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.
Jack The Ripper
Nick Cave Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She rules my house with an iron fist
I got a woman
She rules my house with an iron fist
She screams out Jack the Ripper
Every time I try to give that girl a kiss
Oh well I got a woman
Oh well I got a woman
She strikes me down with a hand of lead
We bed in a bucket of butcher's knives
I awake with a hatchet hanging over my head
Well you know the story of the viper
It's long and lean with poison tooth
Oh well, you know the story of the viper
It's long, it's lean, it's got a poison tooth
Well they're hissing under the floorboards
Hanging down in bunches from my roof
I got a woman
She just hollers what she wants from where she's at
I got a woman
She just hollers what she wants from where she is
She screams out Jack the Ripper
Every time I try to give that girl a kiss
The song "Jack the Ripper" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds is a dark and enigmatic tune that seems to describe a tumultuous and potentially dangerous relationship between the singer and a woman who rules his house "with an iron fist." The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a woman who is both alluring and terrifying at the same time- she screams out "Jack the Ripper" every time the singer tries to kiss her, suggesting that she is either wildly passionate or violently unstable.
The song also includes references to the story of the Viper, a long and lean snake with a "poison tooth" that is known for its lethal bite. These lines could be interpreted as a metaphor for the singer's relationship with this woman, which is both dangerous and alluring, and could potentially lead to his downfall.
Overall, "Jack the Ripper" is a haunting and unsettling song that speaks to the darker aspects of human relationships, and the power struggles that can exist between two people.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a woman
I have a female partner
She rules my house with an iron fist
She controls and dominates my home life with strict authority
I got a woman
I have a female partner
She screams out Jack the Ripper
She shouts the name of a notorious serial killer
Every time I try to give that girl a kiss
Whenever I attempt to show her affection
Oh well I got a woman
Despite the difficulties, I still have a female partner
She strikes me down with a fist of lead
She physically attacks me with a heavy hand
Oh well I got a woman
Despite the difficulties, I still have a female partner
We bed in a bucket of butcher's knives
We sleep in a container filled with sharp kitchen tools
I awake with a hatchet hanging over my head
I wake up with a dangerous weapon placed above me
Well you know the story of the viper
You are familiar with the tale of a venomous snake
It's long and lean with poison tooth
It has a slim body and sharp fangs capable of injecting venom
Well they're hissing under the floorboards
They are making sibilant sounds underneath the flooring
Hanging down in bunches from my roof
They are suspended in groups from the ceiling above me
She just hollers what she wants from where she's at
She loudly demands what she desires from her current location
She screams out Jack the Ripper
She shouts the name of a notorious serial killer
Every time I try to give that girl a kiss
Whenever I attempt to show her affection
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Nicholas Cave
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cyb3rDracul
I got a woman
She rules my house with an iron fist
I got a woman
She rules my house with an iron fist
She screams out Jack the Ripper
Every time I try to give that girl a kiss
I got a woman
She strikes me down with a fist of lead
I got a woman
She strikes me down with a fist of lead
We bed in a bucket of butcher's knives
A awake with a hatchet hanging over my head
Well you know the story of the viper
It's long and lean with poison tooth
Yeah, you know the story of the viper
It's long and lean with poison tooth
Well they're hissing under the floorboards
Hanging down in bunches from my roof
I got a woman
She just hollers what she wants from where she is
I got a woman
She just hollers what she wants from where she is
She screams out Jack the Ripper
Every time I try to give that girl a kiss
@cherybomber
Nick Cave brought me here.
@antemrva7439
Deftones brought me'er
@PatientenO.T.
Blixa is so hot in this video. Probably the one and only time he’s ever worn a white shirt performing. I love his signature guitar playing at the end. He’s such a treasure.
@marisolalvarezlopez7968
Beautiful Blixa ❤ brought me here
@ianalanneilgrant4626
Yeah, what the fuck happened to him? He started earning enough money to live on or something? 😂♥️
@mattdigiulio3196
My wife as always adored Nick Cave. She calls him her muse for her art. I'm jealous, but I gotta admit he is a creative genius so I can understand.
@zoltankiraly3590
if your wife likes Nick Cave you know she is a keeper :)
@damongirl66
@@zoltankiraly3590 Absololuty !
@deboracolangelo6334
He is fascinating when he sings!
@idasofar6892
I never realize how sexy this song was, until I saw Nick sing it for the first time in Paris last february (2013), I keep on loving him, more and more...