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.
Messiah Ward
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I saved you the best seat in the house
Right up in the front row
Well the stars have been torn down
And the moon is locked away
The land is banked in frozen snow
You are a force of nature, dear
Your breath curls from your lips
And touch you with their fingertips
They're bringing out the dead now
It's easy just to look away
They are bringing out the dead now
It's been a strange, strange day
We could navigate our position by the stars
But they've taken out the stars
Well the stars have all gone
And I'm glad you've come along
We could comprehend our condition by the moon
But they've ordered the the moon not to shine
Still, I'm glad you've come along
I was worried out of my mind
'Cause they keep bringing out the dead now
And it's easy just to look away
They're bringing out the dead
And it's been a long, strange day
You can move up a little closer
I will throw a blanket over
We can weigh all the tears up in one hand
Against the laughter in the other
We could be hanging around here for centuries
Trying to make sense of this, my dear
While the planets try to get organized
Way above the stratosphere
But they bringing out the dead, now
And it's easy if we just walk away
'Cause they keep bringing out the dead, now
And it's been a long, long day
Look away
Look away
Look away
Look away
The lyrics to "Messiah Ward" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds paint a vivid picture of a world where the stars have disappeared, the moon is absent, and the land is covered in snow. The song starts with a nod to the audience, "I hope you're sitting comfortably, I saved you the best seat in the house, right up in the front row." This line can be interpreted in several ways, but it seems to suggest that the audience is watching a show or a spectacle, possibly a metaphor for the state of the world.
The singer then turns to the subject of nature, describing the beauty of a majestic force of nature, represented by a person whose breath curls from their lips and causes the trees to bend down and touch them with their fingertips. However, this is quickly followed by a stark reminder that death is ever-present, and the dead are being brought out for all to see. Despite the sadness of the situation, the singer invites the listener to come closer and suggests that they try to balance the tears and the laughter, an attempt to make sense of the chaos around them.
The chorus repeats the phrase "look away" four times, seemingly a plea to ignore the harsh realities of the world. However, the song ends with one final plea to "look away" followed by "look away no more."
Overall, "Messiah Ward" is a somber reflection on the state of the world, and a reminder that even in the midst of darkness, there is hope and beauty to be found.
Line by Line Meaning
I hope you're sitting comfortably
I hope you are calm and comfortable where you are.
I saved you the best seat in the house
I reserved the best seat for you to have the best experience.
Right up in the front row
Your seat is located at the very front row of the place.
Well the stars have been torn down
The stars were removed or destroyed.
And the moon is locked away
The moon is now inaccessible or hidden.
The land is banked in frozen snow
The snow has accumulated and piled up on the land, making it hard for anything to move or grow.
You are a force of nature, dear
As an individual, you are very powerful and influential.
Your breath curls from your lips
Your warm breath condenses into visible vapor as it meets the cold air.
And the trees bend down their branches
The trees lean their branches towards you as if they are acknowledging your presence.
And touch you with their fingertips
The tree branches seem to be touching you lightly as the wind blows them towards you.
They're bringing out the dead now
They are starting to bring out the people who have died.
It's easy just to look away
It is easy to ignore or avoid seeing the dead bodies.
It's been a strange, strange day
The day has been very unusual or weird.
We could navigate our position by the stars
We could use the stars as a guide to determine our location or find direction.
But they've taken out the stars
The stars are no longer available for us to use as reference points.
Well the stars have all gone
There are no more stars visible in the sky.
And I'm glad you've come along
I am happy that you are here with me.
We could comprehend our condition by the moon
We could use the moon to understand our situation or state.
But they've ordered the the moon not to shine
Someone has purposely made the moon invisible, so we cannot use it to our advantage.
Still, I'm glad you've come along
Even with the obstacles, I am still happy that you are here.
I was worried out of my mind
I was very anxious and stressed about what was happening.
'Cause they keep bringing out the dead now
The fact that they keep bringing out the dead is causing me distress.
And it's been a long, strange day
The day has been tiring, and it has been full of odd occurrences.
You can move up a little closer
You can sit closer to me.
I will throw a blanket over
I will cover you with a blanket to ensure your comfort.
We can weigh all the tears up in one hand
We can calculate how many tears were shed by adding them up together in our hand.
Against the laughter in the other
We can compare the amount of laughter against the number of tears.
We could be hanging around here for centuries
It feels as if we could stay in this place for a very long time.
Trying to make sense of this, my dear
We are attempting to understand the situation we are in.
While the planets try to get organized
The planets are trying to align themselves in order amongst the universe.
Way above the stratosphere
The planets are located high up beyond the earth's atmosphere.
But they bringing out the dead, now
Nevertheless, they are still carrying out the dead bodies.
And it's easy if we just walk away
It would be convenient if we leave and not witness the dead.
'Cause they keep bringing out the dead, now
The dead bodies are still being transported out.
And it's been a long, long day
The day has been seemingly endless and exhausting.
Look away
Avoid looking at the scene altogether.
Look away
Do not look back and disregard the situation.
Look away
Turn your eyes away from the distressing sight.
Look away
Shift your focus from the unpleasant event.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jim Sclavunos, Martyn Casey, Nick Cave, Warren Ellis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@PrimitiveInTheExtreme
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@patrickbilly8449
Comment dire merci àd toi Monsieur nick Cave pour tout de mes profondeur. Sero sachant en janvier 1986 pre sida comment tes CHANTS m ont accompagné du fait que pouvoir etre mort pour continuer à vivre . 2023 nous vivons en idiocratie mais toujours vivant