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
Facing the Wind
Nico Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And doesn't leave me still
Amazons are riding out
To find a meaning for
The name, my name
In the rain
My spinning on my Name
In the rain, in the rain
When did it begin ?
When did it begin ?
Why am I not facing the wind ?
My mother and my brother
Are facing the wind.
Why are they facing the wind ?
Why are they facing the wind ?
There's nothing more to sing about
Not now or when they carry me away
In the rain
My spinning on my name in the rain
My spinning on my name in the rain
In the rain.
When did it begin ?
When did it begin ?
Why are they facing the wind ?
The lyrics to Nico's song "Facing the Wind" are cryptic and open to interpretation, but there are several themes and symbols that can be gleaned from them. The song seems to be concerned with the idea of being trapped or held captive, both physically and emotionally. The opening lines suggest a sense of oppression or confinement: "It's holding me against my will / And doesn't leave me still." This could refer to a range of situations, from a literal physical imprisonment to a more abstract sense of being trapped in one's own head.
The next few lines introduce the symbol of the Amazon women, who are riding out to "find a meaning for / The name, my name." This suggests a search for identity or purpose, and the fact that the Amazons are riding out implies a sense of adventure or journey. However, the singer of the song seems to be stuck in place, spinning on their own name "in the rain." This repetition of the phrase "in the rain" could symbolize a sense of melancholy or despair.
The chorus of the song raises questions that are never fully answered: "When did it begin? / Why am I not facing the wind? / My mother and my brother / Are facing the wind. / Why are they facing the wind?" It's unclear what "facing the wind" represents, but it seems to be a powerful and transformative force that the singer is somehow unable to access. The final lines of the song suggest a sense of resignation or acceptance: "There's nothing more to sing about / Not now or when they carry me away / In the rain."
Line by Line Meaning
It's holding me against my will
Something is preventing me from doing what I want
And doesn't leave me still
It's not a temporary roadblock
Amazons are riding out
Strong and powerful women are on a mission
To find a meaning for the name, my name
They are trying to explore the significance behind my identity
In the rain
Even in difficult circumstances
My spinning on my Name
I am contemplating my own existence
When did it begin ?
I want to understand when all this started
Why am I not facing the wind ?
I am not as strong as those around me who are able to face adversity head-on
My mother and my brother
The people closest to me
Are facing the wind.
They are able to confront difficult situations
There's nothing more to sing about
I feel like I've exhausted all topics for my music
Not now or when they carry me away
Not even when I die
In the rain
Despite the hardships I have faced
When did it begin ?
I still want to know when it all started
Why are they facing the wind ?
I am still trying to understand why some people are better equipped to face difficult situations than me
Contributed by Brayden Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@tommasoguarducci4619
[Verse 1]
It's holding me against my will
And doesn't leave me still
Amazons are riding out
To find a meaning for the name, my name
In the rain
My spinning on my name
In the rain, in the rain
[Verse 2]
When did it begin?
Where did it begin?
Why am I not facing the wind?
My mother and my brother
Are facing the wind
Why are they facing the wind?
Why are they facing the wind?
[Verse 3]
There's nothing more to sing about
Not now or when they carry me away in the rain
My spinning on my name in the rain
My spinning on my name in the rain, in the rain
When did it begin?
When did it begin?
Why are they facing the wind?
@jamesnolan4412
Theses recordings for myself take me on a journey through my childhood pleasures, childhood pain and upon completion I feel so enlightened, refreshed...Pure joy!
@Ennisburger
I love this album. It's like that feeling when you wake from a nightmare you slightly enjoyed.
@martinmaguire-music6692
I was actually falling asleep listening to random music when I first heard this song... that was fucking unnerving...but I thought "leave it on, it'll be awesome when the piano finally kicks in properly..." then it didn't...
@taunaengus4978
Thank you Nico and John for this masterpiece. The flanging is perfect for this.
@BetwistedPop
And we are falling directly into the dark pit of sound °;°
@ixis99
I have been to visit her grave. It is a beautiful and subtle place in the woods above the water. You should all visit.
@hugosilva6295
where is it??
@alastairwest5200
@Hugo Silva Berlin - Gruenewald
@markomys
Beautiful
@vomeinsamenmadchensophie
<3<3<3