Reed, Lou - Xmas In February Lyrics






Sam was lyin' in the jungle
agent orange spread against the sky like marmalade
Hendrix played on some foreign jukebox
they were praying to be saved
Those gooks were fierce and fearless
that's the price you pay when you invade
Xmas in February

Sam lost his arm in some border town
His fingers are mixed with someone's crop
If he didn't have that opium to smoke
The pain would never ever stop
Half his friends are stuffed into black body bags
With their names printed at the top
Xmas in February

Sammy was a short order cook
In a short order black and blue collar town
Everybody worked the steel mill
But the steel mill got closed down
He thought if he joined the Army
He'd have a future that was sound
Like no Xmas in February

Sam's staring at the Vietnam Wall
It's been a while now that he's home
His wife and kid have left, he's unemployed
He's a reminder of the war that wasn't won
He's that guy on the street with the sign that reads
"Please help send this Vet home"
But he is home, and there's no Xmas in February
No matter how much he saves





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Reed, Lou Xmas In February Comments
  1. u.... i....

    I think Bobby Kennedy saw this song as he said the south Vietnamese needed to fight. The SV needed to do the Search and Destroy and batles while the US guarded the main cities. 58000 dead Americans including some of my relatives + countless life's destroyed like living dead. Please read Born on the 4th of July by Ron Kovic?!?!

  2. A.... T....

    Lou could not sing a fuckin note!! He couldn't! But all his work had the most pertinent meaningful clever and true lyrics!!! A musical poet who couldn't sing, but hey!!! It works baby!!!

  3. C.... E....

    the "AHA-Erlebnis" is a nice German expression...it means something like " AHA!" Now I understand or as the Old Greek Archimedes aid " Eureka!" ...
    I had it very recently: seeing all the houses with nice trees full with lights, it was like Christmas in Europe..but it was February and Vietnam, so it is Tet...."Christmas in February" .

    Indeed the mean line of that incredible beautiful sad song that Lou Reed wrote about the impact of the fighting in Vietnam on many Americans.
    I had the luck to work with Lou Reed in 1976 when he was on a promo-tour for Rock 'n Roll Animal, it was one of the best concerts I ever heard (and due to my work I did hear many hundreds).
    This song is not that wild, it is very poetic and modest, he wrote it in 1989.

  4. L.... d....

    Lou Reed was a great poet - okay, with this song it's direct and on the nose, but it does get to the point.

  5. d.... ....

    I wish I was a musician and I could have done this song only. It would´ve been worthy. Kind of weird when we think about the loads of "musicians" out there, some of them lasting decades and, neverthless, what´s the outcome? Think of Beyonce, just as an example.

  6. j.... j....

    hes talkin a bout tet wulbulbul

  7. D.... r....

    I always thought he was referring to a tax return in February.

    D.... r....

    In western countries we celebrate xmas, in Vietnam they celebrate Tet in February (depending on the moon)

    D.... r....

    @ybor20 Cool...……………………….very cool, thank you.

  8. B.... C....

    merry xmas

  9. D.... B....

    it's, christmas

  10. j.... ....

    "That's the price you pay when you invade"

    j.... ....

    Haunting stuff,
    Help send this vet home

  11. J.... H....

    greatest song ever :) I always have day dreams listening to it

    J.... H....

    I hear what ya saying Yvonne....................................And I dig it.

  12. p.... ....

    A great protest song! Love this album thank you!

  13. K.... M....

    It's my favorite Christmas song, Xmas in February 

  14. G.... M....

    Lou, one of the greatest American poets singer songwriter of his kind
    We gotta love this man!

  15. T.... C....

    His New York album was great...Kind of a continuation of Songs for Drella.

    T.... C....

    New York (1989) Sire Records 40 14 29
    Songs for Drella (with John Cale) (April 1990) Sire Records 103 22[8] —

  16. J.... H....

    RIP Lou Reed. This song best captures my mood right now.

  17. d.... ....

    Listening to this song while travelling through vietnam. It brought tears to my eyes. Thankyou Lou. RIP. You were a great writer. That's what you wanted. You succeeded. Rest now.

  18. H.... E....

    actually one of the best.

  19. f.... ....

    And there's no Xmas in October as well. Thanks for everything, Lou!

  20. N.... C....

    Rest in Peace Lou Reed.

  21. H.... T....

    yeah you are right shame Lou Reed never thought of that. yes I am being sarcastic.

  22. b.... ....

    Saw Lou perform this whole album 2 daze in a row, one of which was my birhtday! and they were both incredible, around 1989 in boston (orpheum) ...... it was 2 of the best days of my life.

  23. p.... ....

    I still have the cassette I bought in New York, 1990... fantastic Lou Reed.

  24. A.... N....

    I love this guy!!!! <3

  25. a.... ....

    Sam lost his arm in some border town,
    his fingers are mixed with someone's
    crop. If he didn't have that opium to
    smoke, the pain would never, ever
    stop.....

  26. B.... E....

    @andrev9000

    You can! I have uploaded the whole album. Enjoy!

    B.... E....

    Thanks Brian...……………………………………..

  27. A.... V....

    I'd really like to hear "Romeo had Juliet" from the same album, really like the album.