The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Hey Nikita, is it cold
In your little corner of the world?
You could roll around the globe
And never find a warmer soul to know
Oh, I saw you by the wall
Ten of your tin soldiers in a row
With eyes that looked like ice on fire
The human heart, a captive in the snow
Oh, Nikita, you will never know
Anythin' about my home
I'll never know how good it feels to hold you (hold you)
Nikita, I need you so
Oh, Nikita, is the other side
Of any given line in time
Countin' ten tin soldiers in a row
Oh no, Nikita, you'll never know
Do you ever dream of me?
Do you ever see the letters that I write?
When you look up through the wire
Nikita, do you count the stars at night?
And if there comes a time
Guns and gates no longer hold you in
And if you're free to make a choice
Just look towards the west and find a friend
Oh, Nikita, you will never know
Anythin' about my home
I'll never know how good it feels to hold you (hold you)
Nikita, I need you so
Oh, Nikita, is the other side
Of any given line in time
Countin' ten tin soldiers in a row
Oh no, Nikita, you'll never know
Oh, Nikita, you will never know
Never know anythin' about my home
I'll never know how good it feels to hold you
Nikita, I need you so
Oh, Nikita, is the other side
Of any given line in time
Countin' ten tin soldiers in a row
Oh no, Nikita, you'll never know
(Nikita)
Countin' ten tin soldiers in a row
(Nikita)
Countin' ten tin soldiers in a row, woo-ooh-hoo-ooh
(Nikita)
Countin' ten tin soldiers in a row
(Nikita)
In your little corner of the world?
You could roll around the globe
And never find a warmer soul to know
Oh, I saw you by the wall
Ten of your tin soldiers in a row
With eyes that looked like ice on fire
The human heart, a captive in the snow
Oh, Nikita, you will never know
Anythin' about my home
I'll never know how good it feels to hold you (hold you)
Nikita, I need you so
Oh, Nikita, is the other side
Of any given line in time
Countin' ten tin soldiers in a row
Oh no, Nikita, you'll never know
Do you ever dream of me?
Do you ever see the letters that I write?
When you look up through the wire
Nikita, do you count the stars at night?
And if there comes a time
Guns and gates no longer hold you in
And if you're free to make a choice
Just look towards the west and find a friend
Oh, Nikita, you will never know
Anythin' about my home
I'll never know how good it feels to hold you (hold you)
Nikita, I need you so
Oh, Nikita, is the other side
Of any given line in time
Countin' ten tin soldiers in a row
Oh no, Nikita, you'll never know
Oh, Nikita, you will never know
Never know anythin' about my home
I'll never know how good it feels to hold you
Nikita, I need you so
Oh, Nikita, is the other side
Of any given line in time
Countin' ten tin soldiers in a row
Oh no, Nikita, you'll never know
(Nikita)
Countin' ten tin soldiers in a row
(Nikita)
Countin' ten tin soldiers in a row, woo-ooh-hoo-ooh
(Nikita)
Countin' ten tin soldiers in a row
(Nikita)
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Nikita is a mans name, at least to me. I've never actually met a girl named Nikita and in Russia at least.. it's considered a male name. Kind of funny considering. ^^
It's good that Nikita also can be a mans name... so this song still makes sense after Elton John's outing ;)
It's not "also" a man's name .... it IS a man's name.
No, not again -_- It's a beutiful song, Elton John was really in love with Nikita, I love it so much, it shows true feelings. Plus it reminds me of my best friend, her name is Nikky and I like to call her Nikita from time to time, she is living far away from me and I can almost never see her, but I know she could look towards the west and find a friend [literally] ;)
aww well this song is the reason i was named naquita ...its pronounced nikita but yea spellt it differently to give it some originality ....from y=the time i was a wee las people use to just meet me nd start singing this song (i guess they saw it as an ice braker it just makes things awkward if u ask me)lol definatly a deep song
Nikita is a guy's name... Perhaps the one that Elton was in love. Am I right?
This is one of my favorite Elton songs. He loves this girl in Russia and there is no way to be with her. Of course this was back during the cold war. I wonder what happened after the cold war was over. Beautiful song.
Great lyrics!!!!
This was an very revolutionary song during the Cold War. It was played in US and West Europe Radiostations (such Free Europe) over the communist block and helped the people to free the minds.
This definitely has loud cold war political innuendo; although a love song cannot be ruled out. The suggestions go as far as this being Nixon's invitation to (Nikita) Khrushchev to 'come to the other side'. "Just look towards the west and find a friend” Great song. and definitely in the Russian context Nikita is a male name- adding more relevance therein :-)
This song is actually about a girl in the GDR Border Police. So it's about a German girl, not a Russian.
Exactly DMitri221. Very correct. Bravo Mate:<br /> <br /> In this Cold War ballad, a westerner falls in love with an East German citizen who he cannot meet because he is not allowed to cross the Berlin Wall. This was a very revolutionary song during the Cold War, and Eastern Europeans who lived in the communist block would listen to western radio stations such as Free Europe and picked up on the sentiments.George Michael was on backing vocals.Though the song appears to be about a woman, Nikita in Eastern Europe can also be a man's name. At the time Elton John was married to German engineer Renate Blauel. Their marriage lasted 4 years, although Elton John later admitted he realized he was homosexual before his marriage.The Ken Russell directed video has Elton John regularly crossing the border post into Communist Europe. One of the guards is Nikita, and gradually the 2 fall in love. The girl in the video is Anya Major, who was also the hammer thrower in a famous "1984" television commercial for Apple Computer. The video also features a red Bentley Continental Convertible, which was owned by Elton John from 1985 to 2000. (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for all above)
I agree. It was pretty easy to travel between the United States and the Soviet Union. I did it once. Going back and forth between East and West Germany, on the other hand, was a dicey proposition even for Americans who allegedly have "the most respected passport in the world."