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.
love letter
Nick Cave Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A plea, a petition, a kind of prayer
I hope it does as I have planned
Losing her again is more than I can bear
I kiss the cold, white envelope
I press my lips against her name
Two hundred words
We live in hope
Love Letter, love letter
Go get her, go get her
Love Letter, love letter
Go tell her, go tell her
A wicked wind whips up the hill
A handful of hopeful words
I love her and I always will
The sky is ready to burst
Said something I did not mean to say
Said something I did not mean to say
Said something I did not mean to say
It all came out the wrong way
Love Letter, love letter
Go get her, go get her
Love Letter, love letter
Go tell her, go tell her
Rain your kisses down upon me
Rain your kisses down in storms
And for all who'll come before me
In your slowly fading forms
I'm going out of my mind
Will leave me standing in
The rain with a letter and a prayer
Whispered on the wind
Come back to me
Come back to me
O baby please come back to me
The song "Love Letter" by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds tells the story of a person who has written a love letter to his beloved. The first stanza of the song introduces the letter as a plea, petition, or prayer as the writer has lost his lover before and does not want to lose her again. The second stanza talks about the writer kissing the envelope that contains the letter as if he is touching his lover's lips. The third stanza reveals that the writer has said something he did not mean to say, indicating that he might have lost his lover because of his words. The chorus (Love Letter, Love Letter, Go Get Her, Go Get Her, Love Letter, Love Letter, Go Tell Her, Go Tell Her) is a plea to the love letter to do its job of winning back the beloved.
The fourth stanza of the song talks about a wicked wind whipping up the hill, which can be a metaphor for the emotional turmoil that the writer is going through. He says that he loves his beloved and always will. The sky is ready to burst, which could also symbolize the writer's overwhelming emotions. The fifth stanza repeats the writer's confession that he said something he did not mean to say, and it all came out the wrong way. The chorus repeats itself, and the seventh and final stanza talks about the writer going out of his mind if his beloved does not return to him. He pleads with her to come back to him, whispering on the wind.
Overall, the song is a beautiful portrayal of a person who deeply loves and longs for his beloved. The love letter is his last hope, his prayer, and his chance to win back the love of his life. The song beautifully captures the depth of love and the agony of lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
I hold this letter in my hand
The singer is physically holding a letter.
A plea, a petition, a kind of prayer
The letter is a desperate request and a prayer for help.
I hope it does as I have planned
The singer has high expectations for the letter's effect on the recipient.
Losing her again is more than I can bear
The artist is afraid of losing someone they love and the thought of it is unbearable.
I kiss the cold, white envelope
The artist is trying to convey their feelings by kissing the envelope.
I press my lips against her name
The singer is pressing their lips against the name of the person they love.
Two hundred words
The letter is two hundred words long.
We live in hope
The artist still feels hopeful despite the fear of losing their loved one.
The sky hangs heavy with rain
The weather reflects the artist's mood.
Love Letter, love letter
Go get her, go get her
Love Letter, love letter
Go tell her, go tell her
The artist is urging the letter to reach its destination and express their feelings.
A wicked wind whips up the hill
The weather gets worse, reflecting the singer's feelings.
A handful of hopeful words
The artist is trying to convey their hope through a few words.
I love her and I always will
The singer loves their recipient and will always do so.
The sky is ready to burst
The weather is growing more intense and a storm is coming.
Said something I did not mean to say
Said something I did not mean to say
Said something I did not mean to say
It all came out the wrong way
The singer is regretting saying something they didn't mean, and the words came out incoherently.
Rain your kisses down upon me
Rain your kisses down in storms
And for all who'll come before me
In your slowly fading forms
The artist is craving affection from their loved one, even after they're gone.
I'm going out of my mind
Will leave me standing in
The rain with a letter and a prayer
Whispered on the wind
The artist is losing their mind over not being able to reach their loved one and will be left standing in the rain with their letter and their prayer.
Come back to me
Come back to me
O baby please come back to me
The singer is pleading for their loved one to come back to them.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Nicholas Cave
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aphrodite Arva
I hold this letter in my hand
A plea, a petition, a kind of prayer
I hope it does as I have planned
Losing her again is more than I can bear
I kiss the cold, white envelope
I press my lips against her name
Two hundred words. We live in hope
The sky hangs heavy with rain
[Chorus]
Love Letter Love Letter
Go get her Go get her
Love Letter Love Letter
Go tell her Go tell her
[Verse 2]
A wicked wind whips up the hill
A handful of hopeful words
I love her and I always will
The sky is ready to burst
Said something I did not mean to say
Said something I did not mean to say
Said something I did not mean to say
It all came out the wrong way
[Chorus]
Love Letter Love letter
Go get her Go get her
Love Letter Love letter
Go tell her Go tell her
[Verse 3]
Rain your kisses down upon me
Rain your kisses down in storms
And for all who'll come before me
In your slowly fading forms
I'm going out of my mind
Will leave me standing in
The rain with a letter and a prayer
Whispered on the wind
Come back to me
Come back to me
O baby please come back to me
TomAraya
"Said something I did not mean to say
It all came out the wrong way
Love Letter Love letter
Go get her Go get her
.................................
I'm going out of my mind
Will leave me standing in
The rain with a letter and a prayer
Whispered on the wind
Come back to me"
alan waterhouse
My wife and I listened to this so many times and cried rivers together, she died 6 years ago, now I listen alone, together, I adored her , always will .
dantecarp
Dude...feel your pain
slave voltage
you just made me cry. I am so sorry... You are still together somewhere in space and time. life is so hard.. Wish you all the best.
alan waterhouse
@slave voltage Thanks for the message , sorry I made you cry , take care, and remember like I do, love and happiness is all that really matters.
slave voltage
@alan waterhouse Oh, no need to apologize. After I read your comment, I went and gave my wife a hug, she just looked at me like ??? ...its so easy to forget what really matters with all the noise.. We also listened to this song many times and cried too. As sad as it was, your story, it was beautiful, still. I wish you all the best!
slave voltage
I'm sorry about mentioning the part about my wife. I feel that it was insensitive of me. Please forgive me. And thank you for reminding me of what really matters. I have been lost for a long time, now.
David R
Nick Cave is a genius. Surely one of the greatest song-writers of the era.
Susan Matthews
Nick's music is my lifeline. He's my 'go to' whenever I need to be grounded.
wongdong
i wish i had more friends who like this song, i feel so lonely when i listen to this song cause it's one of my favorite but nobody to share the deep feeling i get when i hear it
Kevin Eaves
+wongdong It's a beautiful song.