Nik Nik Nah – Nik Nik Nah Band
Nik Nik Nah – Nik Nik Nah Band
I have virtually no information about this fun little ditty. It was
released as a single in 1983 on Mountain Records, recorded at Tully
McCully’s Spaced Out Studios, written by M McBride and the song rights
are owned by McCully Music. That’s all I know.
What this info does seem to suggest that Tully McCully had a hand in
it, but it is a rather far cry from most of McCully Workshop’s
material. As can be seen from the lyrics below, it is not a serious
song about how a man persuaded his wife to divorce him by singing the
irritatingly catchy ‘Nik Nik Nah’ chorus over and over again. There is
a similar feel to it as ‘It’s Amazing (The Incredible Dance)’ which
was released a few years later.
The band do not take themselves seriously as evidenced by the singer
saying during the fade ‘the public will buy absolutely anything’.
Sadly for him it was not the case with the ‘Nik Nik Nah’, perhaps by
changing the title slightly he could have approached Simba chips for
them to use it in an advert for Nik Naks.
Where to find it:
Search the singles bins at second hand record shops
Lyrics:
My Marriage is in ruins
But my wife won’t set me free
I want to write my music
But all she wants is my money
My life is now so bad
I must rid myself of her
I think I’m going mad
And then I hit the plan
That will make my wife insane
Every night I sing this song
Over and again
And it go
Nik Nik Nah, Nik Nik Nah, Nik Nik Nik Nik Nik Nik Nah
Nik Nik Nah, Nik Nik Nah, Nik Nik Nik Nik Nik Nik Nah
My wife at last has found excuse
To rid herself of me
So it’s off to da divorce court
I must pay a-li-mon-nee
The judge he ask my wife
Just what it is that I done wrong
She give her the divorce
When she tell him about my song
The judge say now you’re free
There’s one thing I must know
What can I say to my wife
That will make her pack and go
Nik Nik Nah, Nik Nik Nah, Nik Nik Nik Nik Nik Nik Nah
Nik Nik Nah, Nik Nik Nah, Nik Nik Nik Nik Nik Nik Nah
One night as I lie in my bed
The drums begin to roll
I find myself outside the gates
But they don’t want my soul
They say my boy before you come in here
You first must learn to sing
I tell them you ain’t heard nothing
Let me do my thing
Nik Nik Nah, Nik Nik Nah, Nik Nik Nik Nik Nik Nik Nah
Nik Nik Nah, Nik Nik Nah, Nik Nik Nik Nik Nik Nik Nah
1001 South African Songs You Must Hear Before You Go Deaf 
Sounds like Tully himself using one of his many “voices”.
Tully wrote:
no i recorded and produced it for these maniacs who brought in a demo.
Here you go Martin:
Hi I am a friend of the writer (Max B) and was wondering if anyone has the flip side of this song as I preferred it. I cannot remember its name and have long lost my copy.
Thanking you
Martin
Here you go Martin:
i owned this 7 single when I was a lad… I will try and find my copy- sheer gold this!
And Caveman Shirley at the desk!(I remember playing Buccaneer but Nik Nik Nah lyrics and Tully not looking amused ;) Anyway I don’t have a copy of the record myself but Pete van Houten has one. And as a matter of interest, one of the two girls singing the chorus is a very young Wendy Oldfield.
The song was written as a bet when Peter Colman said: “I bet you can’t write a song and get it released” and foolishly not specifying what kind of song. So it was spontaneously written around a camp fire in the bushes of Hermanus (where we were illegally squatting) at 2.30am and fueled by a lot of who-knows-what. But it passed the old Grey Whistle test when despite their hangovers, people were still singing it the next morning.
The police evicted us from the bushes the following day and followed us out to the borders of Hermanus (possibly for squatting but more likely for the song)
Further info from Peter van Houten:
Dan Heymann of Bright Blue/Weeping played keyboards and Wendy Oldfield sang backing vocals on Nik Nik Naa