Here She Comes Now

This article is about the original song by The Velvet Underground. For the split single cover by Nirvana and The Melvins, see Here She Comes Now/Venus in Furs.

"Here She Comes Now"
Song

"Here She Comes Now" is the fourth track appearing on The Velvet Underground's second album, White Light/White Heat, released in 1968. The performance and mix of the song are both simple and traditional, making it somewhat distinct from the other five songs on the album, all of which contain some type of experimental or avant-garde element in terms of sound. It is also the album's shortest song at just over two minutes. The song appears in the opening credits of the 2009 film Adventureland.

"Here She Comes Now" was released as the B-side to the single, "White Light/White Heat".

Background

Originally intended for Nico to sing (who did indeed sing it on a few occasions during the Exploding Plastic Inevitable shows), the song was demoed in 1967 by Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison and John Cale. This demo later surfaced on the 1995 box set Peel Slowly and See. However, by the time White Light/White Heat was recorded, the collaboration between Nico and The Velvet Underground had come to an end. On both the recorded demo and the studio version, lead vocalist Reed sings the lyrics.

Lyrics

As the song is lyrically ambiguous, many people have speculated as to its meanings. The authors of the Velvet Underground biography Up-Tight called it a "seven-line thesis on the possibility that a girl might come". The lyrics to the song's original demo, which contain two extra verses, are even more mystifying.

Other interpretations are that the song is about Lou Reed's Ostrich guitar. The line "She's made out of wood" and Reed's habit of exclaiming "Here she comes now" before soloing on various live and recorded Velvet Underground songs lend credence to this.

Recordings

Although known to have been played live, no other recorded versions than the demo and the White Light/White Heat studio version are known to exist.

1967 demo personnel

• Lou Reed - vocal, rhythm guitar
• Sterling Morrison - lead guitar
• John Cale - viola

1967 studio personnel

• Lou Reed - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
• John Cale - viola, bass guitar, piano
• Sterling Morrison - lead guitar
• Maureen Tucker - percussion

Cover versions

Cabaret Voltaire recorded a cover version on their debut "Extended Play" EP. A version is also included on their collection of early demos and experiments, "Methodology : Attic Tapes" .

Nirvana released a cover version of the song in 1991 as part of a split single with The Melvins (who, in turn, covered "Venus in Furs", another song by The Velvet Underground). It also appears on the box set With the Lights Out and the 20th anniversary deluxe edition of their album Nevermind.

French artist Colleen works a sample of the song's opening notes into the full track, "Your Heart on Your Sleeve," from her 2003 debut album, Everyone Alive Wants Answers.

Japanese dream pop band 800 Cherries also covered the song on their 1999 album, "Romantico".

The song was also covered by Galaxie 500 as a bonus track on a mid-1990s rerelase of their 1990 album "This is Our Music" (it was the b-side to the album's single "Fourth of July").