NERVOUS CABARET is what is meant by a tour de force. The Brooklyn/NYC based… Read Full Bio ↴NERVOUS CABARET is what is meant by a tour de force. The Brooklyn/NYC based sextet boasts two drummers, intensely powerful bass rhythm, soaring horns and a wild throated open-heart on vocals. Their live performances are bloodily moving: by turns Ellington, Post punk Led Zeppelin, and vaudeville orchestra. The band´s sound crashes from violent to fragile in staggered stride, rips the heart out of the room only to offer it to the wallflower. If Trenchtown lay on the Bay of Bengal, was frequented by shipmates of Rimbaud and Conrad trafficking in amplifiers and amphetamines, Nervous Cabaret would serve as the house band in the last bar in the weirdest most lawless gin alley.

In November 2005 Nervous Cabaret signed a licensing deal for territories outside North America. 2006 saw the release of their self-titled full-length album (Nervous Cabaret / Naïve, FR) giving the band a solid European fan base. Fall 2007 will see the release of a second full-length album and lots more touring.

Nervous Cabaret has received unanimous critical acclaim for both the album, and for their live performances resulting in the booking of three extensive tours in 2006. Highlights include:
Trans Musicales where they shared stages with The Fugees, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Primal Scream, and Gang of Four. And, the Dour and Arezzo Wave festival stages alongside the likes of Animal Collective, Dandy Warhols, Echo and the Bunnymen, Herbaliser, Anthony & The Johnsons, Liars, LCD Soundsystem, Bell Orchestra, Two Gallants, Coco Rosie and many many more.

Elyas Khan - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Electronics

Fred Wright - Cornet, Recorder

Brian Geltner - Drums, Percussion, Organ

Greg 'Wiz" Wieczorek - Drums, Percussion

Don Undeen - Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet

Sam Kulik - Trombone

Gravity
Nervous Cabaret Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've had my fun
Had my day in the sun
Now my body's a map
Of a cracked Arizona

Time runnin' out
And I'm melting away
Melting away

I'm a human candle

If you see me comin', start runnin'
I'm the one you love
If you see me cryin', start lyin'
I'm the one you love

Failing to plead
With a throat full of dust
Life falls asleep
In a fetal position

My skull is an egg
Like a flash in the pan
A heavenly meal
For the animal angels

If you see me comin', start runnin'
I'm the one you love
If you see me cryin', start lyin'
I'm the one you love

Gravity why so soon, what's the rush
Gravity pulls me down, underground
Gravity hunt me down, make the kill

If you see me comin', start runnin'
I'm the one you love

If you see me cryin', start lyin'
I'm the one you love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Nervous Cabaret's song Gravity convey a sense of desperation and resignation. The first verse talks about the fleetingness of life and the tolls it takes on the body, comparing it to a cracked map of Arizona. The second verse describes the singer's fading health and his impending death. He sees himself as a human candle, melting away and burning out. He appears to be searching for solace or comfort, but is met with disappointment and hopelessness. The final verse talks about the inevitability of death and the power of gravity, which pulls everything towards the earth. The singer sees himself as a hunted animal, doomed to be captured and killed by the forces of nature.

Line by Line Meaning

I've had my fun
I have enjoyed life to the fullest

Had my day in the sun
I have had my moment of success or fame

Now my body's a map
My body carries the marks left by life's experiences

Of a cracked Arizona
These marks resemble the dry, barren landscape of Arizona

Time runnin' out
Time is passing quickly

And I'm melting away
I am wasting away or losing my essence

Melting away
I am disappearing gradually

I'm a human candle
Like a flame, I am flickering and about to go out

If you see me comin', start runnin'
I bring trouble and you should avoid me

I'm the one you love
Despite my imperfections, you can't help but feel affection for me

Failing to plead
I cannot articulate my needs or desires