Born and raised in rural Victoria, Cave studied art before fronting The Birthday Party, one of Melbourne's leading post-punk bands, in the late 1970s. They relocated to London in 1980, but, disillusioned by life there, evolved towards a darker, more challenging sound, and acquired a reputation as "the most violent live band in the world". At this time, Cave, with his shock of black hair and pale, emaciated look, became an unwilling gothic rock poster boy. Soon after the band's break-up in 1983, Cave formed Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Much of the band's early material was set in a mythic American Deep South, drawing on spirituals and Delta blues, while Cave's preoccupation with Old Testament notions of good versus evil culminated in what has been called his signature song, "The Mercy Seat" (1988). The 1990s saw Cave achieve greater commercial success with quieter, piano-driven ballads, notably the Kylie Minogue duet "Where the Wild Roses Grow" (1996), and "Into My Arms" (1997). More recent releases, including the band's 17th and latest LP, Ghosteen (2019), feature increasingly abstract lyrics from Cave, as well as elements of ambient and electronic music. Grinderman, Cave's garage rock side project, has released two albums since 2006.
Cave co-wrote, scored and starred in the 1988 Australian prison film Ghosts... of the Civil Dead (1988), directed by John Hillcoat. He also wrote the screenplay for Hillcoat's bushranger film The Proposition (2005), and composed the soundtrack with frequent collaborator Warren Ellis. The pair's film score credits include The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), The Road (2009), Lawless (2012), and Hell or High Water (2016). Cave is the subject of several films, including the semi-fictional "day in the life" 20,000 Days on Earth (2014), and the documentary One More Time with Feeling (2016). Cave has also released two novels: And the Ass Saw the Angel (1989) and The Death of Bunny Munro (2009).
Cave's work has become the subject of academic study, and his songs have been covered by a wide range of artists, including Johnny Cash ("The Mercy Seat"), Metallica ("Loverman") and Snoop Dogg ("Red Right Hand"). He was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007, and named an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2017.
Albuquerque
Nick Cave Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a memory in its paws
A child swims between two boats
Her mother waving from the shore, darling
And we won't get to Amsterdam
Or that lake in Africa, darling
And we won't get to anywhere
Anytime this year, darling
And we won't get to anywhere, darling
Anytime this year
And we won't get to anywhere, darling
Unless I dream you there
We won't get to Albuquerque
Anytime this year
And we won't get to anywhere, darling
Unless you take me there, darling
The lyrics to Nick Cave's song Albuquerque create a sense of longing for a place and a person. The morning is described as crawling towards the singer with a memory in its paws, hinting at a bittersweet nostalgia for the past. The image of a child swimming between two boats with her mother waving from the shore creates a sense of innocence and youthfulness. However, the repeated refrain of "we won't get to anywhere, darling, unless I dream you there" highlights the singer's desire to be with their loved one and the realization that they may not be able to physically reach the places they want to go.
The song's title, Albuquerque, is only mentioned briefly and seems to represent a destination the singer wants to reach but is unable to because of their separation from their loved one. The repetition of the word "darling" throughout the lyrics emphasizes the intimacy of the relationship between the singer and their loved one, making the sense of longing and distance even more palpable.
Overall, Albuquerque is a melancholic yet romantic song that captures the feelings of longing and yearning for someone and a place that may be out of reach.
Line by Line Meaning
This morning crawls towards us, darling
The day starts off slowly and drags on
With a memory in its paws
Reminders of the past cling to this day
A child swims between two boats
A young kid carefreely plays in the sea
Her mother waving from the shore, darling
The child's loving mother watches her playfully from afar
And we won't get to Amsterdam
We're too preoccupied with daily distractions and won't go to Amsterdam
Or that lake in Africa, darling
We'll never see the beauties Africa offers, like a peaceful lake
And we won't get to anywhere
We can't travel to anywhere exciting and new
Anytime this year, darling
No opportunities for travel are available this year
And we won't get to anywhere, darling
We won't get to discover new places
Anytime this year
We have no time to travel
And we won't get to anywhere, darling
We're stuck and can't find new experiences on our own
Unless I dream you there
I can only experience new things if I dream about going with you
We won't get to Albuquerque
We can't travel to Albuquerque
Anytime this year
We have no time set aside for Albuquerque
And we won't get to anywhere, darling
We lack the initiative to travel alone and find new experiences
Unless you take me there, darling
We'll never discover new places unless we make an effort together
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Nicholas Cave, Warren Ellis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@orangenads
Actually, we live in Albuquerque, darling. So we're here... Thanks, Nick and Warren.
@aslongasitlasts
Nice.
@L.Haricksson
Given that we're at the end of history, does anyone feel like songs like this are like the ending theme of a really good television show. The television show being the history of mankind.
@99Nars
My travel plans got cancelled so I'm playing this
@frasermaxwell3634
A lockdown love letter...heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time 🧡
@tylersweet5994
It's another 'Love Letter'. And it's beautiful. Genius.
@elizabethpinkerton9866
Sometimes he breaks my heart.
@aslongasitlasts
Only sometimes?
@gnvgrigio7527
meraviglia assoluta, grazie Nick, ti prego vieni in concerto in Italia o in Europa...
@Pattypollon
E dal vivo e' pure meglio. Ipnotico.