"New Age" is the fifth song on the 1970 The Velvet Underground album Loaded. It is one of the songs that feature Doug Yule on vocals, encouraged by main singer and songwriter Lou Reed.
The song also appears on 1969: The Velvet Underground Live, with Reed on vocals, singing an earlier, significantly different draft of the lyrics.
"New Age", in its final draft, is considered a sarcastic homage to actress Shelley Winters. In its original form, it was about Lou Reed's girlfriend at the time, Shelly Albin.
When the album was released, this song caused controversy. Reed, who had left the band a month before, stated that his original versions of "Sweet Jane", "Rock and Roll", and "New Age" were corrupted. Doug Yule, on the other hand, insists that Reed's mixes were respected.
The 1997 Fully Loaded issue of the Loaded album includes an alternate version of "New Age", subtitled "full-length version". It is nearly 40 seconds longer than the "long version".
The 2001 cover album Strange Little Girls by Tori Amos features a cover of the song, singing Reed's earlier lyrics.
Famous quotes containing the words age, velvet and/or underground:
“Old age is a tyrant that forbids us upon pain of death all the pleasures of youth.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
“Should I get married? Should I be good?
Astound the girl next door with my velvet suit and faustus hood?”
—Gregory Corso (b. 1930)
“Political correctness is driving machismo underground and recalling effeminacy from exile.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)