Delmore Schwartz: the man who taught Lou Reed everything he knew
When discussing the greatest songwriters in rock history, countless names spring to mind, but very few have the same impact as Lou Reed. Forming The Velvet Underground in 1964, Reed would pave the way for all future endeavours into punk rock, DIY music-making and experimentation. Everybody, from David Bowie to Arctic Monkeys owes something to the prolific writing talents of Reed, just as the man himself owes a lot to Delmore Schwartz.
During the 1960s, a young Lou Reed studied journalism, film directing, and creative writing at Syracuse University in New York. His time at college was fraught with traumatic experiences, including electroshock therapy as the result of a mental breakdown and the constant threat of being expelled due to his musical activities outside of studying. Reed drew on the horrendous experiences of college throughout his musical career, particularly the electroshock treatment, which Reed believed was carried out to subdue homosexual feelings.
However, one aspect of his experiences at Syracuse, which the songwriter enjoyed, was studying under the poet Delmore Schwartz. It was Schwartz that fostered a desire in Reed to pursue literary excellence. He later described his college professor as “the first great person [he] ever met”. Despite the appreciation that Reed and many other notable figures had for Schwartz, the poet felt anguish at never being able to recreate his early success. He died while in seclusion at the Chelsea Hotel in 1966, but Reed continued to honour the late poet through his writing.
While performing with The Velvet Underground, Reed paid tribute to his mentor with the track ‘European Son’ from their eponymous debut album recorded with Nico. Recorded mere months before Schwartz’s death, the nearly-eight-minute track is noted for its lack of lyrics. It is thought that Reed chose this track to dedicate to the poet as he had a reported hatred for rock ‘n’ roll lyrics.
The most prominent tribute to Schwartz came during Reed’s illustrious solo career. His 1982 album The Blue Mask is perhaps one of the songwriter’s darkest records, which is no small feat given his recurring themes of self-loathing, substance abuse and mourning. Among the various themes explored on The Blue Mask, including alcoholism and paranoia, was that of loss. On the opening track ‘My House’, Reed plays a heartbreaking tribute to his former teacher.
“Delmore, I missed all your funny ways,” the singer shares on the track. The song as a whole feels more akin to an obituary rather than a collection of lyrics. ‘My House’ sets the tone for the rest of the album, with Reed expressing the grief he had felt over the loss of his mentor 16 years prior. Lou remained pained by the loss of Schwartz for much of his career, telling the late poet, “Your titles were more than enough to raise the muse of fire on my neck” during a preface written by Reed for a later edition of In Dream Begin Responsibilities by Schwartz.
There is no doubt that Schwartz played an integral role in the development of Lou Reed’s literary abilities, setting him on the path that would see him form The Velvet Underground and later enjoy a successful solo career. The often arrogant or confrontational Reed never missed an opportunity to pay heartfelt tributes to his mentor, which speaks to the impact that Schwartz had on him at a young age.
