I tend to lean more towards this song being about Reed's addiction to heroin for a number of reasons -
-"drink Sangria in the park" can be equated to the actual shooting up of the heroin (sangria being both a type of fruity wine and the spanish word for blood) where heroin users have to draw blood into their syringes to mix with the drug before pumping it into their veins again
-Forgetting your problems, forgetting yourself are both principal "reasons" for drug addiction
-"You just keep me hanging on" - heroin use both gets him through the day while at the same time leaving him at the brink of physical/emotional breakdown because of his dependence
-"...reap just what you sow" he is acknowledging his problem and he knows where it is bound to lead
On top of the lyrics, I think the structure of the song itself takes the listener through a day of an addict, starting with soft and somber melody and vocals rising to a very blissful and powerful chorus (euphoria), and ending low again, with melancholy and regretful lyrics. I don't think Lou is trying to "hide" his addiction under a safe guise, the song was written in '72, well after everyone knew about his use, I just think it's a more refined take on the topic then a song like Heroin.
I tend to lean more towards this song being about Reed's addiction to heroin for a number of reasons -
-"drink Sangria in the park" can be equated to the actual shooting up of the heroin (sangria being both a type of fruity wine and the spanish word for blood) where heroin users have to draw blood into their syringes to mix with the drug before pumping it into their veins again
-Forgetting your problems, forgetting yourself are both principal "reasons" for drug addiction
-"You just keep me hanging on" - heroin use both gets him through the day while at the same time leaving him at the brink of physical/emotional breakdown because of his dependence
-"...reap just what you sow" he is acknowledging his problem and he knows where it is bound to lead
On top of the lyrics, I think the structure of the song itself takes the listener through a day of an addict, starting with soft and somber melody and vocals rising to a very blissful and powerful chorus (euphoria), and ending low again, with melancholy and regretful lyrics. I don't think Lou is trying to "hide" his addiction under a safe guise, the song was written in '72, well after everyone knew about his use, I just think it's a more refined take on the topic then a song like Heroin.