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Riptide Lyrics by Lou Reed

Set the Twilight Reeling

1996

She's out of her mind
Like the wind in a storm
Oh, like the ocean at dawn
As it disappears with the riptide

She's out of her mind
She's pulled away by the moon
She's ripped from her sleep
As the cold luna sweep gains control

Ooh, what you gonna do with your emotions?
Ah, the ones you barely recognize
In your sleep I heard you screaming, mmm
"This is not voluntary! This is not voluntary!
If this is life, I'd rather die!"

In the riptide, in the riptide
She's out of her mind, riptide
Like a muscle that swells
You know when you trip
Whether you're well or sick, your body aches

She's out with the tide
Gone to a prisoner's dance
Where a monkey's her date
Eating limbs off a plate with a spoon

"Ooh, what you gonna do with your emotions/"
Said the seagull to the loon
What you gonna do with your emotions?
She said "Please wake me up"
She said "Don't touch me now"
She said "I wish I was dead"

With the riptide

She's out of her mind
Riptide, you always win
It happens over and over again
Riptide

She's out of her mind
Like a hurricane's rain
She does not stand a chance
Ah at this luna dance, riptide

I was thinking of Van Gogh's last painting
The wheatfields and the crows
Is that perhaps what you've been feeling
When you see the ground as you fall from the sky
As the floors disappears from beneath your feet, riptide

She's going out of her mind
Out with the tide
Out of her mind
Riptide

She's going out of her mind
Ah, with the riptide
She's going out of her mind
Ah, riptide
Credits
Lou Reed

Lou Reed

About “Riptide” by Lou Reed

Read the complete lyrics to "Riptide" by Lou Reed from the album "Set the Twilight Reeling" in 1996. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rock.

"Riptide" is performed by Lou Reed. from the album "Set the Twilight Reeling" in 1996 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Riptide", explore more songs by Lou Reed using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Lou Reed · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Riptide" is credited to Lou Reed. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Riptide" appears on "Set the Twilight Reeling" in 1996.

Visit the Lou Reed artist page at /artist/lou-reed for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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