Goodnight Ladies
Lou Reed · Transformer [1972]
It's time to say goodbye
Let me tell you, now, goodnight ladies, ladies goodnight
It's time to say goodbye
Ah, all night long you've been drinking your tequilla rye
But now you've sucked your lemon peel dry
So why not get high, high, high and
Goodnight ladies, ladies goodnight
Goodnight ladies, ladies goodnight
It's time to say goodbye
Goodnight sweet ladies, all ladies goodnight
It's time to say goodbye, bye-bye
Ah, we've been together for the longest time
But now it's time to get high
Come on, let's get high, high, high
And goodnight ladies, ladies goodnight
Oh, I'm still missing my other half
Oh, it must be something I did in the past
Don't it just make you wanna laugh
It's a lonely Saturday night
Oh, nobody calls me on the telephone
I put another record on my stereo
But I'm still singing a song of you
It's a lonely Saturday night
Now, if I was an actor or a dancer that was glamorous
Then, you know, an amourus life would soon be mine
But now the tinsel light of star break
Is all that's left to applaud my heart break
And eleven o'clock I watch the network news
Oh, oh, oh, something tells me that you're really gone
You said we could be friends, but that's not what's not what I want
And, anyway, my TV-dinner's almost done
It's a lonely Saturday night
I mean to tell you, it's a lonely Saturday night
One more word, it's a lonely Saturday night
Goodnight Ladies
Lou Reed's "Goodnight Ladies" serves as a haunting centerpiece on the 1972 album *Transformer*, embodying the band's signature blend of punk energy and psychedelic experimentation. Recorded during a pivotal era for Reed, the track showcases his ability to merge raw, gritty vocals with complex, swirling instrumentation. The song reflects the darker, more introspective moods that characterized the *Transformer* sessions, moving away from the straightforward rock of his earlier work toward a more surreal and emotionally charged sound. As a key element of his discography, the recording stands as a testament to Reed's evolving artistic vision, capturing the tension between aggression and melancholy that defined his work in the early 1970s.