Born Domenica Costa on 4th June 1972 in Tokyo, Japan, she is relatively unknown in the United States, although she has achieved impressive commercial success overseas, most notably in Australia and Germany. She is the daughter of Don Costa, an arranger and producer of pop music, with whom she recorded several albums as a child, many of which have gone platinum. Frank Sinatra, a close friend of her father's, was her godfather. She is married to her songwriting partner and producer Justin Stanley.
Nikka has released 7 full length albums, 4 as an adult (Butterfly Rocket (1996), Everybody Got Their Something (2001), can'tneverdidnothin' (2005) and Pebble to a Pearl (2008)) as well as one EP PRO★WHOA! (2011).
She also had a career as a young singer starting in the 1980s, releasing 3 albums (Nikka Costa (1981), Fairy Tales (1983) and Here I Am... (1989)).
http://www.nikkacosta.com
Push & Pull
Nikka Costa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
He's got a lot to say
He's good at being what he's not
Gives nothing away
Another day goes on by
And he never speaks his heart
He takes his chance with what he's got
It's too late now to stop
You push and you pull and struggle with the knot
It's tying you up while you're fadin'
You give and you take and take what you got
Round and round 'till it breaks and
You push and you pull and struggle with the knot
It's tying you up while you're fadin' into your lie
Mr. Nothing is late
He's running out of time
He questions whether chance or fate will ever show a sign
Looks to the sky above
For a glimpse of what it means
And never never never make
Make no sense to him
You push and you pull and struggle with the knot
It's tying you up while you're fadin'
You give and you take and take what you got
Round and round 'till it breaks and
You push and you pull and struggle with the knot
It's tying you up while you're fadin' into your lie
You push and you pull it
, but the knot only gets tighter as you try to unravel it. This is the overarching theme that runs through Nikka Costa's song "Push & Pull." Mr. Nothing is the central character in the song, who seems to be caught in a cycle of apathy and indecision. He has a lot to say, but he keeps it inside and doesn't communicate, even as each day passes. He takes his chances with what he has and seems resigned to the fact that it's too late to change anything. This sense of resignation is accompanied by a feeling of being tied up and trapped by the knot of his own making.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea of tension and struggle between opposing forces- pushing and pulling, giving and taking. The knot could refer to the complexity of Mr. Nothing's situation, his thoughts, emotions or even relationships- things that he's struggling to untangle. The repetition of the lines 'Round and round 'till it breaks / and you push and you pull and struggle with the knot' adds to the sense of frustration and mental exhaustion.
Overall, "Push & Pull" is a commentary on the human condition- the struggles we all face in our daily lives, the conflicts we experience within ourselves, and how difficult it can be to overcome them.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JUSTIN M. STANLEY, NIKKA COSTA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jesse96969
r. Nothing's got a lot
He's got a lot to say
He's good at being what he's not
Gives nothing away
Another day goes on by
And he never speaks his heart
He takes his chance with what he's got
It's too late now to stop
You push and you pull and struggle with the knot
It's tying you up while you're fadin'
You give and you take and take what you got
Round and round 'till it breaks and
You push and you pull and struggle with the knot
It's tying you up while you're fadin' into your lie
Mr. Nothing is late
He's running out of time
He questions whether chance or fate will ever show a sign
Looks to the sky above
For a glimpse of what it means
And never never never make
Make no sense to him
You push and you pull and struggle with the knot
It's tying you up while you're fadin'
You give and you take and take what you got
Round and round 'till it breaks and
You push and you pull and struggle with the knot
It's tying you up while you're fadin' into your lie
You push and you pull it
@slickdarula1
The end of the movie Blow brought me here, very powerful song!
@normayoung184
Me too!!!! Love it!!!
@davidw4934
Same. One of my top 5 movies.
@314WESTERN
Me as well, as the comment says, a very powerful song.
@vojalevkovic4921
Same
@998nebarajkojsum8
Me 2 man fucking good mpvie good music ❤
@saint00
one of the most underrated songs out there... Costa oozes talent... what a great song
@neutthehuman9029
Right on, but as much as i Love this song, i still feel the “crescendo” steals away everything the song pulled me into, i just feel it was overly unnecessary, kinda like when Ludacris & Lil Jon appear on Ushers’ “Lovers & Friends”. I was blown away to hear the best piano notes Usher had ever sung over, and thennnnn...........GARBAGE; i looped Ushers’ part perfectly on Sonic Foundary & never listened to thee OG version ever again. 🤦🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️😁
@sweetbrooo
So true..
@johnbingham4171
I just done fell in love with this song. 😍