Nick Cave's first band.
<… Read Full Bio ↴Before there was The Birthday Party....
Nick Cave's first band.
The nucleus of the band first met at the private boys school Caulfield Grammar School (in suburban Melbourne) in the early seventies. A rock group was formed in 1973 with Nick Cave (vocals), Mick Harvey (guitar), and Phill Calvert (drums), with other students on guitar, bass and saxophone. Most were also members of the school choir. The band played under various names at parties and school functions with a mixed pre-punk repertoire of David Bowie, Lou Reed, Roxy Music, Alice Cooper and the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, among others.
After their final school year in 1975 the band decided to continue with friend Tracy Pew picking up the bass. Greatly affected by the punk explosion of 1976 which saw Australian bands The Saints and Radio Birdman making their first recordings and tours, The Boys Next Door, as they were now called, began performing fast original New Wave material in 1977.
Rowland S. Howard joined in 1978, and about this time, the group's sound changed dramatically. The addition of Howard's guitar was certainly a catalyst (his later use of audio feedback being a hallmark of the group) but there were other changes, as well: their sound drew upon punk, rockabilly, free jazz and the rawest blues, but transcended concise categorisation. Many songs were driven by prominent, repetitive basslines and drumwork that sounded like an angry Gene Krupa. Though the band was tightly rehearsed, the instrumentalists often sounded as if they were on the verge of collapse, this quality only emphasising the newfound mania of Cave's singing, and his expressionist lyrics. In producer/engineer Tony Cohen they found a willing accomplice to their experimentation and their refusal to repeat themselves; and in manager Keith Glass they found an enthusiastic financial backer. Glass' label Missing Link Records released all of the early Birthday Party records.
Shivers
Boys Next Door Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But it really doesn't suit my style,
So I think I'll just act bored instead
And contain the blood I would've shed?
She makes me feel so ill at ease
My heart is really on it's knees
But I keep a poker face so well
That even mother couldn't tell
She is almost a mirror
And the sound of her name
Sends a permanent shiver down my
Spine
I keep her photograph against my heart
For in my life she plays a starring part
All alcohol and cigarettes
There is no room for cheap regrets
She makes me feel so ill at ease
My heart is really on it's knees
But I keep a poker face so well
That even mother couldn't tell
But my baby's so vain
She is almost a mirror
And the sound of her name
Sends a permanent shiver down my
Spine
The opening lines of "Shivers" by Boys Next Door could be seen as dark and disturbing, as they confront the topic of suicide straight on. However, the rest of the lyrics show a different angle. The singer decides that suicide is not for him and instead, he will feign boredom and keep his emotions in check. He also talks about a woman who makes him feel uneasy and vulnerable. But he keeps up a facade of nonchalance, even though she sends a shiver down his spine. He keeps her photograph close to him always, and lives a life filled with alcohol and cigarettes, with no room for remorse.
The song is a masterclass in understated lyricism. The lines "She is almost a mirror" and "The sound of her name sends a permanent shiver down my spine" are both simple yet powerful. In the former, the singer indicates that the woman is so alike him that he can hardly tell them apart. In the latter, he is saying that hearing her name alone is enough to elicit fear and trembling within him. Overall, the song's lyrics paint a somber and bleak picture of a man dealing with deep emotions, but unable to express them fully.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been contemplating suicide,
I've been struggling with thoughts of suicide,
But it really doesn't suit my style,
But it's not something that aligns with who I am,
So I think I'll just act bored instead
So instead of showing my pain, I'll pretend to be uninterested,
And contain the blood I would've shed?
And hold back the self-harm that I was considering?
She makes me feel so ill at ease
She makes me really nervous and uncomfortable,
My heart is really on it's knees
I am deeply in love with her and feel vulnerable,
But I keep a poker face so well
But I hide my emotions and maintain a calm exterior,
That even mother couldn't tell
I am so good at hiding my pain that not even my mother can see it,
But my baby's so vain
But my lover is very self-absorbed and obsessed with their appearance,
She is almost a mirror
She is so concerned with looking flawless that she's like a reflection of herself,
And the sound of her name
Just hearing her name mentioned,
Sends a permanent shiver down my spine
Leaves me with a lasting feeling of fear and discomfort,
I keep her photograph against my heart
I carry a picture of her close to my chest,
For in my life she plays a starring part
Because she's such a big part of my life and my thoughts,
All alcohol and cigarettes
I drown my sorrows with these vices,
There is no room for cheap regrets
I don't want to have any regrets that are easily avoidable,
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: JAMIE O'NEAL, LISA A DREW, SHAYE SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind