Video: Al Green – “Perfect Day” (Lou Reed cover)
Single out now on Fat Possum.
This is a little weird, right? I mean, it sounds perfect. But…
Have you heard those A.I. monstrosities that have Frank Sinatra singing Elliott Smith, or Hank Williams singing NWA, or Paul McCartney singing Badfinger (no, not that one)? This is like that, but it’s the real Al Green covering Lou Reed’s classic ode to nodding out. And it sounds good. But it’s a little weird.
I’m guessing a lot of folks were first exposed to the song, like I was, when it was used in the overdose scene in Trainspotting. Reed always denied that it was about heroin. “This guy’s vision of a perfect day was the girl, sangria in the park, and then you go home; a perfect day, real simple. I meant just what I said.” Then again, he’s never been the most reliable narrator.
Regardless, whether it was originally written as a love song to a woman or to narcotics doesn’t really matter. It’s a beautiful song. And songs outlive their author’s original intentions. And Al Green’s version is lovely.
But it’s a little weird.