I'll Be Your Mirror: The Collected Lyrics

A 2019 Music Book of the Year, THE TIMES

Out of print for several years, this comprehensive volume of Lou Reed's lyrics returns with brand new introductions, now updated in a fresh text design to include the lyrics from his final album with Metallica, Lulu.

Across his many incarnations – from proto-punk icon to glam rocker to elder statesman of the avant-garde – Lou Reed's work consistently maintained an undeniable vividness and raw beauty. This was fuelled by his precise character studies and delivered with an admirable dose of moral ambiguity. Beginning with his formative days in the Velvet Underground and continuing through his remarkable solo albums like Transformer, Berlin, and New York, Doin' The Things We Want To is crucial for a full appreciation of Lou Reed. He's not just a consummate underground musician, but one of the truly significant visionary lyricists of the rock 'n' roll era.

Containing a body of work that spans more than six decades, this book stands as a monument to the literary qualities of a genuine American original.