Speed of Life

by  Gregg Chadwick I wrote this when I heard of Lou Reed's death in 2013. Three years on the thoughts still stand. Reposted as an elegy to an inspirational figure for so many.  " Lou Reed gave us the street and the landscape - and we peopled it."  - David Bowie in the documentary " Rock 'n' Roll Heart - Lou Reed " Well hey, man, that's just a lie It's a lie she tells her friends 'Cause the real song, the real song Where she won't even admit to herself The  beatin ' in her heart It's a song lots of people know It's a painful song A little sad truth But life's full of sad songs Penny for a wish But  wishin ' won't make you a soldier. With a pretty kiss for a pretty face Can't have  it's  way Y'know tramps like us, we were born to pay  -  From the beginning of the " Slipaway " section of Lou Reed's song  Street Hassle .      Uncredited   spoken vocals by Bruce Springsteen...

by Gregg Chadwick " Lou Reed gave us the street and the landscape - and we peopled it."  - David Bowie in the documentary "Rock 'n' Roll Heart - Lou Reed" Well hey, man, that's just a lie It's a lie she tells her friends 'Cause the real song, the real song Where she won't even admit to herself The beatin ' in her heart It's a song lots of people know It's a painful song A little sad truth But life's full of sad songs Penny for a wish But wishin ' won't make you a soldier. With a pretty kiss for a pretty face Can't have it's way Y'know tramps like us, we were born to pay  -  From the beginning of the "Slipaway" section of Lou Reed's song Street Hassle .     Uncredited   spoken vocals by Bruce Springsteen. Annie Leibovitz Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson  Coney Island, New York, 1995 Silver Print When I found out about Lou Reed's death yesterday morning from Roll...

by Gregg Chadwick Gregg Chadwick Berlin in Rauch Licht (Berlin in Smoke Light) 24"x18" oil on linen 2011 Private Collection Los Angeles Berlin embodies the future and at the same time carries the scars of the past. While recently in Berlin my painting Rauch Licht (Berlin in Smoke Light) was inspired by the palpable sense of beauty and the smoke of time seemingly hovering in the air. A soundtrack of Bowie, Lou Reed and U2 almost audibly haunts this mysterious vision. Will light let us break free from this Berlin Noir?