Lucy, an exercise in Hollywood absurdity

[GostHacked]

The song was written for an English audience, not a Russian one. To an English speaking listener, Nikita *sounds* feminine, as we're used to hearing diminutive forms of words with an -a on the end. Novel - novella, senor - senorita, sharkman - sharkmella, this sort of thing. In non-English parts of the world, Andrea is a man's name and not a woman's.

Mostly I suspect that Taupin went with "Nikita" because it had 3 syllables, plus a grace and lyrical quality that "Ludmilla" simply did not.

-k

Maybe Sir John was expressing his love for the male Nakita.