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
We've Got The Gold
Nico Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've got the gold, we do not seem too old
A pity does not bear a single flower
A pity does not bear a single flower
Very proud and very poor
You're walking on your prison floor
A pity does not bear a single flower A pity does not bear a single flower
Very proud and very poor
I'm waiting at your prison floor
A pity does not bear a single flower
A pity does not bear a single flower
We've got the gold, we do not seem too old
We've got the gold, we do not seem too old
We've got the gold, we do not seem too old
The lyrics of Nico's song "We've Got The Gold" are quite enigmatic and open to interpretation. However, it seems to be a commentary on the duality of life - while we may possess wealth and riches, our physical bodies continue to age and decay. Nico sings that they have the gold and it appears that they are not too old, perhaps implying that they are in their prime and have achieved success. However, this success is juxtaposed with the lines "A pity does not bear a single flower," which could mean that wealth and material possessions do not bring true happiness or fulfillment. In other words, there is a sense of melancholy underlying the surface-level celebration of wealth and youth.
The repeated lines "Very proud and very poor/You're walking on your prison floor" seem to suggest that despite one's outward appearance of success, they may be trapped in a metaphorical prison of their own making. This could be interpreted as a critique of the capitalist system or even of society as a whole, in which individuals strive for material gain at the expense of true personal freedom and fulfillment.
Overall, "We've Got The Gold" is a thought-provoking and deeply introspective song that invites the listener to reflect on the nature of success and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
We've got the gold, we do not seem too old
Despite our age, we have amassed a great deal of wealth, and it does not seem to have taken a toll on us physically
A pity does not bear a single flower
Regret or sorrow will not change what has already happened, nor will it bring any positive outcomes
Very proud and very poor / You're walking on your prison floor
You may be proud, but you are still trapped in your own struggles and lack of wealth, feeling as if you are in a prison
I'm waiting at your prison floor
I am here to support you even in your darkest moments, standing by you as you work to overcome your struggles
We've got the gold, we do not seem too old
Our wealth may still be present, but it does not necessarily bring fulfillment or satisfaction, despite our age
Contributed by Alexandra K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.