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.
Lament
Nick Cave Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your vampire tooth, your little truth and your tiny lies
And I know your trembling hand, your guilty prize
Your sleeping limbs, your foreign hymns and your midnight cries
So dry your eyes
And turn your head away
Now there's nothing more to say
I know your trail of tears, your slip of hand
Your monkey claw, your monkey paw and your monkey hand
And I've seen your trick of blood, your trap of fire
Your ancient wound, your scarlet moon, your jail house smile
So dry your eyes
And turn your head away
Now there's nothing more to say
Now you're gone away
So dry your eyes
And turn your head away
Now there's nothing more to say
Now you're gone away
I'll miss your urchin smile, your orphan tears
Your shining prize, your tiny cries, your little fears
And I'll miss your fairground hair, your seaside eyes
Your little truth, and your vampire tooth, and your tiny lies
So dry your eyes
And turn your head away
Now there's nothing more to say
Now you're gone away
So dry your eyes
And turn your head away
Now there's nothing more to say
Now you're gone away
So dry your eyes
And turn your head away
Now there's nothing more to say
Now you've gone away
The lyrics of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' "Lament" reflect the sadness, resignation, and sense of loss that come from the end of a relationship. The opening lines describe the physical attributes of the person with whom the singer has been involved, emphasizing both their beauty and their flaws. The next stanza suggests that the singer has seen through the other person's deceptions and has recognized their capacity for betrayal. Despite this awareness, the singer feels a deep connection to their former lover and acknowledges that they will miss many aspects of their former relationship.
The chorus of the song is a repeated refrain, encouraging the other person to "dry your eyes and turn your head away" because "now there's nothing more to say." This repetition creates a sense of finality and reinforces the idea that the relationship is truly over. The final stanza, which repeats much of the imagery from the beginning of the song, reinforces the idea that the singer is going to miss their former partner, but also recognizes that the relationship has run its course.
Overall, the lyrics of "Lament" are melancholy and contemplative, evoking a sense of nostalgia and loss that is common to many breakups.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen your fairground hair, your seaside eyes
I have observed the way your hair reminds me of the festive fairgrounds and the way your eyes remind me of the calm sea.
Your vampire tooth, your little truth and your tiny lies
I have noticed your canines that appear like vampire teeth and your half-truths and lies that are just small and insignificant.
And I know your trembling hand, your guilty prize
I am aware of your shaky hand that exposes your guilt, yet you feel like you've won something that is worthless.
Your sleeping limbs, your foreign hymns and your midnight cries
I am aware of your quiet and numb state, songs in languages unknown to me that you sing, and your night-time weeps.
So dry your eyes
Stop crying.
And turn your head away
Stop dwelling on what's behind and move on.
Now there's nothing more to say
There's nothing left to discuss.
Now you're gone away
Now that you're gone, there's no use talking about it anymore.
I know your trail of tears, your slip of hand
I am aware of the path of sorrow you have been on and the careless mistake you made.
Your monkey claw, your monkey paw and your monkey hand
I have seen the way your hand resembles that of a monkey's, as it grasps on to things it can't let go of.
And I've seen your trick of blood, your trap of fire
I know how you lure others with blood, and how you create situations that trap people like fire does.
Your ancient wound, your scarlet moon, your jail house smile
I have observed your old pain that still gnaws at you, the ominous red moon that probably reminds you of something you fear, and your fake smile that covers up your pain.
I'll miss your urchin smile, your orphan tears
I'll miss your childlike grin that represents innocence and your tears that scream a story of suffering.
Your shining prize, your tiny cries, your little fears
I'll miss the things that you hold dear, the sound of your frail voice that reveals your sadness, and the little worries that make you even more relatable.
Now there's nothing more to say
There's no use dwelling on the past.
Now you've gone away
Now that you're gone, there's no need to say more.
So dry your eyes
Please stop crying.
And turn your head away
It's time to move on and face the future.
Now there's nothing more to say
Let's put the past behind us and look forward.
Now you're gone away
You went away and took everything with you. It's time to let go.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Nicholas Cave
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
moenbase
on Nick Cave & Enya - (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Don't fear the reaper isn't sung by Cave. It's H.I.M. And... the lyrics is from a completely different song; Disco 2000, original by Pulp, but yea, also sung by Cave.