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.
Bring It On
Nick Cave Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That you sit in now and yearn
I will never leave it, dear
I could not bear to return
And find it all untended
With the trees all bended low
This garden is our home, dear
And I got nowhere else to go
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every little tear
Bring it on
Every useless fear
Bring it on
All your shattered dreams
And I'll scatter them into the sea
Into the sea
The geraniums on your window sill
The carnations, dear, and the daffodil
Well, they're ordinary flowers
But they long for the light of your touch
And of your trembling will
Ah, you're trembling still
And I am trembling too
To be perfectly honest I don't know
Quite what else to do
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every neglected dream
Bring it on
Every little scheme
Bring it on
Every little fear
And I'll make them disappear
So bring it on, bring it on
Bring it on
Every little thing
Bring it on
Every tiny fear
Bring it on
Every shattered dream
And I'll scatter them into the sea
Woah
So bring it on, bring it on
Bring it on
Yeah, bring it on
Come on (come on)
Oh bring it on
Yeah come on, come on
Oh come, on
Bring it on
Every little fear
And I'll make them disappear
Woah
Bring it on
Bring it on (bring it on)
Yeah bring it on
Bring it on, bring it on
Yeah bring it on
Every little fear
Bring it on
Every tiny tear
And I'll make them disappear
The lyrics of Nick Cave's song Bring It On depict a love that has endured despite the hardships encountered by the couple. The garden that the singer built for his partner serves as a metaphor for their relationship, a place of beauty and serenity that they have created together. The singer expresses his fear of leaving this garden, scared to return and find it uncared for with the trees bended low. The garden is where they call home and where he feels most alive. He urges his partner to bring on her tears, fears, shattered dreams, and neglected schemes, to lay them before him, so he can scatter them into the sea. He is ready to tackle all her problems as no obstacle could be too challenging to handle in this sacred place they have created together.
The song's message is about the importance of love and intimacy in a relationship. No matter how tough things might get, having someone to rely on and a home to return to can make all the difference. The garden represents a sanctuary, a place of safety, one where the singer feels most secure.
Line by Line Meaning
This garden that I built for you
The garden I created for you
That you sit in now and yearn
The garden you currently inhabit and long for
I will never leave it, dear
I will never abandon this place
I could not bear to return
I cannot tolerate coming back
And find it all untended
And witness it all neglected
With the trees all bended low
With the trees bent over and weak
This garden is our home, dear
This garden is our dwelling place, my love
And I got nowhere else to go
I have nowhere else to turn to
So bring it on
So, let it happen
Every little tear
Every single drop of sadness
Bring it on
Bring it upon us
Every useless fear
Every unfounded anxiety
Bring it on
Bring it without hesitation
All your shattered dreams
All your broken aspirations
And I'll scatter them into the sea
And I will cast them into the ocean
The geraniums on your window sill
The geraniums on your windowsill
The carnations, dear, and the daffodil
The carnations, my love, and the daffodil
Well, they're ordinary flowers
Well, they are common plants
But they long for the light of your touch
But they crave for the radiance of your contact
And of your trembling will
And of the uncertain determination you possess
Ah, you're trembling still
Ah, you are still anxious
And I am trembling too
And I myself am nervous as well
To be perfectly honest I don't know
To be entirely sincere, I am not sure
Quite what else to do
What other actions to take
Every neglected dream
Every disregarded aspiration
Every little scheme
Every small plan
Every little fear
Every small phobia
And I'll make them disappear
And I will eradicate them
Bring it on, bring it on
Bring it forth without delay
Every little thing
Every single matter
Every tiny fear
Every small apprehension
Every shattered dream
Every broken desire
And I'll scatter them into the sea
And I will throw them away into the ocean
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Nicholas Cave
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RohitkumarGangotia
Lyrics
This garden that I built for you
That you sit in now and yearn
I will never leave it, dear
I could not bear to return
And find it all untended
With the trees all bended low
This garden is our home, dear
And I got nowhere else to go
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every little tear
Bring it on
Every useless fear
Bring it on
All your shattered dreams
And I'll scatter them into the sea
Into the sea
The geraniums on your window sill
The carnations, dear, and the daffodil
Well, they're ordinary flowers
But they long for the light of your touch
And of your trembling will
Ah, you're trembling still
And I am trembling too
To be perfectly honest I don't know
Quite what else to do
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every neglected dream
Bring it on
Every little scheme
Bring it on
Every little fear
And I'll make them disappear
So bring it on, bring it on
Bring it on
Every little thing
Bring it on
Every tiny fear
Bring it on
Every shattered dream
And I'll scatter them into the sea
@DireitoDiarios
This garden that I built for you
That you sit in now and yearn
I will never leave it, dear
I could not bear to return
And find it all untended
With the trees all bended low
This garden is our home, dear
And I got nowhere else to go
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every little tear
Bring it on
Every useless fear
Bring it on
All your shattered dreams
And I'll scatter them into the sea
Into the sea
The geraniums on your window sill
The carnations, dear, and the daffodil
Well, they're ordinary flowers
But they long for the light of your touch
And of your trembling will
Ah, you're trembling still
And I am trembling too
To be perfectly honest I don't know
Quite what else to do
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every neglected dream
Bring it on
Every little scheme
Bring it on
Every little fear
And I'll make them disappear
So bring it on, bring it on
Bring it on
Every little thing
Bring it on
Every tiny fear
Bring it on
Every shattered dream
And I'll scatter them into the sea
Woah
So bring it on, bring it on
Bring it on
Yeah, bring it on
Come on (come on)
Oh bring it on
Yeah come on, come on
Oh come, on
Bring it on
Every little fear
And I'll make them disappear
Woah
Bring it on
Bring it on (bring it on)
Yeah bring it on
Bring it on, bring it on
Yeah bring it on
Every little fear
Bring it on
Every tiny tear
And I'll make them disappear
@LongJohnHill
Rest in peace, Chris Bailey. Always loved your performance on this.
@ishtarbabylon4869
Oh no! 😒
@conorlynch2879
Nick Cave is the only person in the world who doesn't look stupid singing into an unplugged mic.
@nicolehofarttattoo4336
😹😹😹
@magicbulletdancers
Absolute 👍
He just does himself
@TheJulesc52
Nick Cave AND Chris Bailey- how much more could you ask for?!
One of my absolutely favourite songs ever
❤️ Bless Chris Bailey - YOU were extraordinary! ❤️
@josephgarcia506
This year marks our ten year wedding anniversary, this was our wedding song. It still makes me giddy thinking back to that day. ❤
@obiigwe8349
Beautiful wedding song. Congrats on your anniversary
@makaylaboswell1854
What a magical song to choose. I love that 😭
@RohitkumarGangotia
Lyrics
This garden that I built for you
That you sit in now and yearn
I will never leave it, dear
I could not bear to return
And find it all untended
With the trees all bended low
This garden is our home, dear
And I got nowhere else to go
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every little tear
Bring it on
Every useless fear
Bring it on
All your shattered dreams
And I'll scatter them into the sea
Into the sea
The geraniums on your window sill
The carnations, dear, and the daffodil
Well, they're ordinary flowers
But they long for the light of your touch
And of your trembling will
Ah, you're trembling still
And I am trembling too
To be perfectly honest I don't know
Quite what else to do
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every neglected dream
Bring it on
Every little scheme
Bring it on
Every little fear
And I'll make them disappear
So bring it on, bring it on
Bring it on
Every little thing
Bring it on
Every tiny fear
Bring it on
Every shattered dream
And I'll scatter them into the sea