Andy’s Chest Lyrics

[Verse 1]
If I could be anything in the world that flew
I would be a bat and come swooping after you
And if the last time you were here, things were a bit askew
Well, you know what happens after dark
When rattlesnakes lose their skins and their hearts
And all the missionaries lose their bark

[Chorus]
Oh, all the trees are calling after you
And all the venom snipers after you
Are all the mountains boulder after you

[Verse 2]
If I could be any one of the things in this world that bite
Instead of a indentured ocelot on a leash, I'd rather be a kite
And be tied to the end of your string
And flying in the air, baby, at night

[Refrain]
'Cause you know what they say about honey bears
When you shave off all their baby hair
You have a hairy-minded pink bare bear

[Chorus]
And all the bells are rolling out for you
And stones are all erupting out for you
And all the cheap bloodsuckers are flying after you
[Verse 3]
Yesterday, Daisy Mae and Biff were groovin' on the street
And just like in a movie, her hands became her feet
Her belly button was her mouth
Which meant she tasted what she'd speak, woo


[Refrain]
But the funny thing is what happened to her nose, ooh
It grew until it reached all of her toes, ooh
Now, when people say her feet smell, they mean her nose

[Chorus]
And curtains laced with diamonds, dear, for you
And all the Roman noblemen for you
And kingdom's Christian soldiers, dear for you
And melting ice cap mountain tops for you, oh-oh
And knights in flaming silver robes for you
And bats that with a kiss turn prince for you

[Outro]
Swoop swoop, oh baby, rock rock
Swoop swoop, rock rock
Swoop swoop, rock rock

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About

Genius Annotation

Lou Reed wrote this song for Andy Warhol to cheer him up after he was shot by Valerie Solanis. It’s many just a silly song to make him laugh but also tell Andy that he still cared about him, because they did have a sort of falling out.
The song describes some of the weird-os that hung around the Factory. The title literally refers to the scar on Andy’s chest following the incident, but I also took it to mean like another kind of chest, a treasure trove of sorts, a trove of weird characters.

Q&A

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Credits
Written By
Backing Vocals
Recorded At
Trident Studios, Soho, City of Westminster, Greater London, England
Release Date
November 8, 1972
Andy’s Chest Is A Cover Of
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