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
It Was a Pleasure Then
Nico Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Could you just be here again
To know what there was to see
When all the Sunday people
Were so quiet in the dark
Afraid to be better the next day
La la la la la la la
It was a pleasure then
When we could sit and stare again
Until the stars fell through
The cloudy trees onto the grass
Stars to smile with us
Until they too had tears in their eyes
You tell us this one tale
Of how much we must not agree.
It was a pleasure then
To see the dying days again
In horror of the nights
Never never never
Never be too bright
We've got no secret
Heart to hide somewhere at last
As long as we could see
The sky confess this crime
0f bitter tasting hatefulness
Above our shattered minds.
It was a pleasure
It was a pleasure
La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la.
Nico's It Was a Pleasure Then is a melancholic yet nostalgic song that speaks to the reminiscence of a time where things were simpler and less burdened; a time where watching stars fall and feeling their emotions was possible. The song opens with the singer wishing for the past to be reawakened so that they could understand and experience more of what they couldn't have in the past. The Sunday people mentioned in the lyrics reveal a sense of conformity that the singer and their peers avoided, instead opting for a more distinct characteristic where they could watch the stars and their movement until they disappeared into the distance.
The second stanza focuses on the nostalgia further, reminding listeners of the magic of witnessing dying days that revealed the reality of the eventual darkness that will come over everything. The singer hints at the kind of dullness and pain that is part and parcel of life as they mention a sorrow that comes to the stars’ eyes before perhaps suggesting that there is much to learn from disagreements while staring at the same star-filled sky. Finally, the third stanza speaks to a weary resignation, the shattered minds described hinting at the loss of hope and the pervading bleakness that comes with life. The singer seems to suggest that for a brief moment, they were happy to witness the beauty of starry nights and confess to a taste of bitterness and emotional pain, which is relatable as we all have been moved by the wonder of the sky at some point in our lives.
Overall, this song is an exploration of the longing for a time that has passed and cannot return. Still, it is a powerful reminder of the beauty of simple pleasures that should be cherished and taken advantage of while they are still available.
Line by Line Meaning
It was a pleasure then
I remember a time when everything was enjoyable and rewarding.
Could you just be here again
If only we could go back in time and relive those happy moments.
To know what there was to see
I wish I could have appreciated everything I had at the time.
When all the Sunday people
When everyone was content with their lives.
Were so quiet in the dark
There was peace and tranquility even when there was no light.
Afraid to be better the next day
People were hesitant to improve or change for fear of losing what they had.
La la la la la la la
It was a pleasure then
The past held so many happy memories.
When we could sit and stare again
We could just be together without needing any words.
Until the stars fell through
We sat outside until the end of the night.
The cloudy trees onto the grass
Watching the stars fall through the branches of the trees was beautiful.
Stars to smile with us
The stars seemed to be just as happy as we were.
Until they too had tears in their eyes
But even the stars could shed a tear at the sadness of it ending.
You tell us this one tale
Even if we only have one story, it's enough to hold onto.
Of how much we must not agree
We remember even the disagreements with fondness.
It was a pleasure then
Those times were truly unforgettable and enjoyable.
To see the dying days again
We long to relive even the moments before it ended.
In horror of the nights
Even the darkest nights had their beauty.
Never never never
Never be too bright
The hope was for life to remain stable and reliable.
We've got no secret
There were no unknowns left in life.
Heart to hide somewhere at last
We could finally stop hiding ourselves from the world.
As long as we could see
All we needed was to hold onto the past in our memories.
The sky confess this crime
The sky was the only witness to our happiness and it now reminds us of what we've lost.
Of bitter tasting hatefulness
The sadness of it no longer being the same is a very bitter feeling.
Above our shattered minds.
Our present day selves are not what we once were.
It was a pleasure
All in all, it was a time we will remember forever.
La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN DAVIES CALE, CHRISTA PAEFFGEN, LOU A. REED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind