Covered by Jack White, John Cale and David Bowie, the original 1976 song was written by Jonathan Richman for The Modern Lovers.
It’s a sardonic, wry exploration of art and fame, and the relationship between men and women.
The song is very cool too. A dark, slinking bassline, deadpan vocal delivery and slow, groovy drums set the stage for some thoroughly debauched guitar playing. The piano chords are tight and menacing. Overall, the vibe is very ‘late night in Vegas’.
Technically, even though the song was recorded in 1972, since The Modern Lovers wasn’t released until ’76, John Cale’s 1975 version came out first. He produced the tune so I guess that’s alright!