Velvet Underground - Andy's Chest

About "Andy's Chest"

"Andy's Chest" is a song written by Lou Reed, inspired by the 1968 attempt on Andy Warhol's life. In June 1968, radical feminist writer Valerie Solanas shot Warhol and Mario Amaya, art critic and curator, at Warhol's studio. The Velvet Underground, of which Reed was the frontman, initially recorded the song in 1969, but the definitive version appears on Reed's solo release Transformer, co-produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson.

The Velvet Underground recording of the song, eventually released on VU in 1985, is an upbeat pop track. The widely known arrangement that appears on Transformer is more down tempo and layered, and features the characteristic bass style of Herbie Flowers, and prominent backing vocals by Bowie. This song is a tribute to Warhol, who was Reed's mentor and lifelong friend. Warhol had extensively supported the Velvet Underground through financing, promotion, bookings, and designing the band's legendary debut album cover. Eventually resenting Warhol's degree of control (Warhol had inserted Nico into the band's line-up infuriating Reed and band member John Cale), the band broke with Nico, Warhol and the whole NY art scene in which they had become entrenched to pursue a rock tour and planning of their second album: White Light/White Heat. Warhol was shot by Solanas immediately after the split and only narrowly survived the ordeal. "Andy's Chest" was written in sympathy and in thanks to Warhol. The title points to the substantial scar across Warhol's chest (the shot went through both lungs, spleen, stomach, liver, and esophagus) and also refers to Warhol's factory, a fantastic menagerie of bizarre, wonderful and precarious characters that the song's surreal lyrics describe.