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.
Easy Money
Nick Cave Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's very tough
I said to the man who'd been sleeping rough
To sit within a fragrant breeze
All among the nodding trees
That hang heavy with the stuff
He threw his arms around my neck
And held my soft white hand
He was an understanding man
He did not even barely hardly speak
Easy money
Rain it down on the wife and the kids
Rain it down on the house where we live
Rain until you got nothing left to give
And rain that ever-loving stuff down on me
All the things for which my heart yearns
Gives joy in diminishing returns
He kissed me on the mouth
His hands they headed south
And my cheek it burned
Money, man, it is a bitch
The poor, they spoil it for the rich
With my face pressed in the clover
I wondered when this would be over
And at home we are all so guilty-sad
Easy money
Pour it down the open drain
Pour it all through my veins
Pour it down, yeah, let it rain
And pour that ever-loving stuff down on me
Now, I'm sitting pretty down on the bank
Life shuffles past at a low interest rate
In the money-coloured meadows
And all the interesting shadows
They leap up, then dissipate
Easy money
Easy money
Easy money
Rain it down on the wife and the kids
Rain it down on the house where we live
Rain it down until you got nothing left to give
And rain that ever-loving stuff down on me
Easy money
Easy money
Easy money
Easy money
Easy money
Easy money
Easy money
Easy money
The song "Easy Money" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds is a commentary on the unhealthy power dynamic that exists between the rich and the poor. The opening lyrics serve as a dialogue between the singer and a homeless man, who offers a fleeting moment of intimacy to the singer. The homeless man's physical touch and the "fragrant breeze" are juxtaposed with the heavy burden of his poverty and drug addiction. This dichotomy sets the stage for the rest of the song, where the singer yearns for easy money and a life of leisure, at the expense of others.
The chorus is a plea for money to rain down on the singer, his family, and their home, until there's nothing left to give. The lyrics suggest that while money may bring temporary relief, it doesn't solve the underlying issues that created the power imbalance in the first place. The singer recognizes that money is a "bitch," but continues to crave its benefits, even as he feels guilt and sadness about his privilege. The closing lyrics create a sense of detachment from the singer's surroundings, where life "shuffles past at a low interest rate," and the shadows are fleeting.
In summary, the song "Easy Money" is a commentary on the never-ending cycle of poverty and privilege, where those who have less are often penalized for the benefit of those who have more. The lyrics describe a desire for material wealth, but also acknowledge the emptiness of pursuing it at the cost of others.
Line by Line Meaning
It's difficult
Life is hard
It's very tough
Life is extremely challenging
I said to the man who'd been sleeping rough
I spoke to a homeless person
To sit within a fragrant breeze
To enjoy the pleasant smell of the air
All among the nodding trees
Surrounded by the swaying trees
That hang heavy with the stuff
That carry a lot of weight
He threw his arms around my neck
He hugged me
He brushed the tear from my cheek
He wiped away my tears
And held my soft white hand
He grabbed my hand
He was an understanding man
He was empathetic
He did not even barely hardly speak
He barely said anything
Easy money
Money is easy to spend
Rain it down on the wife and the kids
Spend it on family
Rain it down on the house where we live
Spend it on the home
Rain until you got nothing left to give
Spend it all
And rain that ever-loving stuff down on me
Spend money on me too
All the things for which my heart yearns
My desires keep growing
Gives joy in diminishing returns
My satisfaction decreases over time
He kissed me on the mouth
He kissed me
His hands they headed south
He touched my intimate areas
And my cheek it burned
I felt ashamed
Money, man, it is a bitch
Money is difficult to handle
The poor, they spoil it for the rich
Poor people make it harder for the rich
With my face pressed in the clover
Feeling low
I wondered when this would be over
I hoped for an end to my troubles
And at home we are all so guilty-sad
We feel remorseful and unhappy at home
Easy money
Money is easy to spend
Pour it down the open drain
Waste it
Pour it all through my veins
Spend it on drugs
Pour it down, yeah, let it rain
Spend it all without restraint
And pour that ever-loving stuff down on me
Spend money on me
Now, I'm sitting pretty down on the bank
I'm wealthy now
Life shuffles past at a low interest rate
Life is uneventful
In the money-coloured meadows
Surrounded by wealth
And all the interesting shadows
All the exciting things in life
They leap up, then dissipate
They come and go quickly
Easy money
Money is easy to spend
Easy money
Money is easy to spend
Easy money
Money is easy to spend
Rain it down on the wife and the kids
Spend it on family
Rain it down on the house where we live
Spend it on the home
Rain it down until you got nothing left to give
Spend it all
And rain that ever-loving stuff down on me
Spend money on me too
Easy money
Money is easy to spend
Easy money
Money is easy to spend
Easy money
Money is easy to spend
Easy money
Money is easy to spend
Easy money
Money is easy to spend
Easy money
Money is easy to spend
Easy money
Money is easy to spend
Easy money
Money is easy to spend
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Nicholas Cave
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@danozism
This brings back memories. Memories...
Thanks for uploading this. Great song, fantastic production and performances.
@planescaped
Easy Money and As I Sat Sadly By Her Side are still my favorite Nick Cave songs.
@heinruh9788
Love it!!!!!!!!!
@isokuu
❤
@Chris-cu7tl
🔥
@shadowamongstthemasses4173
😎🖤🖤🖤🖤
@PrimitiveInTheExtreme
🎧▶🎶💸
@emaddddd
🤍
@marcelodiaz71
Discazo!!!