Nicholas Edward Cave AO (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, s… Read Full Bio ↴Nicholas Edward Cave AO (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, songwriter, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor, best known for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Cave's music is generally characterized by his baritone voice, emotional intensity, a wide variety of influences and lyrical obsessions with death, religion, love and violence.

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.

Helpless
Nick Cave Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There is a town in north Ontario
And I take comfort from memories there
And in my mind I still need a place to go
All my best changes were there

Blue, blue windows behind the stars
Yellow moon on the rise
Big birds flying across the sky

Throwing shadows on our eyes
Leave us helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
Baby, heal me now

The chains are locked and tied across the door
They seem to help me somehow

Overall Meaning

"Helpless" is a beautifully melancholic song by Nick Cave that speaks of nostalgia and a longing to be healed. The song is about reminiscing a small town in North Ontario and taking comfort from the memories that are held dear. The singer is someone who has seen changes and growth in their life, and this small town is where some of their best changes were witnessed.

The opening lines, "There is a town in North Ontario, and I take comfort from memories there," suggest that the singer is longing for a peaceful place to escape to, both physically and emotionally. The singer craves the simplicity and innocence of the past, and the memories serve as a solace to the pain and confusion of the present.

The repetition of the word "helpless" in the chorus provides poignant emphasis on the vulnerability and desperation of the singer's current state. The chain being locked and tied across the door can be seen as a metaphor for the chains of emotions that are holding the singer back. The plea for healing is a symbol of hope and a desire to move on from the past.

Line by Line Meaning

There is a town in north Ontario
There is a place in my memory that I hold dear

And I take comfort from memories there
Reminiscing about that town brings me peace

And in my mind I still need a place to go
I long to revisit that town, even if only in my thoughts

All my best changes were there
The most meaningful and profound changes in my life took place in that town

Blue, blue windows behind the stars
The starry night sky offers a peaceful and beautiful view

Yellow moon on the rise
The moonlight provides a calming and comforting aura

Big birds flying across the sky
Watching the birds soaring through the sky brings joy and a sense of freedom

Throwing shadows on our eyes
The bird's shadows cause momentary blindness which makes us feel helpless

Leave us helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
The awe-inspiring nature makes us feel powerless

Baby, heal me now
A plea to alleviate the sense of helplessness

The chains are locked and tied across the door
Something is holding me back from returning to that town

They seem to help me somehow
Ironically, the chains offer some sense of comfort and security

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID TAYLOR, ROB DOWNES, ALEX MUNGO, JASPER JOHN NIELSON STAINTHORPE, STEPHEN WREN, MARK ROBERT TIPLADY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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