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
hey you
Nico Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
what ya starin' at me for?
Hey you
What ya askin' me for?
I don't have all the answers
to your questions
Maybe God or someone else
will be able to answer
CHORUS:
Poo poo - I can't help you
Poo poo - you're on your own
Irritation describes what I feel
Salvation comes after every meal
I don't need your suggestions
or your sympathy
Stay a way way way way way way way way
far away from me
BRIDGE:
Make a way to find a way
You break away to find you're a slave
Take away the masks you play
You're a messed up rotten old piece of love
with nothing to break
In the song "Hey You" by Nico, the singer seems to be fed up with someone looking at her and asking her questions. She admits that she doesn't have all the answers to their questions and suggests that perhaps God or someone else might be able to help them. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Poo poo" in response to the person's inquiries, indicating that the singer can't offer any real assistance. She describes feeling irritated by the other person and asserts that she doesn't need their suggestions or sympathy, urging them to stay away from her.
The bridge of the song is somewhat cryptic, but seems to suggest that the best way to find a solution is to take off any metaphorical masks or facades, revealing the true self. The final line of the song is particularly striking, as the singer describes the other person as a "messed up rotten old piece of love with nothing to break." This could be interpreted in several ways, but might suggest that the other person is holding themselves back from experiencing fullness or growth because of their own self-limitations.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey you
Attention seeker- the singer catches someone's eye and wants to know why
what ya starin' at me for?
Asking the attention seeker why they are staring
Hey you
Asking again to get an answer
What ya askin' me for?
Questioning what the attention seeker wants
I don't have all the answers
Admitting ignorance to the questions asked by the attention seeker
to your questions
Referring to the questions asked by the attention seeker
Maybe God or someone else
Suggesting that someone else might know the answer
will be able to answer
Keeping a possibility for the answer but the singer is not sure
Poo poo - I can't help you
Expressing inability to help the attention seeker
Poo poo - you're on your own
Telling the attention seeker that they are responsible for themselves
Irritation describes what I feel
Conveys the singer's annoyance with the attention seeker
Salvation comes after every meal
Could be interpreted as the singer having a religious belief, but here it means finding solace or peace after finishing a meal
I don't need your suggestions
Rejecting any advice given by the attention seeker
or your sympathy
Dismissive of the attention seeker's emotional support
Stay a way way way way way way way way
Emphasizing the need for distance
far away from me
Making it clear that the attention seeker should keep distance from the singer
Make a way to find a way
Advising to create a path to discover a solution
You break away to find you're a slave
Suggesting that the attention seeker may be trapped in their own ideas or perceptions
Take away the masks you play
Urging the attention seeker to drop their façade or covering up their true feelings
You're a messed up rotten old piece of love
Offering a harsh criticism that the attention seeker is damaged and incapable of love
with nothing to break
Absolutely no redeeming qualities in the attention seeker
Contributed by Jack F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.