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
Janitor of Lunacy
Nico Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Paralyze my infancy
Petrify the empty cradle
Bring hope to them and me
Janitor of tyranny
Testify my vanity
Mortalize my memory
Tolerate my jealousy
Recognize the desperate need
Janitor of lunacy
Identify my destiny
Revive the living dream
Forgive their begging scream
Seal the giving of their seed
Disease the breathing grief
The lyrics to Nico's song "Janitor of Lunacy" evoke an otherworldly, dreamlike atmosphere that is both haunting and captivating. The singer calls upon the "janitor of lunacy" to bring hope to herself and others, as well as to petrify her empty cradle and immortalize her memory, while also recognizing her desperate need and tolerating her jealousy. The singer also begs for the janitor to identify her destiny and revive the living dream, while simultaneously forgiving the begging scream of those around her and sealing the giving of their seed while disease breathes grief.
At its core, "Janitor of Lunacy" is a deeply introspective and personal song, with the singer seeking guidance and transcendence from an otherworldly figure. The lyrics draw upon themes of mortality, vanity, and destiny, with the implication that the janitor of lunacy is capable of bestowing both great power and great suffering. The haunting, ethereal quality of the song is matched by Nico's delicate vocal performance, which seems to be reaching for something just beyond her grasp.
Overall, "Janitor of Lunacy" is an evocative and masterful piece of songwriting, and one of the highlights of Nico's career.
Line by Line Meaning
Janitor of lunacy
Addressing the subject matter of the song, requesting the janitor to take charge.
Paralyze my infancy
As a child, feelings of helplessness and inadequacy are crippling.
Petrify the empty cradle
Symbolic for hopelessness, the empty cradle represents the absence of possibility.
Bring hope to them and me
Asking the janitor to restore hope for the artist and others.
Janitor of tyranny
Referring to the janitor as a powerful authority figure.
Testify my vanity
The singer's vanity is on display and being acknowledged.
Mortalize my memory
To confront the emotional pain head-on and face mortality itself.
Deceive the devil's deed
Requesting the janitor to undo Satan's work and deceit.
Tolerate my jealousy
As a human emotion, jealousy should be acknowledged and not rejected.
Recognize the desperate need
Asking the janitor to acknowledge the artist's desperate situations.
Janitor of lunacy
Reiterating the janitor's importance to the singer's emotional state.
Identify my destiny
Hoping for the janitor's help to identify one's future path.
Revive the living dream
Requesting the janitor to bring the dream to life and give it power.
Forgive their begging scream
Asking for forgiveness for those who are begging for something.
Seal the giving of their seed
Pleading with the janitor to stop others from giving life to something.
Disease the breathing grief
Asking the janitor to inflict a painful disease upon the unbearable torment.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHRISTA PAEFFGEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dias
Zelador da loucura
Paralise minha infância
Petrifique o berço vazio
Traga esperança a eles e a mim
Zelador da tirania
Testifique minha vaidade
Mortalize minha memória
Engane o feito do Diabo
Tolere meu ciúme
Reconheça a necessidade desesperada
Zelador da loucura
Identifique meu destino
Reviva o sonho vivo
Perdoe o grito de súplica deles
Sele a doação das sementes deles
Infecte o luto que respira
Revj2u K
I remember seeing her perform this live. The entire audience, including myself stood paralyzed and crying. Such a gift.
Alexander Brett Doane
Cale definitely deserves immense credit for his production and arrangements/playing of other instruments. Really, a talented man. But this song, if you notice, is Nico alone with her harmonium and voice. She captures the essence of darkness, for she was like somebody in another comment said, the embodiment of darkness. Her music really was the catalyst for the Goth. I don’t think many other artists have fully captured this type of bleak poetry though.
PAUL BAYLIS
Amazing Goddess....
PAUL BAYLIS
Its her ....
No Name
Co-produced with Joe Boyd.
Сергей
Привет. Я Сергей из Екатеринбурга (Россия). Мне кажется что Нико не мрачная а светлая. Просто тут свет внутренний сквозь внешний мрак как у русских Яны Дягилевой, умки Анны Герасимовой
calico sky
Check out lingua ignota
Zack Zallie
Nico's music is way ahead of its time. She influenced artists like Lingua Ignota.
Liselotte Frejdig
Timeless masterpiece!! Like the whole album!!
jaredwi1
It's like getting hit by a freight train of pure darkness. Best song ever.