"Heroin" by The Velvet Underground from the album
The Velvet Underground and Nico

Alongside lyrics written by the band's vocalist and lead guitarist, Lou Reed, describing life as a junkie, "Heroin" features John Cale's humming viola, and hypnotic drum patterns by Moe Tucker. The song begins slowly, with the tempo gradually increasing, mimicking the high one would receive from the drug, until a frantic climax is reached, marked with a shrieking viola. The song then slows to the original tempo, and repeats the same pattern before ending.

The lyrics were far from glorifying the use of drugs; they explore the psychology of personal destruction. Abusing Heroin is seen as an attempt at salvation, relief or escape. "I'm gonna try to nullify my life", Lou Reed sings. The narrator believes that drugs will liberate him from the strict confines of the city and the hordes of people surrounding him:

Because when the smack begins to flow
I really don't care any more
About all the Jim-Jims in this town
And all the politicians making crazy sounds
And everybody putting everybody else down
And all the dead bodies piled up in mounds

Released in 1967, its subject was seen as subversive to many, but the concept and sound influenced many later artists and bands like David Bowie, The Ramones and The Clash.

By Christian