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.
Death Is Not the End
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you haven't got a friend
Just remember that death is not the end
And all that you held sacred
Falls down and does not mend
Just remember that death is not the end
Not the end, not the end
When you're standing on the crossroads
That you cannot comprehend
Just remember that death is not the end
And all your dreams have vanished
And you don't know what's up the bend
Just remember that death is not the end
Not the end, not the end
Just remember that death is not the end
When the storm clouds gather round you
And heavy rains descend
Just remember that death is not the end
And there's no-one there to comfort you
With a helping hand to lend
Just remember that death is not the end
Not the end, not the end
Just remember that death is not the end
For the tree of life is growing
Where the spirit never dies
And the bright light of salvation
Up in dark and empty skies
When the cities are on fire
With the burning flesh of men
Just remember that death is not the end
When you search in vain to find
Some law-abiding citizen
Just remember that death is not the end
Not the end, not the end
Just remember that death is not the end
Not the end, not the end
Just remember that death is not the end
In the beautiful and poignant song "Death Is Not the End," Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds reminds listeners that even in the darkest moments, death is not the end. The song is a powerful reminder to those who feel alone or lost that there is always hope and that they are never truly alone.
Throughout the song, Cave provides a series of comforting messages to those in need. He encourages them to remember that death is not the end, even when they feel sad and lonely, and when they stand at a crossroads that they cannot comprehend. Even when they feel like their dreams have disappeared, and they don't know what the future holds, they should remember that death is not the end. In times of trouble, when storm clouds gather, and rain pours down, and they cannot find comfort or help, they should remember that death is not the end.
As the song progresses, Cave uses vivid imagery to describe the hope that exists despite the darkness. He reminds listeners that the "tree of life" is growing, where the "spirit never dies," and there is a "bright light of salvation" shining in "dark and empty skies." Even when the world seems to be falling apart, and there is chaos and destruction all around, death is not the end.
Overall, "Death Is Not the End" is a beautiful and moving song that offers comfort, hope, and reassurance to those who need it. It is a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is always a light that shines, and death is not the end.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're sad and when you're lonely
And you haven't got a friend
Just remember that death is not the end
When you feel alone and have nobody to lean on, don't despair because death is not the end. It may feel like it's the only way out, but there's still hope to find joy in life.
And all that you held sacred
Falls down and does not mend
Just remember that death is not the end
When everything you believed in crumbles before your very eyes and there's no way to get it back, remember that death is not the end. There's still something to live for, even if it's not what you expected.
When you're standing on the crossroads
That you cannot comprehend
Just remember that death is not the end
When you're faced with a difficult decision and you're not sure which path to take, remember that death is not the end. There's still a chance to make things right, no matter which path you choose.
And all your dreams have vanished
And you don't know what's up the bend
Just remember that death is not the end
When your dreams go up in smoke and you're left feeling lost and alone with no direction, remember that death is not the end. There's still a chance to find a new dream, a new purpose in life.
When the storm clouds gather round you
And heavy rains descend
Just remember that death is not the end
When life seems to be throwing everything it has at you, and you feel like you're drowning in your problems, remember that death is not the end. You can still find a way to weather the storm and come out the other side.
And there's no-one there to comfort you
With a helping hand to lend
Just remember that death is not the end
When you feel like there's nobody else in the world who can make things better for you, and you're all alone, remember that death is not the end. There's still a chance for things to get better, even if it seems impossible right now.
For the tree of life is growing
Where the spirit never dies
And the bright light of salvation
Up in dark and empty skies
There's a tree of life where the spirit never dies, and even when everything seems bleak and hopeless, there's a bright light of salvation that shines through the darkness.
When the cities are on fire
With the burning flesh of men
Just remember that death is not the end
Even when it seems like the world is ending, and war and destruction are all around us, remember that death is not the end. There's still hope for a better world, a better future.
When you search in vain to find
Some law-abiding citizen
Just remember that death is not the end
When you're searching for someone who embodies all the good qualities that you believe in, but come up empty-handed, remember that death is not the end. There's still a chance to find someone like that, or to become that person yourself.
Not the end, not the end
Just remember that death is not the end
It bears repeating that death is not the end, no matter how much we may think it is. There's still a chance for something better, for hope and joy and love.
Not the end, not the end
Just remember that death is not the end
Once again, it's important to remember that death is not the end. Our time on Earth may be limited, but that doesn't mean there's nothing left to live for.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind