Comments on Fragments of a Cale Season: Sylvia Said

We all know that John would not allow a back alley...

2009-09-11T07:32:04.859-04:00

We all know that John would not allow a back alley for a law suit.

So that could only lead me to believe that he was exploring the possibilities, in a writers mind.

So Lou was not even involved.

And it's funnuy that after listening to Soldier by Iggy Pop it would lead me to believe that he actually listened Lou Reed.

I looked this up the other night in WWFZ. It's alm...

2007-09-07T15:26:22.648-04:00

I looked this up the other night in WWFZ. It's almost a throwaway reference on page 189-- Cale says that he and Sylvia had a one-night stand in 1979. Which, I now realize, makes it impossible for "Silvia Said" to have been written about the experience. So how did Cale come to write a song that plays on the titles and lyrics of several Lou tunes, and which mentions going to bed with a woman named Sylvia, at least six years before the event in question?

Very mysterious.

Best regards,
Dan W

Thanks for the kind words! I didn't remember anyt...

2007-08-31T11:44:53.382-04:00

Thanks for the kind words!

I didn't remember anything about Sylvia Morales from What's Welsh for Zen (it was a very randomly-organized book, I thought), but didn't she and Lou Reed only marry in 1980? It makes this song an even more interesting companion to the a-side, in any case.

Of course, once you have read Cale's autobiography...

2007-08-30T18:52:02.504-04:00

Of course, once you have read Cale's autobiography, it becomes obvious that this lovely little song is a sly shot at Lou Reed-- the opening lines clearly turn on the ship references in 'Heroin,'and describe Cale's brief fling with Sylvia before she married Reed.

Nice blog, I really enjoy your notes on Cale's songs.

Dan W (aka pacemakerblink)
San Diego, CA