Original Performance: The Velvet Underground
Written by: Lou Reed
Written by: Lou Reed
Versions:
- Femme Fatale (2:42)
Available on Velvet Underground & Nico.
CreditsBram Inscore: Bass
Brian Lebarton: Celeste, Vocals (Background)
Nigel Godrich: Drums, Vocals (Background)
Beck Hansen: Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals
Thorunn Antonia Magnusdottir: Vocals (Background)
Lyrics:
Femme Fatale [Version (a)]:
Here she comes
Better watch your step
She's gonna break your heart in two
Girl it's true
It's not hard to realize
Into her false-colored eyes
She'll build you up
Just to put you down
What a clown
'Cause everybody knows
She's a femme fatale
The things she does to please
She's a femme fatale
She's just a little tease
She's a femme fatale
See the way she walks
Hear the way she talks
Your number's written in her book
You're number 37, have a look
She's going to smile just to make you frown
What a clown
Little boy, she's from the street
Before you start, you're already beat
She is gonna play you for a fool
Yes it's true
'Cause everybody knows
She's a femme fatale
The things she does to please
She's a femme fatale
She's just a little tease
She's a femme fatale
See the way she walks
Hear the way she talks
Here she comes
Better watch your step
She's gonna break your heart in two
Girl it's true
It's not hard to realize
Into her false-colored eyes
She'll build you up
Just to put you down
What a clown
'Cause everybody knows
She's a femme fatale
The things she does to please
She's a femme fatale
She's just a little tease
She's a femme fatale
See the way she walks
Hear the way she talks
Your number's written in her book
You're number 37, have a look
She's going to smile just to make you frown
What a clown
Little boy, she's from the street
Before you start, you're already beat
She is gonna play you for a fool
Yes it's true
'Cause everybody knows
She's a femme fatale
The things she does to please
She's a femme fatale
She's just a little tease
She's a femme fatale
See the way she walks
Hear the way she talks
The Song:
In March or April 2009, Beck got together with his band (Brian, Joey and Bram), Nigel Godrich, Chris Holmes, and Icelandic singer, Thorunn Magnusdottir. They recorded for beck.com's Record Club all the tracks on the legendary album Velvet Underground + Nico. This is the 3rd song on the album.
Beck has recorded a number of b-sides which sound like "Femme Fatale" over the past few years, using a lo-fi base of junkyard bass and drums. (I'm thinking of stuff like "Sorrow" or the like.) Beck's melody is a little less seductive than the way Nico sings it originally, but it's a great vocal--and I love how it is enhanced by the background voices.
In March or April 2009, Beck got together with his band (Brian, Joey and Bram), Nigel Godrich, Chris Holmes, and Icelandic singer, Thorunn Magnusdottir. They recorded for beck.com's Record Club all the tracks on the legendary album Velvet Underground + Nico. This is the 3rd song on the album.
Beck has recorded a number of b-sides which sound like "Femme Fatale" over the past few years, using a lo-fi base of junkyard bass and drums. (I'm thinking of stuff like "Sorrow" or the like.) Beck's melody is a little less seductive than the way Nico sings it originally, but it's a great vocal--and I love how it is enhanced by the background voices.
videos
Record Club version:
VU original version:
Record Club version:
VU original version:
Notes:
- Beck has long been a VU fan. In the early 2000s, he took to covering "Sunday Morning" and "Who Loves The Sun?" on stage sometimes. He also covered "I'm Set Free" once with Thom Yorke. Also, the song "Beautiful Way" is based on the VU's "Countess From Hong Kong."
And, as said, for the Record Club, Beck has covered the entire debut VU album: "Sunday Morning," "I'm Waiting For The Man," "Femme Fatale," "Venus in Furs,", "Run Run Run," "All Tomorrow's Parties," "Heroin," "There She Goes Again," "I'll Be Your Mirror," "The Black Angel's Death Song," and "European Son."