"Vicious" is a song written by Lou Reed, released as a single in 1973 and originally featured on Transformer, Reed's second post-Velvet Underground solo album.[3][4]
"Vicious" | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Single by Lou Reed | |
from the album Transformer | |
B-side | "Goodnight Ladies (US)" |
Released | July 1973 (US) |
Recorded | August 1972 |
Studio | Trident Studios, London |
Genre | |
Label | RCA Records |
Songwriter(s) | Lou Reed |
Producer(s) | David Bowie and Mick Ronson |
Lou Reed told Rolling Stone that Andy Warhol inspired the song: "He said, 'Why don't you write a song called 'Vicious'? And I said, 'What kind of vicious?' 'Oh, you know, vicious like I hit you with a flower.' And I wrote it down literally."[5]
Cash Box said that "Reed's lyric has a somewhat sarcastic tone that makes the listener take note almost immediately. Here again, he shines with a driving rocker and a great story line that should make this effort a natural hit."[6]
Vicious was featured on season 4, episode 5 of the Showtime TV series Billions.[7]
This song was originally planned to be in Grand Theft Auto IV or Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned on the fictitious radio station Liberty Rock Radio, but was deleted during the beta phase.
Once I heard Lou Reed’s “Vicious,” I was like, “OMG, Axe is going to kill this guy on their spontaneous fishing trip!” (There’s even a Natalie Wood reference, for crying out loud.)
Authority control ![]() |
|
---|
![]() | This 1970s rock song–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |