Smalltown Songtext
von Lou Reed

When you′re growin' up in a small town
When you′re growin' up in a small town
When you're growin′ up in a small town
You say, "No one famous ever came from here"

When you′re growin' up in a small town
And you′re havin' a nervous breakdown
You think that you′ll never escape it
Yourself or the place that you live in, uh

Where did Picasso come from?
No Michelangelo is comin' from Pittsburgh
If art is the tip of the iceberg
I′m the part sinkin' below

Why, Michael Rathke
That's Mike Rathke
Michael
You′re a guitar player, that′s a piano
Is that you doing that? Would you stand up?
Now, is that really you playing that, man?
Prove it


Okay
You know Fernando's playing a bass, it look likes a bass
You′re playing a guitar and it sounds like a piano
So, the point here is nobody's playin′ it off-stage
So we don't have any tapes off-stage, we don′t have any loops off-stage
Every fucking note you hear is us
Right in front of ya, you get it?
Live, we're live
Nothin' up my sleeve, baby, I dont have any

When you′re growin′ up in a small town
Bad skin, bad eyes
Gay and fatty, you know, gay and fatty
People look at you funny
When you're in a small town

You know my, my old man, he worked in construction
It′s not something for which I was personally suited
"Oh yeah? Oh yeah? So what's something for which you are suited?
Get the fuck outta here"
Oh yeah

You know I hate bein′ odd in a small town
If they stare, let them stare in New York City
At this pink-eyed painting albino
How far can my fantasy go?

I-I'm no Dali comin′ from Pittsburgh
No adorable, lisping Capote-, oh, my hero
Oh, my hero, do you think I could meet him, baby?
Hang out at his front door


There's only one good thing 'bout a small town
There′s only one good thing ′bout a small town
There's only one good thing ′bout a small town
You know that you wanna get out

When, when, when you're growin′ up in a small town
You know you'll grow down in a small town
There′s only one good use for a small town

You know, as we're traveling across the United States, I've been taking a survey
Uh, depending on where we′re playing, and I
I kinda wanted your opinion about that
Except, I think you′re all from New York in the first place
So, I mean, so there's almost no point, right? But
Just, just to complete my survey
Which will be published in the Biblical Quarterly, you know, at Washington
So, uh, do you think this is a small town? (Yeah! No!)
Yes? (Yeah!) And no? (No!)

Bro, there you go
Nice to know there′s somebody from Long Island here who drank the water

You know you gotta leave
You know you gotta leave
You know you gotta leave
Leave the small town

You know you gotta leave
You know you gotta leave
You know you gotta leave
Leave a small town
Leave the small town
Leave a small town
Leave a small town