Lou Reed has never made it easy for us to get close to him. In interviews, he often let his interlocutors run out, and in his art, too, moments of intimacy and closeness were followed by a brusque rejection. For every “Pale Blue Eyes” or “Perfect Day” there is a “Sister Ray” or “Metal Machine Music”. For his 80th birthday, we spoke to a man who had been very close to Reed for over half a century: songwriter Garland Jeffreys. A true New Yorker, born in Brooklyn like Reed, who was a year older than him. His musical career started in the early seventies. Just as cultures met in his family, his music also reflects the different traditions that merged in his hometown. In this country he always remained an insider tip, although he made it into the top 20 in 1992 with his single “Hail Hail Rock’n’Roll”. “I think the spotlight should have found Garland more often,” explains Laurie Andersen, who was married to Reed from 2008 until his death in 2013, in a Jeffreys dedicated documentationwhich is due to appear this year.
How did you meet Lou Reed and what was your first impression of him?
We met in the Syracuse University cafeteria in 1961. He was a sophomore and I was a freshman. We struck up a conversation and realized we both loved music, especially doo wop, and that was our first connection. Maybe because I’m from Brooklyn and had experience singing on street corners? Not a lot, but a little. I always like to joke that I was a much better singer than him and he admitted it! My first impression? He was cool even then!
Did you know his professor and mentor Delmore Schwartz?
I wasn’t close to Delmore and didn’t take classes with him because I majored in art history and Lou majored in English. But we both sat with him every afternoon in the famous Orange Bar and listened to him. He was a great speaker. I didn’t understand a lot of it at the time. Delmore really cared about Lou, as an artist and as a person. I remember him telling me once that he was worried about Lou, but I’m not entirely sure why. He definitely felt both fatherly and collegial.
Neither Lou Reed nor you had any intention of becoming a musician at the time. What changed then? Did you talk about your decision?
I don’t really remember talking about making a decision. It was organic. I think he came from a poet’s position, he wrote lyrics differently than I did – I was less influenced by poetry than he was and so my lyrics weren’t as dense as his. We both performed and played here and there around town in the late ’60s. I think we knew we didn’t want to pursue “normal” pop careers, so we gave it a go, had a bit of success and moved on!
What was the first self-composed song that Lou played to you?
I can not remember. I was on You Wear It So Well in 1976 (from the album “Rock’n’Roll Heart”) Sung backing vocals which was an honour. One of my favorite songs is “Perfect Day” but I’m not sure when I first heard it. I really got into “My House” too (from the album The Blue Mask, 1982) in love because I played it at a Lincoln Center show a few years ago and found out he wrote it about Delmore. (The text says: “My friend and teacher occupies a spare room/ He’s dead – at peace at last the Wandering Jew/ Other friends has put stones on his grave/ He was the first great man that I had ever met.”)
How would you describe your friendship – has it changed over the years?
Our friendship was very simple. We trusted each other and were loyal. We respected each other as artists. It hasn’t changed much over the years, maybe a little bit as he started to be so idolized and not so available anymore. Sometimes we lost contact and then eventually reconnected. But the thread was always there.
Was there ever any competition between you as a songwriter?
No never. We were very different and played in different spheres, different worlds.
Lou Reed’s public image is that he was this tough, bad-tempered guy. Was he often like that in private?
I’m sure people have noticed that Lou has cultivated that grumpy side as both an image and a shield. It was useful. The real thing was that he didn’t like dealing with people he thought stupid and ignorant, and he valued honest people as opposed to swindlers and toadies. In his private life he was more “normal” and more exposed and softer. But he always had an opinion!
Which of his songs best captures his personality?
“Perfect Day”.
When was the last time you saw him?
It was a few months before he died. We had dinner for two at a restaurant in town. At the time he seemed physically fine and in good spirits, so I wasn’t prepared for his health decline, although it was probably already beginning.