I Believe

Retribution's Echo: Unraveling the Meaning Behind Lou Reed's 'I Believe'
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Lyrics

Valerie Solanis took the elevator got off at the 4th floor

Valerie Solanis takes the elevator and reaches the 4th floor.

Valerie Solanis took the elevator got off at the 4th floor

Repetition of Valerie Solanis taking the elevator to the 4th floor.

She pointed the gun at Andy saying you cannot control me anymore

Valerie points a gun at Andy, asserting her refusal to be controlled.


And I believe there's got to be some retribution

Expressing belief in the concept of retribution.

I believe an eye for an eye is elemental

Advocating the principle of "an eye for an eye."

And I believe that something's wrong if she's alive right now

Suggesting something is wrong if Valerie is still alive.


Valerie Solanis took three steps pointing at the floor

Valerie takes three steps, still armed.

Valerie Solanis waved her gun pointing at the floor

Valerie waves her gun, emphasizing her aggression.

From inside her idiot madness spoke and bang

Describing Valerie's madness and her shooting Andy.

Andy fell onto the floor

Andy falls to the floor after being shot.


And I believe life's serious enough for retribution

Believing that life deserves serious retribution.

I believe being sick is no excuse and

Rejecting sickness as an excuse for violent actions.

I believe I would've pulled the switch on her myself

Expressing a personal willingness to administer punishment.


When they got him to the hospital his pulse was gone

Describing Andy's condition when taken to the hospital.

they thought that he was dead

Mistakenly thinking Andy is dead due to his critical state.

His guts were pouring from his wounds onto the floor

Depicting Andy's severe wounds and bleeding on the floor.

they thought that he was dead

Reiterating the belief that Andy is dead at this point.

Not until years later would the hospital do to him what she could not

Highlighting the delayed hospital intervention and its significance.

Andy said, "Where were you, you didn't come to see me"

Andy questions why he wasn't visited during this traumatic event.

Andy said, "I think I died, why didn't you come to see me"

Andy expresses a feeling of having died and questions the absence of a visit.

Andy said, ""t hurt so much, they took blood from my hand"

Andy shares the pain and medical procedures he experienced.


I believe there's got to be some retribution

Reiterating the belief in the need for retribution.

I believe there's got to be some retribution

Repetition of the belief in the necessity of retribution.

I believe we are all the poorer for it now

Believing that everyone is diminished by the events described.


Visit me, why didn't you visit me

Andy questions why he wasn't visited during the difficult times.

Visit me, why didn't you visit me

Repetition of the question about the absence of a visit during hardships.

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