Lou Reed’s bizarre rap attempt is “pugnacious”

Thanks to Dangerous Minds, I now know about Lou Reed’s brief flirtation with rap, which happened in 1986. How could I possibly have missed this?

“I was born in the United States
I grew up hard but I grew up straight
I saw a lack of morals and a lack of concern
A feeling that there’s nowhere to turn
Yippies, Hippies and upwardly mobile Yuppies
Don’t treat me like I’m some lackey
‘Cause the murderer lives while the victims die
I’d much rather see it an eye for an eye
A heart for a heart, a brain for a brain
And if this all makes you feel a little insane
Kick up your heels, turn the music up loud
Pick up your guitar and look out at the crowd
And say, “Don’t mean to come on sanctimonious
But life’s got me nervous and little pugnacious
Lugubrious, I give a salutation
And rock on out to beat really fabulous
Ohh poop ah doo and how do you do
Hip hop gonna bop ’til I drop”

Ha. Wow. It’d be really easy to crap all over this but you know what? At least he was trying stuff. I haven’t even made one album. So, whatever. You be pugnacious and bop ’til you drop, Lou, if that’s what you want to do. Hey look! That rhymed. I should totally try this rap shit.