD song)"Messages" is the third single of the synthpop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark . The single has a re-recorded version of the song found on their debut album Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The single provided OMD with their first top 40 hit in the UK, reaching number 13... - Phillip BoaPhillip BoaPhillip Boa is a German independent music singer, guitarist and composer.-Music:In 1985, he founded the Independent band Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub...
& The Voodooclub on the 1989 album Hair - The RiffsThe RiffsThe Riffs are a rock and roll and punk band from Portland, Oregon. They have released three full-length albums, all on indie labels, namely Pelado Records, Vendetta Records, and TKO Records.- Influences :...
on the 2001 album Underground Kicks - Samm BennettSamm BennettSamm Bennett , is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.Samm Bennett is a singer and songwriter, a drummer and percussionist, and a player of string instruments such as the stick dulcimer and the diddley bow...
. - Sheep on DrugsSheep on DrugsSheep on Drugs are a British techno / dance-punk music group, formed by Duncan X [aka King Duncan] and Lee Fraser [aka Dead Lee] and currently composed of Fraser and Johnny Borden...
, on their 1997 album One For The Money - Slaughter & The DogsSlaughter & The DogsSlaughter & The Dogs is an English punk rock band that formed in the late 1970s in Manchester, England. They were one of the first UK punk bands to sign for a major label, Decca Records.-Career:...
, on the 1978 album Do it Dog Style - The Swayback
- U.K. Subs, B-side of the 1980 single Warhead
- Vanessa ParadisVanessa ParadisVanessa Chantal Paradis is a French singer, model and actress. She became a child star at 14 with the worldwide success of her single "Joe le taxi"...
, on her eponymous 1992 English language debut albumVanessa Paradis (album)Vanessa Paradis is the self-titled third album and English debut by popular French singer Vanessa Paradis. It was released in 1992 and contains the singles "Be My Baby" and "Sunday Mondays".-Background and writing:... - Vitamin String Quartet
- Robert CarusoRobert CarusoRobert Caruso is a director of commercials, music video, film, and online content.Caruso grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, where he attended the School on Magnolia, an early Cleveland-area alternative high school. He was active as a musician, and was one of the founding members of the band the...
, bonus track to the Ecce Homo CD, 2008
Live Covers
- BauhausBauhaus (band)Bauhaus was an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy , Daniel Ash , Kevin Haskins and David J . The band was originally Bauhaus 1919 before they dropped the numerical portion within a year of formation...
included a live version on Press The Eject And Give Me The Tape - Belle & SebastianBelle & SebastianBelle and Sebastian are an indie pop band formed in Glasgow in January 1996. Belle and Sebastian are often compared with influential indie bands such as The Smiths, as well as classic acts such as Love, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake. The name Belle & Sebastian comes from Belle et Sébastien, a 1965...
, recorded the song in 2001 and released on the BBC Sessions albumThe BBC Sessions (Belle and Sebastian album)The BBC Sessions is an album by Belle & Sebastian. It is a double album. The first disc is a compilation of unreleased recordings recorded between 1996 and 2001, while the second is a live recording from a concert in Belfast on 21 December 2001... - Cheap TrickCheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
included a live recording of the song on the 1996 rarities collection Sex, America, Cheap TrickSex, America, Cheap TrickSex, America, Cheap Trick is a 1996 box set by the rock band Cheap Trick. It includes 17 previously unreleased songs, as well as the band's biggest hits...
. Reportedly Robin ZanderRobin ZanderRobin Wayne Zander is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick.-Early life:Zander was born in Beloit, Wisconsin, the fourth of five children; he has two older brothers, and older and younger sisters....
initially failed to learn the song's lyrics so Tom PeterssonTom PeterssonTom Petersson is an American musician, best known as the bassist and sometime guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick.-Career:...
would sing it at early concerts. - David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
on Live at the Beeb - Debbie HarryDebbie HarryDeborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
frequently ended her live sets with the song between 1989 and 1991. - late Smashing Pumpkins also incorporated the song in their live set list.
- Pink FairiesPink FairiesPink Fairies were an English rock band active in the London underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s. They promoted free music, drug taking and anarchy and often performed impromptu gigs and other agitprop stunts, such as playing for free outside the gates at the Bath and Isle of Wight...
often played the song, as on their reunion live album Live at the Roundhouse 1975Live at the Roundhouse 1975Live at the Roundhouse 1975 is a 1982 album of a 1975 concert by the UK underground group Pink Fairies.A one-off reunion concert featuring all five previous members of the group was organised by Ted Carroll, head of Chiswick Records. At the time of this gig, Rudolph was also playing bass for... - Robert PlantRobert PlantRobert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
and Jimmy PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
played the song during their various incarnations in their Plant and Page tours. Robert Plant's Priory of Brian also did a cover of the song. - Tom RobinsonTom RobinsonTom Robinson is an English singer-songwriter, bassist and radio presenter, better known for the hits "Glad to Be Gay", "2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with his Tom Robinson Band...
, released as a live track on Rising Free - Vic RuggieroVic RuggieroVictor "Vic" Ruggiero, is a musician, songwriter and producer from New York City who has played in many ska bands, such as The Slackers, Stubborn All-Stars, SKAndalous All Stars, Crazy Baldhead and The Silencers...
and Kepi Ghoulie - ZwanZwanZwan was an American alternative rock band that was formed by members of The Smashing Pumpkins, Slint, Tortoise, Chavez, and A Perfect Circle. Zwan was started in late 2001 by Billy Corgan, lead singer and guitarist of The Smashing Pumpkins, after the Pumpkins disbanded in December 2000. The band...
- Various Echo & The BunnymenEcho & the BunnymenEcho & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
and Ian McCullochIan McCulloch (singer)Ian Stephen McCulloch is an English singer, born in Liverpool, and is best known as the frontman for the rock group Echo & the Bunnymen.-Career:...
performances
Remixed forms and Lyric Use
- 2 Many DJs compilation album As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt. 2As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt. 2As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2 is the first album to be released by Soulwax alter-egos 2 Many DJs. It consists of 45 remixed tracks by a series of diverse artists including Dolly Parton, Basement Jaxx and 10cc. While some of the tracks are simply remixes, most tracks are mashup collages with the...
uses the song's original recording in remixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed form. - Death Cab for CutieDeath Cab for CutieDeath Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
's lyric "To a brownstone, up three flights of stairs" in their song "No Joy in Mudville" is a direct, uncredited lift from "I'm Waiting For The Man". - The lyrics were used in the 2002 ballet by Édouard Lock and La La La Human Steps "Amelia" with completely different music by David Lang.