Velvets 'Jesus' and Wake Up Dead Man

[zoology]

Been getting into the brilliant Velvet Underground. Was listening to their third eponymously titled LP today and came across their track Jesus. It has the same acoustic tone, the same pleaing to Jesus/God and even the same opening line 'Jesus help me'.

A rip-off? A homage? Do U2 even know about their similarity? I would guess at least Bono knows, since he and Lou Reed became friends when Bono started staying in New York. (Reed is the'friend' in the track New York - Reed also made an LP with the same title.)

 

[u2girlcj]

I would venture to guess they are well aware of any similarity. U2 also covered his Satellite of Love circa Million Dollar Hotel and didn't he sing with them on a version (?)

I, however, was not aware of this similarity, so thanks for bringing it up!

 

[BVS]

With the exception that they both mention Jesus in the lyrics I don't see any other similarity.

And U2 and Reed have been friends long before Bono got a place there.

 

[zoology]

Jesus Christ!!!

With all due respect, please listen more closely!! Personally I think it is obvious that the song at the very least inspired Wake Up Dead Man and so it is relevant for me to draw attention to it.

BTW Other links between Reed and U2/ Bono

U2 covered Satellite of Love on the One single
Bono and Reed both appeared on the Sun City LP/ single
The Velvets opened 4 European dates for U2
Bono appeared on the BBC Perfect Day single alongside Reed
Lone Justice's best of compilation features U2/ Maria Mckee's live rendition of Sweet Jane

Any other links???

 

[BVS]

Re: Jesus Christ!!!

With all due respect, please listen more closely!! Personally I think it is obvious that the song at the very least inspired Wake Up Dead Man and so it is relevant for me to draw attention to it.

With respect I still think they sound nothing alike. Plus Wake Up Dead Man took on many forms before the version we have on Pop, if you listen to the Achtung Baby demos you'll see that they were even playing with that song back then. It sounded nothing like it does on Pop, so to say that Jesus inspired Wake Up is a little far fetched.

 

[zoology]

Jesus!!

Just because the song took many forms, it doesn't mean that Jesus didn't influence the FINAL version. I guess we will have to agree to disagree. I personally don't think it is a rip-off but I do think that the Velvets song must have made an impression on Bono and influenced the direction of the song. Let's have some thoughts from someone else!!

 

[Do Miss America]

Chord progressions aren't close and I don't even think it's in the same key. Jesus is the only similarity I see.

 

[zoology]

Jesus

How about the mood of the song, the theme of the song? That's what I am really talking about.

 

[Do Miss America]

Re: Jesus

How about the mood of the song, the theme of the song? That's what I am really talking about.

I see 'Wake Up' as dark and moody, an angry prayer. 'Jesus' sounds more like the Velvets version of an old gospel song. If it inspired U2, who knows?

 

[zoology]

Jesus

To me, both songs express a loss of faith and I don't see Jesus as a gospel tune at all. And fine, you don't know if it inspired the U2 tune but that question is the one I am raising up for discussion!