The band has featured international personnel throughout its career and presently consists of Cave, violinist and multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis, bassist Martyn P. Casey (all from Australia), guitarist George Vjestica (United Kingdom), keyboardist/percussionist Toby Dammit (United States) and drummers Thomas Wydler (Switzerland) and Jim Sclavunos (United States). The band has released sixteen studio albums and completed numerous international tours, and has been considered "one of the most original and celebrated bands of the post-punk and alternative rock eras in the '80s and onward".
The band was founded in 1983 following the demise of Cave and Harvey's former group the Birthday Party, the members of which met at a boarding school in Victoria. By the release of their fifth studio album Tender Prey in 1988, they shifted from post-punk towards an experimental alternative rock sound, later incorporating various influences throughout their career. For example, the 2008 album Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! and the side-project Grinderman were strongly influenced by garage rock. Synthesizers and minimal guitar work feature prominently on Push the Sky Away (2013), recorded after Harvey's departure from the band in 2009.
The project that would later evolve into Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds began following the demise of The Birthday Party in August 1983. Both Cave and Harvey were members of the Birthday Party, along with guitarist Rowland S. Howard and bassist Tracy Pew. During the recording sessions of the Birthday Party's scheduled EPs Mutiny/The Bad Seed, internal disputes developed in the band. The difference in Cave and Howard's approach to songwriting was a major factor, as Cave explained in an interview with On The Street: "the main reason why The Birthday Party broke up was that the sort of songs that I was writing and the sort of songs that Rowland was writing were just totally at odds with each other." Following the departure of Harvey, they officially disbanded. Cave also said that "it probably would have gone on longer, but Mick has the ability to judge things much more clearly than the rest of us."[8]
Cave and guitarist Kid Congo Powers during the band's 1986 tour.
An embryonic version of what would later become Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds was formed in the Birthday Party's then-home of London in September 1983, with Cave, Harvey (acting primarily as drummer), Einstürzende Neubauten guitarist Bargeld, Magazine bassist Barry Adamson, and Jim G. Thirlwell. The band was initially formed as a backing band for Cave's intended solo project Man Or Myth?, which had been approved by the record label Mute Records. During September and October 1983, they recorded material with producer Flood,[9] although the sessions were cut short due to Cave's touring with the Immaculate Consumptive, another project formed with Thirlwell, Lydia Lunch and Marc Almond.[10] In December 1983 Cave returned to Melbourne, Australia, where he formed a temporary line-up of his backing band, due to Bargeld's absence, that included Pew and guitarist Hugo Race. The band performed their first live show at Seaview in St. Kilda on 31 December 1983.
Following a short Australian tour, and during a period when they were without management, Cave and his band returned to London. Cave, Harvey, Bargeld, Race and Adamson formed the project's first consistent line-up, while Cave's longtime girlfriend Anita Lane was credited as a lyricist on the band's debut album.[citation needed] The group, which up to this time had been nameless, adopted the moniker Nick Cave and the Cavemen, which they used for the first six months of their career. However, they were later renamed Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in May 1984, in reference to the final Birthday Party EP The Bad Seed.[citation needed] They began recording sessions for their debut album in March 1984 at London's Trident Studios and these sessions, together with the abandoned Man Or Myth? sessions from September–October 1983 that were recorded at The Garden studios, formed the album From Her to Eternity, released on Mute Records in 1984.
Bring It On
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That you sit in now and yearn
I will never leave it, dear
I could not bear to return
And find it all untended
With the trees all bended low
This garden is our home, dear
And I got nowhere else to go
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every little tear
Bring it on
Every useless fear
Bring it on
All your shattered dreams
And I'll scatter them into the sea
Into the sea
The geraniums on your window sill
The carnations, dear, and the daffodil
Well, they're ordinary flowers
But they long for the light of your touch
And of your trembling will
Ah, you're trembling still
And I am trembling too
To be perfectly honest I don't know
Quite what else to do
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every neglected dream
Bring it on
Every little scheme
Bring it on
Every little fear
And I'll make them disappear
So bring it on, bring it on
Bring it on
Every little thing
Bring it on
Every tiny fear
Bring it on
Every shattered dream
And I'll scatter them into the sea
Woah
So bring it on, bring it on
Bring it on
Yeah, bring it on
Come on (come on)
Oh bring it on
Yeah come on, come on
Oh come, on
Bring it on
Every little fear
And I'll make them disappear
Woah
Bring it on
Bring it on (bring it on)
Yeah bring it on
Bring it on, bring it on
Yeah bring it on
Every little fear
Bring it on
Every tiny tear
And I'll make them disappear
The song "Bring It On" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds is a hauntingly beautiful ode to a garden the singer has built for his beloved. The garden symbolizes the love and intimacy they share, and the fear and trepidation the singer feels at the thought of losing it. He promises never to abandon it, as he couldn't bear to see it untended and destroyed. The first verse sets the tone for the song, with the singer telling his beloved that he has nowhere else to go, and that the garden is their home.
The chorus "Bring it On" is repeated several times throughout the song, and it conveys a sense of emotional vulnerability and openness. It's almost as if the singer is daring his beloved to bring on all of her fears and shattered dreams, so that he can help her make them disappear. The second verse focuses on the geraniums on the window sill, which long for the light of his beloved's touch. The flowers are ordinary, but they symbolize the beauty and vulnerability of their relationship. The singer admits that he is also trembling with fear and uncertainty, and that he doesn't know what else to do except offer his love and support.
Line by Line Meaning
This garden that I built for you
This safe space that I've created for us
That you sit in now and yearn
That you cling to and long for
I will never leave it, dear
I'll always be here for you
I could not bear to return
The thought of leaving scares me
And find it all untended
And see the neglect it's suffered
With the trees all bended low
With the signs of damage and struggle
This garden is our home, dear
This space we share is our refuge
And I got nowhere else to go
I don't know how to exist outside of it
So bring it on
Let it all out, show me your pain
Every little tear
Every drop of sadness
Bring it on
Don't hold back, let me see your emotions
Every useless fear
Every anxiety that grips you irrationally
Bring it on
Share your disappointments
All your shattered dreams
All the ambitions that didn't come true
And I'll scatter them into the sea
And I'll take them away and make them disappear
The geraniums on your window sill
The small pleasures that you hold onto
The carnations, dear, and the daffodil
The beauty that you find in everyday things
Well, they're ordinary flowers
They're nothing special, but they mean something to you
But they long for the light of your touch
They seek your care and attention
And of your trembling will
And of the passion and anxiety that you put into everything
Ah, you're trembling still
You're still grappling with those strong emotions
And I am trembling too
I feel your emotions and I share them with you
To be perfectly honest I don't know
I don't have all the answers
Quite what else to do
I'm doing my best to understand and support you
Every neglected dream
All the desires you've given up on
Every little scheme
All the plans you've made in your head
And I'll make them disappear
I'll alleviate that pressure and make them less important
Bring it on
Feel free to express yourself
Every little thing
Any issue, big or small
Every tiny fear
Even the smallest of worries
Bring it on
Open up to me
And I'll make them disappear
I'll help you let go of them
Oh bring it on
Share your pain with me
Come on (come on)
Encouraging you to be vulnerable
Every little fear
All your worries, your anxieties
And I'll make them disappear
I'll lessen their hold on you
Bring it on (bring it on)
I'm here for you
Every tiny tear
Every drop of pain you feel
And I'll make them disappear
I'll help you move on from them
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Nicholas Cave
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RohitkumarGangotia
Lyrics
This garden that I built for you
That you sit in now and yearn
I will never leave it, dear
I could not bear to return
And find it all untended
With the trees all bended low
This garden is our home, dear
And I got nowhere else to go
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every little tear
Bring it on
Every useless fear
Bring it on
All your shattered dreams
And I'll scatter them into the sea
Into the sea
The geraniums on your window sill
The carnations, dear, and the daffodil
Well, they're ordinary flowers
But they long for the light of your touch
And of your trembling will
Ah, you're trembling still
And I am trembling too
To be perfectly honest I don't know
Quite what else to do
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every neglected dream
Bring it on
Every little scheme
Bring it on
Every little fear
And I'll make them disappear
So bring it on, bring it on
Bring it on
Every little thing
Bring it on
Every tiny fear
Bring it on
Every shattered dream
And I'll scatter them into the sea
@DireitoDiarios
This garden that I built for you
That you sit in now and yearn
I will never leave it, dear
I could not bear to return
And find it all untended
With the trees all bended low
This garden is our home, dear
And I got nowhere else to go
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every little tear
Bring it on
Every useless fear
Bring it on
All your shattered dreams
And I'll scatter them into the sea
Into the sea
The geraniums on your window sill
The carnations, dear, and the daffodil
Well, they're ordinary flowers
But they long for the light of your touch
And of your trembling will
Ah, you're trembling still
And I am trembling too
To be perfectly honest I don't know
Quite what else to do
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every neglected dream
Bring it on
Every little scheme
Bring it on
Every little fear
And I'll make them disappear
So bring it on, bring it on
Bring it on
Every little thing
Bring it on
Every tiny fear
Bring it on
Every shattered dream
And I'll scatter them into the sea
Woah
So bring it on, bring it on
Bring it on
Yeah, bring it on
Come on (come on)
Oh bring it on
Yeah come on, come on
Oh come, on
Bring it on
Every little fear
And I'll make them disappear
Woah
Bring it on
Bring it on (bring it on)
Yeah bring it on
Bring it on, bring it on
Yeah bring it on
Every little fear
Bring it on
Every tiny tear
And I'll make them disappear
@LongJohnHill
Rest in peace, Chris Bailey. Always loved your performance on this.
@ishtarbabylon4869
Oh no! 😒
@conorlynch2879
Nick Cave is the only person in the world who doesn't look stupid singing into an unplugged mic.
@nicolehofarttattoo4336
😹😹😹
@magicbulletdancers
Absolute 👍
He just does himself
@TheJulesc52
Nick Cave AND Chris Bailey- how much more could you ask for?!
One of my absolutely favourite songs ever
❤️ Bless Chris Bailey - YOU were extraordinary! ❤️
@josephgarcia506
This year marks our ten year wedding anniversary, this was our wedding song. It still makes me giddy thinking back to that day. ❤
@obiigwe8349
Beautiful wedding song. Congrats on your anniversary
@makaylaboswell1854
What a magical song to choose. I love that 😭
@RohitkumarGangotia
Lyrics
This garden that I built for you
That you sit in now and yearn
I will never leave it, dear
I could not bear to return
And find it all untended
With the trees all bended low
This garden is our home, dear
And I got nowhere else to go
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every little tear
Bring it on
Every useless fear
Bring it on
All your shattered dreams
And I'll scatter them into the sea
Into the sea
The geraniums on your window sill
The carnations, dear, and the daffodil
Well, they're ordinary flowers
But they long for the light of your touch
And of your trembling will
Ah, you're trembling still
And I am trembling too
To be perfectly honest I don't know
Quite what else to do
So bring it on
Bring it on
Every neglected dream
Bring it on
Every little scheme
Bring it on
Every little fear
And I'll make them disappear
So bring it on, bring it on
Bring it on
Every little thing
Bring it on
Every tiny fear
Bring it on
Every shattered dream
And I'll scatter them into the sea