Cover art for Venus in Furs by The Velvet Underground

Venus in Furs

The Velvet Underground
Track 11 on Peel Slowly and See 

Producers

Andy Warhol & Tom Wilson
This song is named for, and based on, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s 1870 novella Venus in Furs, in which the male main character seeks to be enslaved by his fur-adorned… Read More 
Mar. 12, 19671 viewer213.5K views

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About

Genius Annotation

This song is named for, and based on, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s 1870 novella Venus in Furs, in which the male main character seeks to be enslaved by his fur-adorned lover.

The song and its topic challenged songwriting conventions at the time, the celebration of sexual masochism out in the open wasn’t something you heard every day. The word “masochism”, coined by 19th century sexologist Richard von Krafft-Ebing, also comes from Sacher-Masoch’s name, so dude wasn’t kidding around.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Who produced “Venus in Furs” by The Velvet Underground?
When did The Velvet Underground release “Venus in Furs”?
Who wrote “Venus in Furs” by The Velvet Underground?
Peel Slowly and See (1995)
  1. 1.
    Venus in Furs (demo)
  2. 2.
    Prominent Men (demo)
  3. 3.
    Heroin (demo)
  4. 4.
    I’m Waiting for the Man (demo)
  5. 5.
    Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (demo)
  6. 6.
    All Tomorrow’s Parties (demo)
  7. 7.
    All Tomorrow’s Parties (single version)
  8. 8.
    Sunday Morning
  9. 9.
    I’m Waiting for the Man
  10. 10.
    Femme Fatale
  11. 11.
    Venus in Furs
  12. 12.
    Run Run Run
  13. 13.
    All Tomorrow’s Parties
  14. 14.
    Heroin
  15. 15.
    There She Goes Again
  16. 16.
    I’ll Be Your Mirror
  17. 17.
    The Black Angel’s Death Song
  18. 18.
    European Son
  19. 19.
    Melody Laughter (live edit)
  20. 20.
    It Was a Pleasure Then
  21. 21.
    Chelsea Girls
  22. 22.
    There Is No Reason (demo)
  23. 23.
    Sheltered Life (demo)
  24. 24.
    It’s All Right (The Way That You Live) (demo)
  25. 25.
    I’m Not Too Sorry (Now That You’re Gone) (demo)
  26. 26.
    Here She Comes Now (demo)
  27. 27.
    Guess I’m Falling in Love
  28. 28.
    Booker T
  29. 29.
    White Light/White Heat
  30. 30.
    The Gift
  31. 31.
    Lady Godiva’s Operation
  32. 32.
    Here She Comes Now
  33. 33.
    I Heard Her Call My Name
  34. 34.
    Sister Ray
  35. 35.
    Stephanie Says
  36. 36.
    Temptation Inside Your Heart
  37. 37.
    Hey Mr. Rain (Version I)
  38. 38.
    What Goes On [1969 The Velvet Underground Live]
  39. 39.
    Candy Says (Closet Mix)
  40. 40.
    What Goes On (Closet Mix)
  41. 41.
    Some Kinda Love (Closet Mix)
  42. 42.
    Pale Blue Eyes (Closet Mix)
  43. 43.
    Beginning to See the Light (Closet Mix)
  44. 44.
    Jesus (Closet Mix)
  45. 45.
    I’m Set Free (Closet Mix)
  46. 46.
    That’s the Story of My Life (Closet Mix)
  47. 47.
    The Murder Mystery (Closet Mix)
  48. 48.
    After Hours (Closet Mix)
  49. 49.
    Foggy Notion
  50. 50.
    I Can’t Stand It
  51. 51.
    I’m Sticking with You
  52. 52.
    One of These Days
  53. 53.
    Lisa Says
  54. 54.
    It’s Just Too Much
  55. 55.
    Countess From Hong Kong (demo)
  56. 56.
    Who Loves the Sun
  57. 57.
    Sweet Jane (full length version)
  58. 58.
    Rock and Roll (1969 Studio Version)
  59. 59.
    Cool It Down
  60. 60.
    New Age (full length version)
  61. 61.
    Head Held High
  62. 62.
    Lonesome Cowboy Bill
  63. 63.
    I Found a Reason
  64. 64.
    Train Round the Bend
  65. 65.
    Oh! Sweet Nuthin’
  66. 66.
    Satellite of Love
  67. 67.
    Walk and Talk
  68. 68.
    Oh Gin
  69. 69.
    Sad Song
  70. 70.
    Ocean (Session Outtake)
  71. 71.
    Ride Into the Sun (Session Outtake)
  72. 72.
    Some Kinda Love [1969 The Velvet Underground Live]
  73. 73.
    I’ll Be Your Mirror [1969 The Velvet Underground Live]
  74. 74.
    I Love You (Demo)
Credits
Producers
Writer
Guitar
Vocals
Electric Viola
Bass
Tambourine
Recorded At
TTG Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California (May 1966)
Released on
March 12, 1967
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Venus in Furs Translations
View Venus in Furs samples
Tags
RockUSAIn EnglishDroneGothic RockNoise RockDark PopSinger-SongwriterNew York RapAvant GardeRaga RockPsychedelic RockArt RockExperimental Rock
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