No Money Down

Album: Mistrial (1986)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The Mistrial album found Lou Reed chasing a contemporary pop-rock sound, but the results confused the singer's long-term fans; "No Money Down" was the only track from the album to chart anywhere. Released as the record's second single, it peaked at #75 on the Australian ARIA singles chart.
  • This boisterous synth-rocker features cryptic Lou Reed lyrics that compare failing romance to a financial transaction.
  • Lou Reed's deadpan vocals are accompanied by squealing saxophone courtesy of Rick Bell. An ex member of the Michael Stanley band, Bell has also played with Peter Gabriel.
  • The music video, directed by Godley & Creme, features an animatronic version of Reed miming along to the song. During the final verse, "Robot Reed" starts tearing himself apart, revealing wires and parts.
  • The robot concept was originally intended for another video. Longtime bassist Fernando Saunders explained to Uncut magazine: "Lou decided to get Godley and Creme to do the video for 'Video Violence' with these robots. Then the label decided to change single, but Lou didn't want to waste the robots, so you had this great clever pop song with a video of this robot tearing its own face off... MTV debuted it, and then we got a call saying people were complaining that their video was making kids cry."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Marvin Gaye

Marvin GayeFact or Fiction

Did Marvin try out with the Detroit Lions? Did he fake crazy to get out of military service? And what about the cross-dressing?

Eagles Lyrics Quiz

Eagles Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

Lots of life lessons in these Eagles lyrics - can you match them to the correct song?

Dino Cazares of Fear Factory

Dino Cazares of Fear FactorySongwriter Interviews

The guitarist/songwriter explains how he came up with his signature sound, and deconstructs some classic Fear Factory songs.

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"They're Playing My Song

Chris and his wife Tina were the rhythm section for Talking Heads when they formed The Tom Tom Club. "Genius of Love" was their blockbuster, but David Byrne only mentioned it once.

Howard Jones

Howard JonesSongwriter Interviews

Howard explains his positive songwriting method and how uplifting songs can carry a deeper message.

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go's

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go'sSongwriter Interviews

Charlotte was established in the LA punk scene when a freaky girl named Belinda approached her wearing a garbage bag.