Johnny Marr Nods at Lou Reed in “In And Out Of Love”

Writing about Johnny Marr and Lou Reed feels like the start of a joke: Two rock legends walk into a bar… But “In And Out Of Love” is no joke; it’s a mid-tempo banger from Marr’s latest solo album, The Age Of Everything.

The track finds the ex-Smiths guitarist nodding at Lou Reed as Marr observes a couple (and close friends) breaking up. “In And Out Of Love” documents the falling out, but it also looks at what comes next.

Paradise, Old Times, and Lou Reed

Beginning with The Smiths, Marr’s guitar playing always had hints of nostalgia. On this track, a longing 12-string riff sets the stage for the emotional aftermath of a disintegrating relationship.

When the day goes,
Love blows.
Out of sight, your mind,
It’s yesterday again.

In the following verse, Marr mentions Lou Reed’s idyllic “Perfect Day”. But even a perfect afternoon in the park will end. “You’re going to reap just what you sow,” Reed repeats, casting a gloomy cloud over his blissful day.

On the way to,
No good.
Paradise, old times,
Lou Reed and perfect days.

This is the moment when familiarity disappears. Maybe another nod to Reed, and Reed’s “Satellite Of Love”, what the couple thinks they once knew about each other now feels utterly unknowable.

Playing your song,
In old ways.
Was the satellite in her eyes,
All a mystery and game?

The Love That Don’t Belong

Marr spends most of “In And Out Of Love” looking at the past. But there’s a hint of light in the chorus, as he glimpses a future beyond the heartbreak. His friends’ breakup inspired the song, so perhaps this is wishing them both well.

“It’s the true story of a breakup, and unusually for me, it’s a story song. It’s something that I saw two people I really care about go through and I really enjoyed finding a way to tell the story,” Marr said.

You can’t keep the love that don’t belong,
You can’t feel the love; now it’s gone.
And you’re asking for the answer, right or wrong.
Rush the night into the day,
Catch a ride onto the wave.

Photo by Elena Di Vincenzo/Archivio Elena Di Vincenzo/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images