Nico, cuyo nombre real es Christa Päffgen, nació el 16 de octubre de 1938 en Colonia, Alemania. Criada en un entorno turbulento debido a las circunstancias de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, Nico encontró en la música y el arte su refugio. Desde temprana edad, mostró un talento innato para la música, el cual sería la piedra angular de su carrera futura.
A medida que crecía, Nico se mudó a Berlín junto a su madre, donde comenzó a trabajar como modelo adolescente. Su etérea belleza la llevó a desfilar en pasarelas de moda y a aparecer en revistas icónicas de la época. Sin embargo, su corazón siempre anhelaba más, y la música seguía llamándola.
En la década de 1960, Nico se trasladó a Nueva York, un destino que cambiaría su vida por completo. En la Gran Manzana, se relacionó con figuras influyentes de la época como Andy Warhol, quien le presentó a The Velvet Underground. Este encuentro sería fundamental para su carrera.
Andy Warhol incluyó a Nico en su aclamado proyecto multimedia de The Velvet Underground, un grupo que redefiniría la música rock. Su voz grave y melancólica aportó un matiz único a las canciones de la banda. Participó en el álbum debut de la banda titulado The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967), el cual todavía es aclamado como una obra maestra del rock experimental.
Now that it's time
Now that the hour hand has landed at the end
Now that it's real
Now that the dreams have given all they had to lend
I want to know do I stay or do I go
And maybe try another time
And do I really have a hand in my forgetting ?
Now that I've tried
Now that I've finally found that this is not the way,
Now that I turn
Now that I feel it's time to spend the night away
I want to know do I stay or do I go
And maybe finally split the rhyme
And do I really understand the undernetting ?
Yes and the morning has me
Looking in your eyes
And seeing mine warning me
To read the signs carefully.
Now that it's light
Now that the candle's falling smaller in my mind
Now that it's here
Now that I'm almost not so very far behind
I want to know do I stay or do I go
And maybe follow another sign
And do I really have a song that I can ride on ?
Now that I can
Now that it's easy, ever easy all around.
Now that I'm here
Now that I'm falling to the sunlights and a song
I want to know do I stay or do I go
And do I have to do just one
And can I choose again if I should lose the reason ?
Yes, and the morning
Has me looking in your eyes
And seeing mine warning me
To read the signs more carefully.
Now that I smile,
Now that I'm laughing even deeper inside.
Now that I see,
Now that I finally found the one thing I denied
It's now I know do I stay or do I go
And it is finally I decide
That I'll be leaving
In the fairest of the seasons.