Fifty-sixty

[heyamigo]

Originally Posted by Fixty Sixty

How can that be when the first 3 lines of the song are:

Pretty sixteen
Beautiful heroine
Of the sixties

Edie Sedgwick was 16 when the 1960's decade began. The song continues describing aspects of an individual using the pronouns you, yourself, she, her and your, and then indicates that Nico wants that person kept far away from Lou Reed.

i didn't say the song wasn't about her. it might be her they are talking about in those lines, but they mention of other characters too. not everything in the song points specifically to edie so that's why i said that the song covers more of warhol's universe. when they talk about nico and lou reed, they aren't talking about edie. they also talk about velvet underground which edie wasn't part of.

[Fixty Sixty]

Originally Posted by heyamigo

i didn't say the song wasn't about her. it might be her they are talking about in those lines, but they mention of other characters too. not everything in the song points specifically to edie so that's why i said that the song covers more of warhol's universe. when they talk about nico and lou reed, they aren't talking about edie. they also talk about velvet underground which edie wasn't part of.

The stanza that references the Velvet Underground can be interpreted to mean that Edie turned her attention to the band, and Nico objected. Edie did reportedly argue with Warhol about him not including her in the band; that being one of the reasons she left The Factory in Feb 1966. The stanza following that involving the yellow taxi could be a reference to her leaving.

There are references to the changing music scene and other things about the times throughout the song. I see these references as establishing the time frame through which Edie moved. Andy, Nico and Lou Reed are mentioned, but it seems only in terms of how Edie relates to them.

[Fixty Sixty]

Originally Posted by lefty12357

Nico was also a model and was in films. She also had a relationship with Lou Reed and she was addicted to heroin for 20 years. It seems these women had some sad things in common.

You're right she was a model, had appeared in a number of films and gone to acting school in NY before trying her luck with Andy Warhol. I had overlooked that he initially used her in his movie The Closet possibly filmed in Nov 1965. It's unclear as to when it was decided to have her sing with the Velvet Underground. Nico appears in the film The Velvet Underground And Nico (A Symphony of Sound) shot in Jan 1966 which is of the band rehearsing. She sits on a stool and bangs a tambourine, but doesn't sing. It was in Feb 1966 that Edie had the argument with Andy over money and singing in the band, and quit The Factory.

[whitey®]

Originally Posted by Fixty Sixty

Edie also made her last picture between the demise of flower power and the rise of new-wave, punk and techno which is also in the lyric. Edie was a drug addict and you see the terms "beautiful heroin(e)" and "on ecstacy" with reference to person who is the object of the song. I can't explain the yellow taxi, but I think it means something. Edie died of drug overdose at 27 years of age shortly after making her last picture.

i think beautiful heroine is meant to be the feminine form of hero

[Idéaliser]

I'd like it to be female hero too, but theres other references to drugs in other songs. Maybe we're missing something

[Ruroshen]

Originally Posted by Idéaliser

I'd like it to be female hero too, but theres other references to drugs in other songs. Maybe we're missing something

*headdesk*

Oh sweet Muppety Odiin, not this again!

[Fixty Sixty]

Originally Posted by whitey®

i think beautiful heroine is meant to be the feminine form of hero

Yes of course that's the primary meaning in the song. A young woman trying to establish a career in the entertainment industry, but being destroyed in the process partly because she foolishly believes people that she is the most beautiful. This allows deceitful people to manipulate her to their own ends, and also creates unrealistic expectations in her own mind. She's a tragic heroine in that she was ill equipped to succeed in this endeavor.

[Roman]

I believe this is more accurate than whatever else is available; so, here's the whole thing with a few comments. (posted on AF too)

(traduction en anglais par Roman)

Pretty sixteen
Beautiful heroine
Of the sixties
You sway about
You are divine
When you dance in the eyes of Andy

Goodbye bebop
More on top *1
It's pop-art
That gives you the boot *2
Pop-corn and hoola-hoop

Dream of glory and fortune
Chic in Chanel, love is always glamour
At exhibitions you pose and expose youself
To 400ASA you dare
All the poses *3

Fifty-sixty
Born in fifty sexy sixty
So exciting
(She) becomes ecstatic
Naive she believes all that Andy
That Andy tells her
That she is the most beautiful
Of all the models

As an icon
Under the Nikon
You turn your head
To the Velvet *4
And Nico
Would like you far from Lou Reed *5

In East Village
There's no age
We are all young
Take me
Yellow taxi
There from where the legend comes

Dream of glory and fortune
Chic in Chanel, love will always be glamour
I look at you on polaroid
You know the time has not aged a bit *6

Fifty-sixty
Born in fifty sexy sixty
So exciting
(She) becomes ecstatic
Naive she believes all that they say
That they say about her
That she is the most beautiful
Of all the models

Flower power
Died on the dance floor
Electro, punk does not exist yet
Take the roll'n' away to the rockers *7
We had a change of epoch
Rock rolls on rollers
Pop is [about to be born] *9

Flower power
Died a good death
New wave and techno does not yet exist
Go play your last role
It's no longer the dandy *8
But you still dance in the eyes of Warhol

Fifty sixty,
Born in the fifties,
Sexy sixties,
So excited,
On ecstasy,
Foolishly she believes, all that we say
What we say about her,
That she's the most beautiful
(The most beautiful)

Fifty-sixty
Born in fifty sexy sixty
So exciting
(She) becomes ecstatic
Naive she believes all that they say
That they say about her
That she is the most beautiful
Of all the models

*1 Bebop gave way to pop-art in popularity as the fifties moved into the sixties is what this says.
*2 idiomatic expression something like this. trappe = trap door and te sape = undermines you.
*3 oddly enough, it sure seems like it should be pose, but pose in French is spelled the same. Pause is like break or pause.
*4 Reference to The Velvet Underground.
*5 Nico and Lou Reed were lovers for a time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Reed
*6 has not taken a wrinkle. – idiomatic expression
*7 This line is particulary difficult especially since enlever has so many definitions.
*8 This "role" is no longer considered hip or impressive.
*9 'en cloque' means blistering, but it can also refer to being pregnant. So, rock is coming along as if on rollers, and pop is about to be born. So, this is sort of double figurative. See the song by Renaud entitled "En cloque" for an example: http://artists.letssingit.com/renaud...cloque-jkzp3h6

(en français)

Pretty sixteen
Belle héroïne
Des sixties
Tu te dandines
T'es divine
Quand tu danses dans les yeux d'Andy

Adieu be-bop
Plus au top
C'est le pop-art
Qui te sape
À la trappe
Pop-corn et hoola-hop

Rêve de gloire et de fortune
Chic en Chanel l'amour est toujours glamour
Aux expos tu poses et t'expose
À 400 asa tu oses
Toutes les pauses

Fifty-sixty
Née en cinquante sexy soixante
Si excitante
S'extasie
Candide elle croit tout ce qu'Andy
Qu'Andy dit d'elle
Qu'elle est la plus belle
De tous les modèles

Comme une icône
Sous le Nikon
Tu tournes la tête
Au Velvet
Et Nico
Te voudrait loin de Lou Reed

À East Village
Y a pas d'âge
On est tous jeunes
Emmène-moi
Taxi jaune
La d'où vient la légende

Rêve de gloire et de fortune
Chic en Chanel l'amour sera toujours glamour
Je te regarde en polaroïd
Tu sais le temps n'a pas
Pris une ride

Fifty-sixty
Née en cinquante sexy soixante
Si excitante
S'extasie
Candide elle croit tout ce qu'on dit
Ce qu'on dit d'elle
Qu'elle est la plus belle
De tous les modèles

Le flower power
Est mort sur le dance-floor
L'électro le punk n'existe pas encore
Enlève le roll'n' aux rockers
On a changé d'époque
Le rock roule en roller
La pop est en cloque

Le flower power
Est mort de sa belle mort
New-wave et techno n'existent pas encore
Vas-y joue le ton dernier rôle
N'est plus là le dandy
Mais tu danses encore dans les yeux de Warhol

Fifty-sixty
Née en cinquante sexy soixante
Si excitante
S'extasie
Candide elle croit tout ce qu'on dit
Ce qu'on dit d'elle
Qu'elle est la plus belle
La plus belle

Fifty-sixty
Née en cinquante sexy soixante
Si excitante
S'extasie
Candide elle croit tout ce qu'on dit
Ce qu'on dit d'elle
Qu'elle est la plus belle
De tous les modèles

[MonteCristo]

hmmm.....the more i look at the song, the more it seems like Andy Warhol doesnt have that much of a role in the song....i think its just talking about life as a celebrity in the 1960s.....

[Roman]

I get the impression that Fauque still has some nostalgia for the time and wanted to write something about it. I guess he got Alizée interested with all his stories. Didn't she say something about that?