En af mine favoritplader med Lou Reed er Magic and loss fra 1992. Den efterfulgte  Sogns for Drella, som Reed lavede med John Cale som en smuk minderune over vennen og kunstneren Andy Warhol, og går lidt i det spor, idet Magic and loss er et stykke sorgarbejde over vennen og sangskrivere Doc Pomus og kvinden Rita. Pladen får en hel ny og dybere betydning nu, hvor Reed selv er død – og på en dag, hvor jeg selv må sige farvel til en kær ven. I mine ører kommer Magic and loss meget tæt på det ideal for en rockplade, som Reed engang selv opstillede: an adult rock and roll record. En plade, der i kraft af sin musikalske styrke (god sange, gode arrangementer og gode musikalske præstationer), sin modne alvor og sine seriøse tekster, kræver en moden lytter. Life’s good, but not fair at all, som Reed sagde. Og denne dobbelthed er konstant til stede i sangene fra Magi og tab.

 

When you pass through the fire, you pass through humble
You pass through a maze of self doubt
When you pass through humble, the lights can blind you
Some people never figure that out

You pass through arrogance, you pass through hurt
You pass through an ever present past
And it’s best not to wait for luck to save you
Pass through the fire to the light

Pass through the fire to the light
Pass through the fire to the light
It’s best not to wait for luck to save you
Pass through the fire to the light

As you pass through the fire, your right hand waving
There are things you have to throw out
That caustic dread inside your head
Will never help you out

You have to be very strong, ’cause you’ll start from zero
Over and over again
And as the smoke clears there’s an all consuming fire
Lyin’ straight ahead

Lyin’ straight ahead
Lyin’ straight ahead
As the smoke clears there’s an all consuming fire
Lyin’ straight ahead

They say no one person can do it all
But you want to in your head
But you can’t be Shakespeare and you can’t be Joyce
So what is left instead

You’re stuck with yourself and a rage that can hurt you
You have to start at the beginning again
And just this moment this wonderful fire
Started up again

When you pass through humble, when you pass through sickly
When you pass through I’m better than you all
When you pass through anger and self deprecation
And have the strength to acknowledge it all

When the past makes you laugh and you can savor the magic
That let you survive your own war
You find that that fire is passion
And there’s a door up ahead not a wall

As you pass through fire as you pass through fire
Tryin’ to remember it’s name
When you pass through fire lickin’ at your lips
You cannot remain the same

And if the building’s burning move towards that door
But don’t put the flames out
There’s a bit of magic in everything
And then some loss to even things out

Some loss to even things out
Some loss to even things out
There’s a bit of magic in everything
And then some loss to even things out