Shattered Ground
Nick Cave Lyrics

The moon in the night sky, with pale eyes
A description of the moon that seems to suggest a deeper meaning

And pale skin and long hair covering her naked body
Continuation of the description of the moon as an entity with human-like qualities

And sometimes she's laughing and sometimes she's crying
The moon's emotional state seems to be constantly shifting

And sometimes the moon is talking to nobody
The moon exhibits behaviors that humans would associate with mental instability

And there's a madness in her and a madness in me
The singer feels a kinship with the unstable moon due to their own mental state

And together it forms a kind of sanity
Despite the madness of both parties, their connection is what makes them feel grounded

Oh baby, don't leave me
The singer is pleading for emotional support and connection

We drove through the hills with the moon in our eyes
A recollection of a moment in time that was filled with romanticism and inspiration

We bought a house in the country
A major life decision that was made with the moon as a prevalent factor

Where we could lose our minds
The new home represented a place where they could fully embrace their shared madness

The moon is a girl with tears in her eyes
The singer returns to describing the moon as a human-like entity that is capable of emotion

Who is throwing her bags in the back of the car
The moon, in a metaphorical sense, is leaving the singer's life

And I am not even remotely surprised
The singer anticipated the moon's departure and is not caught off guard by it

And she's waving goodbye, she's waving goodbye
A repetition of the moon's departure and the singer's grief

Well the moon is a girl with sun in her eyes
The moon is still described as female, but with a new state of being

Everywhere you are, I am
The singer is expressing their love and devotion to a person who is not necessarily present at the moment

And everywhere you are, well I will hold your hand again
Despite distance or time passing, the singer wants to cling to their loved one

Only you are beautiful, only you are true
The singer is speaking to their loved one and expressing that they are the only source of beauty and honesty in their lives

I don't care what they're saying
The outside world's opinions and views do not matter to the singer

They can scream their fucking faces blue again
An insistence that the outside world is attempting to cause chaos or uproar

I will be all alone when you are gone
The singer acknowledges that when their loved one is gone, they will feel lonely

And I will not make a single sound
The singer will repress their emotions and not make a fuss over their loss

But come softly crashing down
Despite their best efforts, the singer will still experience a significant emotional breakdown

My pieces scattered all around
The singer's emotional breakdown is described as being catastrophic and all-consuming

Scattered all around
A repetition of the previous line to emphasize the magnitude of the loss

Toppled on the shattered ground
The image of a shattered foundation is used to describe the singer's emotional breakdown

You're waving goodbye
A repetition of the previous lines to show the singer's single-minded focus on their loved one's departure

She is waving goodbye
The person leaving is specifically identified as female in this repetition

Goodbye
A simple, final acknowledgement of loss

Oh baby
The singer's preferred term of endearment for their loved one

Oh baby
A repetition of the previous line

Goodbye
A repetition of the previous line

Goodbye
A repetition of the previous line

Goodbye
A repetition of the previous line

Oh baby
A final repetition of the singer's preferred term of endearment

Goodbye
A final repetition of the word that is a simple acknowledgement of loss

Oh, oh
A melancholic musical interlude that mirrors the sad tone of the lyrics

Goodbye
A final repetition of the word that serves as an emotional punctuation mark