Perfect Day was written and recorded by Lou Reed in 1972 and featured on the album Transformer, produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson. It was also a B-side to his major hit, Walk on the Wild Side. The song gained fame when it was included in the 1996 film Trainspotting and boosted further when a star-studded charity version reached number one in the United Kingdom and other countries in 1997.
But what brought the song back to my attention was the brilliant Japanese film Perfect Days, which was not only named after the song but featured it prominently.
Here it is:
Perfect Day is in 6/8 time, which is much less usual these days when 4/4 is so dominant. It starts in the key of Bb minor but guitarists usually play it with a capo on the first fret, making the key A minor.
There’s not a lot to say about the composition. However, a big part of the charm of the song stems from the fact that the verse is in A minor and the chorus is in A major, providing a completely different feel
For me, there are two motifs which capture the essence of the song, the first in A minor …
… and the second in A major:
Put all this together with an intriguing lyric and a grungy performance and you have a pretty perfect pop song.
