Rock & Roll by The Velvet Underground Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Anthem of Liberation
Lyrics
There was nothing happening at all
Every time she puts on a radio
There was a nothin’ goin’ down at all, not at all
Then one fine mornin’ she puts on a New York station
You know, she couldn’t believe what she heard at all
She started shakin’ to that fine fine music
You know her life was saved by rock ‘n’ roll
Despite all the amputations
You know you could just go out
And dance to a rock ‘n’ roll station
It was alright (it was alright)
Hey baby, you know it was alright (it was alright)
Jenny said
When she was just about five years old
You know why parents gonna be the death of us all
Two TV sets and two Cadillac cars
Well you know, it ain’t gonna help me at all, not just a tiny bit
Then one fine mornin’ she turns on a New York station
She doesn’t believe what she hears at all
Ooh, she started dancin’ to that fine fine music
You know her life is saved by rock ‘n’ roll, yeah rock ‘n’ roll
Despite all the computations
You could just dance
To that rock ‘n’ roll station
And baby it was alright (it was alright)
Hey it was alright (it was alright)
Hey here she comes now!
Jump! jump!
Jenny said when she was just about five years old
Hey, you know, there was nothing happening at all, not at all
Every time I put on the radio
You know there’s nothin’ goin’ down at all, not at all
Then one fine mornin’ she hears a New York station
She just didn’t believe what she heard at all, hey, not at all
She started dancin’ to that fine fine music
You know her life was saved by rock ‘n’ roll, yes rock ‘n’ roll
Despite all the computation
You know you could just dance
To a rock ‘n’ roll station
All right
All right
And it was alright
Well, listen to me now
And it was alright
Come on, man, listen
It was alright
It was alright
And it was alright
Alright!
It’s alright
Alright!
Yeah, it’s alright now
Alright!
Yeah, it’s alright now
Alright!
It is all alright
Alright!
Yeah, alright now
Alright!
And it’s alright right now
Alright!
And it’s alright now
Alright!
Oh baby
Alright!
Oh baby
Alright!
Oh baby
Alright!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Alright!
Now it’s alright now
Alright!
Ooh, it’s alright now
Alright!
Oh, alright
Alright!
Alright now
Alright!
In a world muddled with the mundanity of everyday life and the splintered shards of a society undergoing seismic shifts, a single tune on the radio can weld the pieces back together, baptize the disillusioned, and ignite the flames of rebellion. This is the crux of The Velvet Underground’s ‘Rock & Roll,’ a track that thrills through time with its raw power and simplicity, encapsulated within a coming-of-age anecdote.
Now considered a canonical rock anthem, ‘Rock & Roll’ crafts a narrative that elevates the genre to a life-saving force, a religion for the forsaken. Let’s peel back the layers of this classic to find the profound impact it had on a generation and how it continues to resonate with listeners today.
Jenny’s Journey: A Universal Tale
Jenny, our everywoman, discovers a beat that transforms her reality at a tender age. She represents an existential ennui that plagues youth, an emptiness unfulfilled by material possessions – the two TV sets, two Cadillac cars. The Velvet Underground eloquently compresses into Jenny’s story a critique of American consumerism, which even in abundance, fails to satiate the soul.
Then comes the revelation via a New York radio station, the serendipitous discovery of rock ‘n’ roll, acting as a conduit to a world Jenny never knew. The simplicity of her awakening speaks to the accessibility of rock ‘n’ roll – available to all who seek solace in something true, something that transcends the tinny predictability of programmed playlists.
Why ‘Alright’ Just Might Be the Most Powerful Word in Rock
Lou Reed’s repetitive assurances in ‘Rock & Roll’ – ‘it was alright’ – is both mantra and declaration. It’s the sense of approval everyone searches for, the stamp of ‘it’s okay to be.’ He doesn’t just sing it; he affirms it, pounding the phrase into existence over the song’s gritty guitars.
The iterations of ‘alright’ serve as a life raft to anyone listening, to all the Jennys of the world, battered by the waves of a society that often seems to betray its younger generation. It’s not just a respite offered; it’s a battle cry for contentment and the acceptance of finding joy in the mere act of being alive, and being one with the music.
The Sonic Landscape: How Music Can Save a Life
Amidst declarations of salvation through rock ‘n’ roll, what often remains unnoticed is how The Velvet Underground achieves this feat through their arrangement. The song itself is an archetypal structure of rock music – simple chord progressions, a relentless backbeat, and scorching guitar solos that mirror the feeling of being revived.
It’s not just hyperbole when Jenny feels saved; the architecture of the song replicates the lifeline thrown to her. It’s a mirror held up to the listener, an auditory representation of the invigoration someone experiences when a song resonates with their core.
Beyond The Sound: The Countercultural Creed
‘Despite all the amputations,’ The Velvet Underground suggests a sense of disillusionment with the mainstream, of being severed from the essence of what makes us feel alive. It’s a countercultural summoning, an insistence to hand over disillusionment for the healing balm of rock ‘n’ roll vibrancy.
In an era marked by protest and upheaval, ‘Rock & Roll’ became a credo for those standing on the fringes, looking for a hint of authenticity. It mirrors the 1960s counterculture, yet its effect ripples through to contemporary listeners who, just like Jenny, are on the brink of discovering their own version of rock ‘n’ roll.
The Hidden Heartbeat: How Repetition Becomes Rebellion
There’s a hidden pulse within ‘Rock & Roll’ that turns the prosaic into the poetic. Lou Reed takes the seemingly unremarkable moments of finding oneself through music and croons them into existence as a testament to individual rebellion. When Jenny hears that ‘fine fine music,’ it’s a subtle nod to the transformative power of personal revolution.
The song’s hypnotic repetition of beats and chords underlines the essence of rock ‘n’ roll itself – it’s persistent, it’s enduring, it’s a cycle of renewal. This very repetition is the heartbeat of youth culture’s eternal quest for meaning, and The Velvet Underground captures it with the deftness of true rock prophets.
