Ludlow St.

Album: Phrazes For The Young (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is a track from The Strokes' frontman Julian Casablancas' debut album, Phrazes For The Young.
  • This drinking song is named after The Velvet Underground's Lower East Side hangout. Casablancas explained to Q magazine October 2009: "That song is a time travel through one New York street. It was also the first song I demoed. I recorded it to see if I was completely insane or whether I could make pleasurable music for anyone else. The song came out with an old-time saloon vibe and weird Caribbean drums and I thought, Oh I can do this."
  • The track contains the lyric: "Everything seems to go wrong when I stop drinkin'/ Everything seemed to go my way last night." Casablancas told The Observer October 4, 2009 that he doesn't drink at all now, but there was a time when he was physically sick if he didn't drink. Now, he says: "I'm happy. I'm like a happy person. Everything feels like it's on the right track, where in the past it felt like a random track… I kind of lost control."
  • The album title is a nod to Oscar Wilde's article Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young, which was first published in the Oxford student magazine The Chameleon in December 1894.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Danny Kortchmar

Danny KortchmarSongwriter Interviews

Danny played guitar on Sweet Baby James, Tapestry, and Running On Empty. He also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Dirty Laundry," "Sunset Grill" and "Tender Is The Night."

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"They're Playing My Song

Chris and his wife Tina were the rhythm section for Talking Heads when they formed The Tom Tom Club. "Genius of Love" was their blockbuster, but David Byrne only mentioned it once.

Dean Pitchford

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.