The Velvet Underground song Lou Reed wrote for Nico: “Every single word was meant for her”
With a stunningly distinctive voice and infallible image, the conversation surrounding The Velvet Underground does not get very far without name-dropping Nico. The German singer was an essential aspect of the band’s iconic debut album, aptly named The Velvet Underground & Nico. Although her time with the group was fairly short, she had a lasting impact on the legacy of the band, particularly on the songwriting of Lou Reed.
Nico was first introduced to the New York band while working with pop art progenitor Andy Warhol. Reportedly, Warhol’s idea to bring Nico on board with The Velvets was an unpopular one. The band members initially objected to the inclusion of outside help, largely as a result of the fact that it contradicted their hardline anti-pop musical principles. However, the reluctant agreement that they eventually landed upon gave way to some of the group’s greatest triumphs.
It is almost impossible to imagine the tracks on The Velvet Underground & Nico without the unique vocal performances of the German singer. Through pieces like ‘Femme Fatale’ and ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’, she established herself as a vital aspect of the album’s brilliance.
Warhol had brought her on board with the idea of being a ‘chanteuse’, but Nico truly did not sound like anybody else. She had her own inexplicable take on what singing should sound like, which fit in perfectly with the anti-pop preferences of Reed and co.
Essentially, every track on that album could truthfully be deemed ‘iconic’ or ‘legendary’, but a definite stand-out comes with side two’s ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’, a beautiful piece written by Reed and performed by Nico. As the songwriter recalled in 2013, shortly before his death, “I wrote ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’ for Nico. Every single word was meant for her… to make her feel better about herself.”
Although it was written for Nico, the recording of the work certainly took its toll on the singer. The band wanted a mellow, delicate vocal for the track, which did not fit easily into Nico’s distinctly aggressive approach to music. After countless failed takes, Nico was said to have broken down in tears. Ever the empaths, Reed and the band made her record the song one more time, which is the take you can hear on the album.
Nico’s work with The Underground, as well as the early solo work, is considered by many to be among the first instances of goth music. Her abrasive singing style and haunting qualities predicted the rise of later goth artists like Bauhaus or Siouxsie Sioux. This proto-goth sound became more evident on her debut solo album, Chelsea Girls, recorded with Cale and Reed from The Velvet Underground shortly after her recording sessions with the band.
