Billy

by Lou Reed

From the album: Sally Can't Dance

Track 8 of 8 on Sally Can't Dance (1974).

Duration: 5:04

Sally Can't Dance cover art

Lyrics for Billy

Billy was a good friend of mine We grew up together ever since we were nine We went to school, he was my best friend And I thought our friendship would never end In high school he played football And me, I didn't do anything at all He made touch-downs, while I played pool And no one could figure out which one of us was the fool Then we both went to collage He studied medicine while I studied foliage He got A's and I got D's He was going for his Ph.D. Then I decided to drop out Things were getting a little too hot Billy stayed there, became an intern and then a doctor Then war broke out and he had to go But not me, I was mentally unfit, or so they say, so, so When he came back, he wasn't quite the same His nerves were shot, but not me Last time I saw him, I couldn't take it anymore He wasn't the Billy I knew, it was like talking to a door Billy was a friend of mine I grew up with him ever since I was nine We went together through school And now I often wonder, which one of us was the fool

Listen On

More from Sally Can't Dance

  1. Ride Sally Ride
  2. Animal Language
  3. Baby Face
  4. N.Y. Stars
  5. Kill Your Sons
  6. Ennui
  7. Sally Can't Dance
  8. Billy