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
Secret Side
Nico Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Unwed virgins in the land
Unwed virgins in the land
Tied up on the sand
When there come ships into the land
They'll be awaiting reverence
They'll be awaiting reverence
Are you not loyal to your pride
Are you not on the secret side?
It's not a crime, a gain to you,
Do you not understand?
Without a guide, without a hand
Unwed virgins in the land
Unwed virgins in the land
Tied up on the sand
When there come ships into the land
They'll be awaiting reverence
They'll be awaiting reverence
At their children's hands
Are you not loyal to your pride
Are you not on the secret side?
It's not a crime, a gain to you,
Do you not understand?
The lyrics of Nico's "Secret Side" are shrouded in mystery, much like the intended meaning behind the song. On a surface level, the song features haunting vocals and a slow-moving melody, but the lyrics are what truly captivate the listener.
The first stanza describes virgins stranded on the sand without a guide or help. The second stanza implies that outsiders will come into their land and expect to be revered by the children of these virgins. The last stanza poses a question to these virgins, asking if they are loyal to their pride and on the "secret side," ultimately hinting at a unspoken allegiance between the characters in the song.
The song may be interpreted as both physical and metaphorical - it could be describing a group of virgin sacrifices on a desert island, or it could be delving into the themes of purity, loyalty, and secrecy. Whatever the interpretation, the lyrics bring a mesmerizing, eerie quality to the music.
Line by Line Meaning
Without a guide, without a hand
Navigating life without assistance
Unwed virgins in the land
Innocent, inexperienced women
Unwed virgins in the land
Innocent, inexperienced women
Tied up on the sand
Stuck, unable to move forward
When there come ships into the land
Opportunities arise
They'll be awaiting reverence
Waiting for respect or admiration
They'll be awaiting reverence
Waiting for respect or admiration
At their children's hands
Dependent on the next generation
Are you not loyal to your pride
Aren't you devoted to what you value?
Are you not on the secret side?
Aren't you part of a covert community?
It's not a crime, a gain to you,
It's not illegal, it's in your best interest
Do you not understand?
Don't you comprehend?
Without a guide, without a hand
Navigating life without assistance
Unwed virgins in the land
Innocent, inexperienced women
Unwed virgins in the land
Innocent, inexperienced women
Tied up on the sand
Stuck, unable to move forward
When there come ships into the land
Opportunities arise
They'll be awaiting reverence
Waiting for respect or admiration
They'll be awaiting reverence
Waiting for respect or admiration
At their children's hands
Dependent on the next generation
Are you not loyal to your pride
Aren't you devoted to what you value?
Are you not on the secret side?
Aren't you part of a covert community?
It's not a crime, a gain to you,
It's not illegal, it's in your best interest
Do you not understand?
Don't you comprehend?
Contributed by Riley K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cauchemarchemin
Nico and her harmonium live forever. 💜
@MrHumanracin
Nico’s music is ancient, futuristic and timeless all at once, a true visionary.
@railwaystationmaster
Timeless and still intreaging nearly 50 years later .
@johnnykunst
As I get older the more I understand and appreciate Nico, the voice of 'a ruined age'.
@matthewscreech7058
What a voice! What poetry! What music! Nico was the best!
@Fontsman
Amazing to think that she was initially ridiculed by the blinkered critics for her solo work. An important artist who influenced so many others.
@philipgroves7309
I saw Nico in 1977 or 1978 in London at the Marquee Club. She was awesome, I loved her performance, although people who came that night for a rock concert were disappointed and voiced their displeasure. She responded with some version of "Go f yourself!" in German, and the crowd rallied to her, which spurred to a very spirited performance of cool gothic trance music like these and The End, sprinkled with some Velvet numbers as well as a few from her first solo album. For me, an experience i will always remember, because her music and voice somehow resonate with the soul.
@marysalvi242
@Philip Groves wow, well that's what happens when those on the edge or just being themselves that has is a new lane though others are on that lane also, most people fear differences?? This may not be something I would want to listen to a whole cd or albumn, still I love and am drawn to an experience that takes me out of my lane. Your last line is the most important, guess that's what happens to me enough I wouldn't reject the expression of another who is being authentic. Cool experience you had all in all ~ love light peace
@bf1133
I was there too! Always been a huge fan. All her recordings.
@elizabethhann4028
[28 March 2022] People say such horrible things about Nico...that she was an ego-mad diva, a psycho(!), a Nazi(!!!)...but somehow I don't care. I love her. "Secret Side" and "Valley Of The Kings" (indeed, all of Nico's songs) are peerless examples of ANTI-POP music: archaic and mythic, and Germanically detached; totally out of step with '70's-era pop-song conventions, and irresistibly suggestive of ancient crumbing Gothic castles and sinister Black Forests and mystical Romantic things like that.