On the first anniversary of Lou Reed‘s death, which fell yesterday (October 27th), John Cale remembered his late Velvet Underground bandmate with an emotional reworking of ‘If You Were Still Around‘. Watch the video below.
The track originally appeared on Cale’s 1982 album ‘Music For a New Society‘, and its updated version has been released with a statement which reads: “A Moth and a Candle met. They decided to become friends. Everyone enjoyed watching their discourse – especially the risk takers. Then one day a big rain came.”
“The Moth couldn’t fly and the Candle puttered out. Everyone laughed in bitter awe and blamed the rain. Most however knew the deeper truth – the Candle remains lit and the Moth will stay close.”
Lou Reed had been suffering with ill health for some time before his passing last year, and underwent a liver transplant in the May of 2013 from which he never fully recovered.