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
Chelsea Girls
Nico Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's enough to make you sick
Bridget's all wrapped up in foil
You wonder if she can uncoil
Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Here's Room 115
Filled with S & M queens
Magic marker row
You wonder just high they go
Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls
Here's Pope dear Ondine
Rona's treated him so mean
She wants another scene
She wants to be a human being.
Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls
Pepper she's having fun
She thinks she's some man's son
Her perfect loves don't last
Her future died in someone's past
Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea girls
Dear Ingrid's found her lick
She's turned another trick
Her treats and times revolve
She's got problems to be solved
Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls
Poor Mary, she's uptight
She can't turn out her light
She rolled Susan in a ball
And now she can't see her at all
Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls
Dropout, she's in a fix,
Amphetamine has made her sick
White powder in the air
She's got no bones and can't be scared
Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls
Here comes Johnny Bore,
He collapsed on the floor
They shot him up with milk
And when he died sold him for silk
Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea Girls
Here they come now
See them run now
Here they come now
Chelsea girls
The song "Chelsea Girls" by Nico is a haunting depiction of the life of socialites, artists, and outcasts living in the Chelsea Hotel in New York City in the 1960s. The lyrics describe various characters and their struggles, such as Bridget who is "all wrapped up in foil" and Pepper, who believes she is "some man's son." The repetition of the phrase "Here they come now, Chelsea girls" creates a sense of chaos and unease, as if the characters are constantly in motion but ultimately stuck in their situations.
The second stanza, with its mention of S & M queens and magic markers, hints at the darker side of life in the Chelsea Hotel. Ondine and Rona's troubled relationship is also touched upon, with Ondine being referred to as "Pope dear." Ingrid has "turned another trick" and Mary's paranoia is highlighted with her inability to turn off her light and her inability to find Susan. Dropout is "in a fix" due to amphetamine use, and Johnny Bore's death is mentioned.
Overall, "Chelsea Girls" paints a picture of individuals living on the fringes of society, struggling with various issues and unable to escape their current circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's Room 506
In this hotel room everything happens, and it's overwhelming
It's enough to make you sick
The scene is so grotesque that it makes you feel nauseous
Bridget's all wrapped up in foil
A girl named Bridget is overdosing on drugs and wrapped in aluminum foil to keep warm
You wonder if she can uncoil
It's unclear if Bridget can get better or if it's too late for her
Here they come now
The characters of the song are arriving at the hotel room
See them run now
The characters are running away from their problems and trying to escape their reality
Chelsea Girls
The characters are all part of the same scene happening in Chelsea, a neighborhood in New York City
Here's Room 115
Another hotel room where strange things are happening
Filled with S & M queens
The room is occupied by people practicing sadomasochism
Magic marker row
The characters use markers to write on their bodies
You wonder just how high they go
It's unclear how intense their fetish can be
Here's Pope dear Ondine
A person named Pope Ondine is featured in the song
Rona's treated him so mean
Pope Ondine is hurt by Rona's actions
She wants another scene
Rona is looking for a new experience or adventure
She wants to be a human being
Rona wants to feel something real and genuine
Pepper she's having fun
Pepper is enjoying her life without worrying about the consequences
She thinks she's some man's son
Pepper is gender non-conforming and identifies as a man's son
Her perfect loves don't last
Pepper's relationships always come to an end
Her future died in someone's past
Pepper's past trauma is affecting their future
Dear Ingrid's found her lick
Ingrid is satisfied with the way things are going for her
She's turned another trick
Ingrid is prostituting herself to make money
Her treats and times revolve
Ingrid's life is centered around partying and having fun
She's got problems to be solved
Ingrid still has issues in her life that she needs to address
Poor Mary, she's uptight
Mary is anxious and stressed out
She can't turn out her light
Mary is having trouble sleeping
She rolled Susan in a ball
Mary hurt Susan physically
And now she can't see her at all
Mary and Susan are no longer in contact after the incident
Dropout, she's in a fix
A girl named Dropout is in trouble because of her drug addiction
Amphetamine has made her sick
Dropout's use of amphetamines is negatively impacting her health
White powder in the air
The room is filled with drugs and it's all that Dropout can see
She's got no bones and can't be scared
Dropout has lost her sense of self and is not able to feel afraid of anything
Here comes Johnny Bore
Johnny Bore is another character that appears in the song
He collapsed on the floor
Johnny Bore is sick and might die
They shot him up with milk
The characters try to save Johnny Bore by giving him milk as an antidote
And when he died sold him for silk
Despite their efforts, Johnny Bore dies and his body is sold
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STERLING MORRISON, LOU A. REED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind