"European Son" is dedicated to poet Delmore Schwartz, who had been Lou Reed's advisor at Syracuse University.
[4] The first pressing of The Velvet Underground & Nico referred to the song as "European Son (to Delmore Schwartz)".
[6] The song begins with two stanzas of lyrics sung by Lou Reed over a D major chord played by Reed and Sterling Morrison and a walking bassline played by John Cale; about one minute later, a loud crashing sound produced by Cale hitting a stack of plates with a metal chair is heard.
Its influence can especially be heard on the song "Father Cannot Yell", the opening track of their 1969 debut album Monster Movie, in which bassist Holger Czukay plays a similar bassline.
Simple Minds recorded a song entitled "European Son" on a demo tape, which was released on CD on The Early Years: 1977–1978.