Lou Reed Was ‘Blown Away’ By A John Lennon Song

Because It “Had Realism”

Lou Reed was difficult to please. He praised musicians who genuinely impressed him but he also didn’t bother hiding his dislike for some of his peers – The Beatles, for example. In an interview with record executive Joe Smith back in 1987 for PBS’ Blank on Blank series, he admitted he wasn’t a fan of The Beatles.

He said, “I never liked the Beatles. I thought they were garbage. If you say, ‘Who did you like?’ I liked nobody.”

But apparently, he didn’t like the group but he appreciated John Lennon’s songwriting genius.

He was asked by Bruce Pollock about a particular song that truly moved him. And Reed answered, “‘Mother’ by John Lennon.”

He added, “That was a song that had realism. I mean, that did it to you. That’s about the only one I can think of on that level. When I first heard it, I didn’t even know it was him. I just said, ‘Who the fuck is that? I don’t believe that.’ Because the lyrics to that are real. You see, he wasn’t kidding around. He got right down to it, as down as you can get. I like that in a song.”

He loved the song so much that he covered it during a live performance.

Meanwhile, “Mother” was first featured on Lennon’s first solo studio album “John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.” It’s about both of his parents who were absent during his childhood. He was inspired to write it while undergoing a “Primal Scream” therapy with Arthur Janov.