🪐 About the Song
Lou Reed wrote Satellite of Love during his Velvet Underground years but shelved it until his solo career — and thank the stars he did, because Transformer’s glittering Bowie production gave it new life.
It’s a song about jealousy, distance, and longing, wrapped up in celestial imagery. The narrator watches a satellite launch and can’t help thinking about the one who got away — and who she’s probably with now.
Bowie and Ronson’s soaring harmonies turn the chorus into pure heartbreak theatre — it’s fragile and euphoric at the same time.
Lou delivers the verses with his trademark deadpan cool, but you can hear the ache behind it. It’s that rare combination of emotional honesty and total detachment that makes it so hypnotic.
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
- Chords:C – Am – F – G7 – Dm – E7.
- Verse: C – Am – F – G7
- Chorus: F – G7 – C – Am – Dm – G7 – C.
- Strumming pattern: Gentle swing Down–Down–Up–Up–Down-Up at ~88 bpm.
You can also finger-pick the verses for that spacey calm, then strum softly on the chorus. - Tone: Dreamy and light — let your chords ring.
- Dynamics: Keep the verses mellow, then lift the volume just slightly for “Satellite’s gone…”
- Optional flourish: End each verse with a brushed Cmaj7 (0002) to echo Bowie’s floating backing vocals.
- Performance tip: Lou’s delivery was casual, half-speaking — sing it like you’re reminiscing out loud, not performing.
🧠 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- The song was written while Lou was still in The Velvet Underground, but they never recorded it.
- The version on Transformer features David Bowie and Mick Ronson on those iconic “Satellite of love…” high harmonies.
- It’s often interpreted as a song about jealousy and surveillance — the “satellite” symbolising distance and emotional voyeurism.
- U2 covered it live for years, sometimes projecting Lou’s face on the big screen while Bono sang underneath. Spooky and brilliant.
🌈 Final Word
Play Satellite of Love like you’re floating in slow motion — lonely but luminous.
Keep your strums soft, your timing loose, and your heart half-broken.
If you can make it sound both warm and detached, congratulations — you’ve just channelled Lou Reed.
