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.
John the Revelator
Nick Cave Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who's that writin'? ( John the revelator)
Who's that writin'? ( John the revelator)
He wrote the book of the seven seals
And what's John writin'? ('bout the revelation)
Yeah, what's John writin'? ('bout the revelation)
Yeah what's John writin'? ('bout the revelation)
O Babe, a thousands cried O holy
A mountain of fulsome, son of god
Daughter of Zion, Judah the lion
The redeemer said he bought us with our blood
Now who's that writin'? ( John the revelator)
Who's that writin'? ( John the revelator)
Yeah, who's that writin'? ( John the revelator)
He wrote the book of the seven seals
And what's John writin'? ('bout the revelation)
Yeah, what's John writin'? ('bout the revelation)
Yeah what's John writin'? ('bout the revelation)
He wrote the book of the seven seals
John the revelator, straight advocator
Catch'em at the battle of Zion
Tell'em the story, writing the glory
O God, O Lord, so love him from our heart
So who's that writin'? ( John the revelator)
Yeah who's that writin'? ( John the revelator)
Yeah, who's that writin'? ( John the revelator)
He wrote the book of the seven seals
And what's John writin'? ('bout the revelation)
Yeah, what's John writin'? ('bout the revelation)
Yeah what's John writin'? ('bout the revelation)
He wrote the book of the seven seals
Moses to Moses, watching the flock
He saw the bush where they had to stop
God told Moses pull off your shoes
Out of the flock, now you I choose
Now who's that writin'? ( John the revelator)
Who's that writin'? ( John the revelator)
Yeah, who's that writin'? ( John the revelator)
He wrote the book of the seven seals
What's John writin'? ('bout the revelation)
Yeah, what's John writin'? ('bout the revelation)
Yeah what's John writin'? ('bout the revelation)
He wrote the book of the seven seals
The lyrics to Nick Cave's song "John the Revelator" are an ode to the Biblical figure John the Revelator, who wrote the book of the seven seals in the New Testament. The song starts with a repetitive question - "Who's that writin'?" - which is answered every time with "John the Revelator." The song reflects on the power of John's writing as he shares the revelations that he received about the end of the world.
The lyrics mention various stories from the Bible, such as the burning bush that Moses encountered, and draw connections between the figures of John the Revelator and Moses. The lyrics suggest that John is a "straight advocator" who will help lead the faithful through the final battle of Zion, and that his writing is an invitation to join him in the glory of God. The song ends with a final question - "Who's that writin'?" - as if to suggest that the power of John's writing is ongoing and will continue to inspire generations.
Overall, "John the Revelator" is a song about the power of spirituality and faith in the face of apocalyptic circumstances. The song draws on the rich history of Biblical storytelling to suggest that John the Revelator's message is as relevant today as it was when he wrote it.
Line by Line Meaning
Who's that writin'? ( John the revelator)
Asking about the author of the book of Revelation, John the Revelator.
He wrote the book of the seven seals
John wrote about the events that took place in the end times and the opening of the seven seals in the book of Revelation.
And what's John writin'? ('bout the revelation)
Asking about the content of the book of Revelation, which is about the revelation of Jesus Christ and the end times.
O Babe, a thousands cried O holy
Referring to the multitude of people who have cried out to Jesus, calling him holy.
A mountain of fulsome, son of god
Jesus is compared to a mountain, implying his strength and durability, and is referred to as the Son of God.
Daughter of Zion, Judah the lion
Referring to Jesus as both the daughter of Zion, which represents the city of Jerusalem, and Judah the lion, connecting him to the tribe of Judah and symbolizing his power.
The redeemer said he bought us with our blood
Jesus, as the redeemer, purchased humanity's freedom from sin and judgement with his own blood shed on the cross.
John the revelator, straight advocator
John is the one who advocates for the truth in the book of Revelation and reveals the prophesized events.
Catch'em at the battle of Zion
Referring to the end time battle that will take place at Mount Zion or Jerusalem.
Tell'em the story, writing the glory
John is telling the story of the end times, writing about the glory and power of God.
O God, O Lord, so love him from our heart
Expressing love and adoration for God and the Lord for the salvation provided through Jesus.
Moses to Moses, watching the flock
Referring to Moses, who was watching over the flock of his father-in-law, also named Moses.
He saw the bush where they had to stop
Moses saw the burning bush and stopped to investigate it, which led to his encounter with God.
God told Moses pull off your shoes
When Moses approached the burning bush, God told him to remove his shoes as a sign of respect for the holy ground.
Out of the flock, now you I choose
God chose Moses out of all the people in the world to lead his people out of Egypt and receive the Ten Commandments.
Contributed by Matthew K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ana Podeanu
i deeply love his interpretation . i think is powerful . its one of the firts songs i heard from Cave and i adore it ever since. it is such a Nick Cave song ! doesnt have to be better from the other versions .. i have no comparation for it .. it is just a nick cave song and that says everything .. that says it is in some kind of way perfect !
MissCaptainWeird
this song rules I love all versions!!
Martha Langston
Oh, what a fantastic song this is - I've been a Nick Cave fan for a while, and this just shows his genius. Can't stop listening to it. . . . .
Lemmy Lem
Great version of one of the greatest songs of all time.
danielhouse
Indeed. Thanks for bringing things down to earth. Ultimately it's all about honoring the music and the artists who have influenced yoour own creativity.
Mimi Stojanoska
this version is so great! Love Nick Cave's voice. But still Depeche Mode had made a wonderful version of their own. :))
Steven Wiltshire
This is fantastic.
Viv Ruth
This is an excellent take. Blind Willie still the best though.
waterfallsandrain
This song, in all incarnations, fascinates me.
E F
I love it!