Nico started a successful career as a model in Berlin and Paris, studied acting at Lee Strasberg's New York Actor Studio. She then became part of the Swinging London scene, and had a short relationship with The Rolling Stones' Brian Jones and she recorded her first record in London in 1965, the single I'm Not Saying/The Last Mile, produced by Jimmy Page, for Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham's label Immediate Records. Thanks to Jones she met Andy Warhol in New York City and became part of Warhol's Factory, and Warhol introduced her to the Rock band The Velvet Underground, with whom she recorded the album "The Velvet Underground & Nico", featuring the legendary banana cover designed by Andy Warhol. The album has been named by numerous publications as one of the top 100 albums of all time, and is often considered one of history's 10 most influential albums by critics.
Nico later recorded several solo albums, including the folksy Chelsea Girl in 1967, followed by original albums such as The Marble Index and Desertshore, which were much darker and avant garde in style. She released several more albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including The End..., but died in 1988 from a cerebral hemorrhage after falling from her bike in Ibiza, Spain. She is buried in Berlin, next to her mother.
Solo studio discography:
1967 - Chelsea Girl
1969 - The Marble Index
1970 - Desertshore
1974 - The End...
1981 - Drama of Exile
1985 - Camera Obscura
Live discography:
1974 - June 1, 1974 (with Kevin Ayers, John Cale, and Brian Eno)
1986 - Behind the Iron Curtain
1986 - Live Heroes
1986 - Nico in Tokyo
1989 - Hanging Gardens
1993 - Do or Die!
1994 - Heroine
1994 - Fata Morgana
1994 - Live in Pécs 1985
2000 - In Europe: Do or Die, Diary 1982
2001 - Janitor of Lunacy
2003 - 1972-01-29: Le Bataclan, Paris, France (with Lou Reed and John Cale)
2007 - All Tomorrow's Parties: Live
All Tomorrow's Parties
Nico Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To all tomorrow's parties
A hand-me-down dress from who knows where
To all tomorrow's parties
And where will she go, and what shall she do
When midnight comes around
She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown and cry behind the door
To all tomorrow's parties
Why silks and linens of yesterday's gowns
To all tomorrow's parties
And what will she do with Thursday's rags
When Monday comes around
She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown and cry behind the door
And what costume shall the poor girl wear
To all tomorrow's parties
For Thursday's child is Sunday's clown
For whom none will go mourning
A blackened shroud
A hand-me-down gown
Of rags and silks, a costume
Fit for one who sits and cries
For all tomorrow's parties
The song "All Tomorrow's Parties" by Nico has a melancholic feel to it, with Nico's haunting voice capturing the despair of a woman who is preparing for a party. The song seems to be about a woman who is struggling to fit in or find her place in society. She is forced to wear a hand-me-down dress, which indicates that she is part of the lower class. The question "In what costume shall the poor girl wear to all tomorrow's parties" suggests that she is expected to conform to societal expectations, even though she doesn't have the resources to do so.
The woman's sadness is highlighted by the repetition of the line "She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown and cry behind the door." This suggests that she puts on a front when she's around other people, but once she's alone, she can't keep up the façade any longer. The song seems to be a commentary on class and societal expectations. The woman can never escape her background and is always reminded that she doesn't belong. The line "For Thursday's child is Sunday's clown" suggests that no matter what day it is, the woman will always be seen as an outsider.
Overall, "All Tomorrow's Parties" is a poignant and emotive song that delves into themes of isolation, class, and societal norms.
Line by Line Meaning
In what costume shall the poor girl wear
The singer wonders what attire the impoverished girl will wear
To all tomorrow's parties
To the parties happening in the future
A hand-me-down dress from who knows where
She wears a used dress that she doesn't know the origin of
And where will she go, and what shall she do
The singer wonders about the girl's plans
When midnight comes around
At the night's midpoint
She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown and cry behind the door
She will reminisce about past happy times and cry alone
Why silks and linens of yesterday's gowns
The singer wonders why the girl wears outdated clothes of silk and linen
And what will she do with Thursday's rags
She has faded garments to wear on Thursday
When Monday comes around
At the start of the new week
She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown and cry behind the door
She will again recollect past fond memories and weep alone in private
For Thursday's child is Sunday's clown
The girl was born on Thursday but feels like an outsider at Sunday parties
For whom none will go mourning
No one will grieve the girl's absence
A blackened shroud
Symbol of death
A hand-me-down gown
Another used dress
Of rags and silks, a costume
The girl wears clothes of both poor and wealthy people
Fit for one who sits and cries
Her tears complement her tattered appearance
For all tomorrow's parties
She will continue to attend such events without hope of change
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lou Reed
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JorgeDan75
I love Nico, even if she was drug addicted, even if she was mad, she was so gothic, dramatic and full of poetry
Judith Powell
Those things dont mean (bad person) sometimes it can mean the total opposite
Geir Sakariassen
@Judith Powell spon one
gilbert
Wow
nowhirr
The drummer is amazing, those fills really make the song.
Toto
Right, he really make the sound much better than the record
hugosophy
Lol not like mo who didn’t know how to play a lot lol
Toto
@hugosophy lmao its true, but she was part of velvet anyway, exist some kind of respect for that
nowhirr
@hugosophy she didn’t have to know “how to play”. She had her own distinct style that no one had at the time, it fit the velvets perfectly. Loaded would’ve been 10x better if Mo was available.
Cemetarys Neighbor
When Nico said "quiet please" they all were afraid to death of her terminator eyes. She's a real femme fatal.