Reed, Lou - Leave Her Johnny Lyrics

Never heard this song before. I thought he was talking about leaving drugs.

Loved this version

This is the worst cover of any song done ever .... I could do this and I can't sing for fuck

I really don’t like this one little bit...

This is Lou's version of a traditional shanty, obviously, but he brings a wonderful 'end-of-voyage' and sailor's weariness to it...its not meant to be just another shanty...we are meant to see the dockside at the end of a long and exhausting journey...,and i think we can glimpse it. Wonderful. RIP Lou

Wtf？wtf?

I have heard classic interpretations so many times that I'm tired of them. I love this one and what gives me goosebumps is the voice of Anthony in the background. The Rough and the Lyrical.

I agree, I like the whole anthony thing in the background. but I feel like this version lacks solid flow

downvote for bad version and clickbait

this is very intriguing. not great, necessarily, but a very visionary interpretation. and still very much alive artistically for a man of that age. kind of an inside out, surreal version. very off kilter

wow...this is a terrible version of this great shanty. :( I typically only dislike some versions but I can say I hate this one, lol.

Love lou reed but he brings nothing but desolation to this great shanty.

Sean Stewart Is that what Lou does though?

That's the idea

god fucking damnit you ruined it

I think it's also worthy of mention the collaboration of Antony (Hegarty) on backing vocals. 

If anyone actually knew anything about Lou Reed, they would know that this is his version of the song. It's got Lou written all over it. If you don't get what's going on in this song, then you're missing out on something pretty important.

Wtf is this shit?

R.I.P. Lou

this is the great lou reed interpreting a pirate song, which obviously none of you toolboxes can comprehend. ye shall be bungtargets tonight for the crew.

The only good song out of the album is my son john. The others aren't that great.

Anally raped it! :O

Jesus Lou! If you don't want to do the song, just say so!

drugs is the only explanation.

Yep, some artists, when asked if they would some songs - should say no. This is proof of that.

this is worse than any drunk singing it!!!

@rouseg54 -- how well i remember the Arethusa sitting off Upnor.
Thanks for the memory.

I hate to be negative, but this is shit.
He has taken a piece of history and raped it

I am huge Lou Reed fan but this a very poor attempt at this classic remake
. This song should be recorded with feeling. Some musicians just like to hear the sound of their voice no matter what the cost. I'm sure he would have done a much better job of this tune if he had put his heart into it. It's what most song writers achieve to do.

Fantastic. Lou Reed made something new of this, both here and in his original song, "CREMATION: Ashes to Ashes", from his album Magic and Loss. To all ye nay-sayers: music is alive, as long as we give it life.

@ScottAln05 Very true. I`ve been listening to Lou for decades. My point was his style not his manner. The song isnt meant to be `happy go lucky`. It`s a sad song about leaving a ship but sung with the lilt of a shanty.

It is supposed to be a happy song, because they are finally leaving the shitty ship with the mean captain, rotten food, hard work, and abysmal pay.

@rouseg54, I'm cool with your comment, but Lou isn't exactly a happy guy. Most of his songs are expressions of aggression or sadness. So an expectation of a happy-go-lucky interpretation by Lou is unrealistic.

The shanty is supposed to be sad as it is.

Your absolutely right. Many years ago when I was in my early teens I was sent onto a four masted brig called the Arethusa. It was more like a floating borstal and we learned to take harsh treatment and give it out. They wouldnt allow it today. But looking back I wouldnt have missed it for the world and I first heard this song there. The modern Arethusa is a sea cadet ship but if you watch the first Rocky film you can see my Arethusa . He runs past it. It was sold to the USA in the 1970s.

@rouseg54 Got to agree with you there. He's really not done this any justice at all.
From the wrench of leaving your ship and home of months or years embodied in a shanty to something so tuneless and hard to listen to.
Not good.

sorry to all lou fans but this is awful! A wonderful shanty made to sound like a dirge.