Released: November 8, 1972
Songwriter: Lou Reed
Producer: Lou Reed Mick Ronson David Bowie
"Walk on the Wild Side" is a Lou Reed song from his 1972 second solo album Transformer. It was produced by David Bowie. The song received wide radio coverage, despite its touching on taboo topics such as transsexuality, drugs, male prostitutes and oral sex. In the United States, RCA released an edited version of the song as a single which eliminated the song's reference to oral sex. The lyrics, describing a series of individuals and their journeys to New York City Read more on Last.fm.
Length: 4:13
Holly came from Miami, FLA
Hitchhiked her way across the U.S.A
Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her legs and then he was a she
[Chorus]
She says, "Hey, babe, take a walk on the wild side"
Said, "Hey honey, take a walk on the wild side"
[Verse 2]
Candy came from out on the Island
In the backroom, she was everybody's darling
But she never lost her head
Even when she was giving head
[Chorus]
She says, "Hey, babe, take a walk on the wild side"
Said, "Hey, babe, take a walk on the wild side"
[Post Chorus]
And the colored girls go
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
(Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Dooh)
[Verse 3]
Little Joe never once gave it away
Everybody had to pay and pay
A hustle here and a hustle there
New York City is the place where they said
[Chorus]
"Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side"
I said, "Hey Joe, take a walk on the wild side"
[Verse 4]
Sugar Plum Fairy came and hit the streets
Looking for soul food and a place to eat
Went to the Apollo
You should have seen him go, go, go
[Chorus]
They said, "Hey sugar, take a walk on the wild side"
I said, "Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side"
Alright, huh
[Verse 5]
Jackie is just speeding away
Thought she was James Dean for a day
Then I guess that she had to crash
Valium would have helped that bash
[Chorus]
She said, "Hey, babe, take a walk on the wild side"
I said, "Hey honey, take a walk on the wild side"
[Post Chorus]
And the colored girls say
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
(Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Dooh)
[Saxophone Solo]
- Transformer (1972)
- Walk On The Wild Side: The Best Of Lou Reed (1977)
- Rock And Roll Diary 1967-1980 (1980)
- Times Square: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1980)
- Between Thought and Expression: Selected Lyrics of Lou Reed (1991) (1991)
- Between Thought and Expression: The Lou Reed Anthology (1992)
- The Rolling Stone Collection - 25 Years Of Essential Rock (1993)
- Ultimate Seventies: 1973 (2003)
- 20 Feet From Stardom (Music From the Motion Picture) (2013)
- 21 Rock Favorites (2015)
- NOW That’s What I Call 70s [UK] (2016)
- 100 Hits The Best Rock Album (2018)
- The Wilds (Season 1 Soundtrack) (2020)
- NOW 70s Glam Pop [UK] (2021)