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.
Do You Love Me
Nick Cave Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wild bells rang in a wild sky
I knew from that moment on
I'll love her till the day that I died
And I kissed away a thousand tears
My lady of the various sorrows
Some begged, some borrowed, some stolen
Some kept safe for tomorrow
The bells from the chapel went jingle-jangle
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? like I love you?
She was given to me to put things right
And I stacked all my accomplishments beside her
Still I seemed so obsolete and small
I found god and all his devils inside her
In my bed she cast the blizzard out
A mock sun blazed upon her head
So completely filled with light she was
Her shadow fanged and hairy and mad
Our love-lines grew hopelessly tangled
And the bells from the chapel went jingle-jangle
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? like I love you?
She had a heart full of love and devotion
She had a mindful of tyranny and terror
Well, I try, I do, I really try
But I just err, baby, I do, I error
So come find me, my darling one
I'm down to the grounds, the very dregs
Ah, here she comes, blocking the sun
Blood running down the inside of her legs
The moon in the sky is battered and mangled
Band the bells from the chapel go jingle-jangle
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? like I love you?
All things move toward their end
I knew before I met her that I would lose her
I swear I made every effort to be good to her
I made every effort not to abuse her
Crazy bracelets on her wrists and her ankles
And the bells from the chapel go jingle-jangle
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? like I love you?
Nick Cave's song "Do You Love Me" describes a tumultuous romance, filled with passion, devotion, and danger. The song opens with a picture of a chaotic night, with fire and wild bells in the sky. From the moment the singer meets his lover, he is consumed by a deep and abiding love that will last until his death. He kisses away her tears and calls her his "lady of the various sorrows," acknowledging the pain and trauma she has experienced in her life. The pair have a love that is both beautiful and twisted, with shadowy and monstrous elements.
The lyrics are filled with religious imagery, suggesting that the love between the two lovers is intense and all-consuming, as though it is infused with the divine. The singer speaks of finding "God and all his devils" inside his lover, hinting at a complex dynamic of light and dark. The relationship is fraught with contradiction and paradox, with the singer feeling both inadequate and powerful in his lover's presence.
The final verse of the song is particularly poignant. The singer knows that his relationship with his lover will come to an end, and he tries desperately to be good to her, not to hurt or abuse her. But ultimately, he is unable to save their love from its inevitable destruction. The last line of the song is haunting, with the bells from the chapel still ringing and the singer left to wonder whether his lover truly loved him, as he loved her.
Overall, "Do You Love Me" is a powerful and deeply emotional song, exploring themes of love, devotion, and despair. The song's rich and evocative language paints a vivid picture of a relationship that is both beautiful and tragic.
Line by Line Meaning
I found her on a night of fire and noise
I met her in a wild and tumultuous moment.
Wild bells rang in a wild sky
The chaotic atmosphere was punctuated by ringing bells.
I knew from that moment on
I'll love her till the day that I died
I was immediately drawn to her and knew I would love her forever.
And I kissed away a thousand tears
I comforted her through a lot of pain.
My lady of the various sorrows
Some begged, some borrowed, some stolen
Some kept safe for tomorrow
She had many struggles and hardships in her life.
On and endless night, silver star spangled
The bells from the chapel went jingle-jangle
The chaotic night continued, and the ringing of the bells added to it.
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? like I love you?
I long to know if she loves me as much as I love her.
She was given to me to put things right
I felt like she was sent to me to fix my problems.
And I stacked all my accomplishments beside her
Still I seemed so obsolete and small
Despite my many achievements, I felt insignificant next to her.
I found god and all his devils inside her
I discovered both light and darkness within her.
In my bed she cast the blizzard out
A mock sun blazed upon her head
She brought warmth and light to my life.
So completely filled with light she was
Her shadow fanged and hairy and mad
She had both goodness and darkness within her.
Our love-lines grew hopelessly tangled
And the bells from the chapel went jingle-jangle
Our love became complicated and confused, and the bells continued to ring.
She had a heart full of love and devotion
She had a mindful of tyranny and terror
She had both kindness and cruelty in her heart.
Well, I try, I do, I really try
But I just err, baby, I do, I error
I made every effort to be good to her, but I still made mistakes.
So come find me, my darling one
I'm down to the grounds, the very dregs
Ah, here she comes, blocking the sun
Blood running down the inside of her legs
I'm waiting for her, even in my lowest moments, and she arrives in a powerful, bloody way.
The moon in the sky is battered and mangled
And the bells from the chapel go jingle-jangle
The world is chaotic and violent, and the ringing of the bells continues.
All things move toward their end
I knew before I met her that I would lose her
I swear I made every effort to be good to her
I made every effort not to abuse her
I knew our relationship would not last forever, and I did my best to treat her well and avoid mistreating her.
Crazy bracelets on her wrists and her ankles
And the bells from the chapel go jingle-jangle
She was restrained and possibly imprisoned, and the bells kept on chiming.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Rights Management
Written by: KIM FOWLEY, PAUL STANLEY, ROBERT A. EZRIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@turk914
I do admire the way he says "Do you love me?" like he's trying to get someone to admit to a crime. Just classic.
@lauraroach3512
“LIKE I LOVE YOU.” Ominously, almost as though the singer is trying to manipulate reciprocal love by proclaiming love, though based on the lyrics, I would determine that one of them (perhaps both) are profoundly disturbed, perhaps mentally ill?- “our lady of the various sorrows, some saved some borrowed some stolen , some kept, safe for tomorrow”, whereas the singer speaks as though he has a disturbing and ultimately fatalistic god-complex, coupled with a seemingly contradictory inferiority - (“I was sent to her to put things right.... so I stacked all my accomplishments beside her...still I seemed so obsolete and small.... I found GOD: now his devil’s inside Her”. From the first person narrative, it’s nearly impossible to know which one is crazier, if the “beloved” is a projection of the singers interpretation... and far from reality...etc.— gahhhh it doesn’t matter, it’s poetry -
Forgive me , I’m the daughter of an English prof and analysis is practically par for discourse
but I hate it when I dissect the most essential thing about a poem/lyric right out of the songthe vague, mysterious enchanting muddied water, or the questions that want to remain unanswered- dwelling in infinite possibilities@lauraroach3512
https://youtu.be/P51IVqf28Hs
@rexmundi3108
You said it.
@biancads393
Pois é
@klaarbeckers2496
I was thinking the same
@caroldecampo7190
He can't do anything wrong with that voice and talent.
THE PREACHER MAN ❤
@karlmorris-xz6iq
if you like this you might like my brother’s music. his name is Stu Morris and 'Daisy' is a good song by him.
@caroldecampo7190
@@karlmorris-xz6iq I will have a listen
@ASMRconKiki
I absolutely adore Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Pure poetry in music form.