John Cale Pays Tribute to Lou Reed With New "If You Were Still Around" Video

Today is the one-year anniversary of Lou Reed's death. To mark the occasion, his Velvet Underground bandmate John Cale has shared a video for a new version of "If You Were Still Around", originally from his 1982 album Music for a New Society. Directed by Abigail Portner (member of Drawlings and Rings, sister of Animal Collective's Avey Tare), the video juxtaposes archival footage of Reed with a tearful performance from Cale. Watch it below.

Cale also shared this statement:

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.

Read Stuart Berman's Afterword on Reed. Read our 5-10-15-20 interview with Cale.