The Cave & Ellis collaboration began in earnest with the soundtrack for "The Proposition", much as the film itself sprang from director John Hillcoat's conviction that Nick could score a mean Western if he could only find the right script. Once the idea took hold, he supposed Nick might write the script too. Nick supposed, in turn, that Warren would recognise the note of impossible longing he sought for his story. Warren heard it alright: he heard the buzzing heat haze of the Australian outback as well, the tolling horizon and the tinkling presence of dread. His heat-shimmer samples and harsh, windblown, crow-lonely violin gave the images a searing immediacy: they give the story a timeless ring.
Film's prescriptive method, writing to order - although Cave and Ellis use loops rather than cues - cleared a new creative space.
In 2006, they began work on the soundtrack for Andrew Dominik's adaptation of Ron Hansen's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Although wide landscapes and brutal violence once again play a part in the drama, the main action is interior and almost entirely unspoken. Jesse is keenly aware of the danger foretold in the title but keeps his irksome enemy close. The music expresses his various awareness, his carelessness and his cruelty, his isolation and morbid sense of destiny. On Song for Jesse, a jingle bell rings like a fire alarm, a celeste plods wearily and a raindrop piano nags. Song for Bob is grievous with cello and violin but the strings' measured tread mourns neither Bob nor Jesse so much as the ageless weakness of men, their rage and their treachery.
By the time Dominik's film was released, Hillcoat was preparing his adaptation of The Road, Cormac McCarthy's story of a decrepit father and his guileless son struggling through the ruined landscape of global catastrophe. Cave and Ellis composed and recorded the score at the end of 2008 and the film is currently due for release later in 2009.
Cave & Ellis have also lent resonant dimension to a couple of startling documentaries. In 2007, they scored Geoffrey Smith's harrowing film The English Surgeon which traces Dr Henry Marsh's DIY struggle to bring modern neurosurgery to the confusion of post-Soviet Ukraine. The soundtrack amplifies the enterprising doctor's frustrations and anxieties, his practical genius and ethical dread. It implies cognitive dislocation, chemical imbalance and institutional apathy. It sighs and whines like the surgical instruments Dr Marsh shanghais from the NHS: 'Dandy Brain Cannula', 'Rat's Tooth Forceps' and 'Kerrison's Punch'. It inspires the film, even after the fact.
The Girls of Phnom Penh (2009) is Matthew Watson's second film about the consequences of Cambodia's "virginity trade". It describes the sorority of three young sex workers, Srey Leak, Me Nea and Cheata, as they struggle with their degradation and poverty. Humid loops, serrated cymbals and geysering steam stress the urgency of the girls' plight while, elsewhere, Nick's piano brims with compassion and Warren's soothing flutes curl with species regret.
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Down To The Valley
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say, down to the valley where the people all stay
Down to the valley, gonna teach the children how to play
Down from the mountains, down from the hill side
Down to the valley where the people all stay
Say, down to the valley where the people all stay
Down to the valley, gonna teach the children how to play
He came down from the mountain, down from the hillside
Down from the heavens, down by the riverside
Down to the village, down to the people
Down to the children, he teach them how to play
Down to the valley where the people all stay
Down to the valley, gonna teach the children how to play
Going down from the mountain to the valley
Down from the valley to the people, teach them how to play
Down from the mountain to the valley
Down, down
Down from the mountains, down from the hillside
Down to the valley where the people all stay
Down to the valley where the people all stay
Down to the valley, gonna teach the children how to play
Down to the valley, down form the hill side
Down to the valley where the people all stay
Down to the valley where the people all stay
Say, down to the valley where the people all stay
The song "Down to the Valley" by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is a simple yet potent track that opens with the repeated line "Down to the valley where the people all stay". The song seems to be about a teacher, or someone who wants to educate children and bring them joy, who comes down from the mountains or the heavens and seeks to teach the children of the valley how to play. The lyrics further depict this character going down to the village, down to the people, and specifically down to the children, who they teach.
The song is rich in meaning, as it can be interpreted in various ways. Perhaps the "down" mentioned throughout the song refers to a humbling of sorts, where the teacher comes down from a more elevated social or spiritual status to connect with the people and children on a more equal level. Additionally, the act of teaching the children how to play could symbolize the importance of imagination, creativity, and playfulness in child development, especially in a world where these qualities are often undervalued.
In terms of the music, the song features a repetitive melody and a minimalist arrangement, built mainly of a simple guitar strum, echoing steel guitar, and flickers of harmonica. The gentle pace of the song adds to the relaxed atmosphere, giving the listener a feeling of being transported to a peaceful valley.
Line by Line Meaning
Down to the valley where the people all stay
We are going down to the valley where the people live.
Say, down to the valley where the people all stay
Just in case you didn't hear, we are going down to the valley where the people live.
Down to the valley, gonna teach the children how to play
Our purpose for going down to the valley is to teach the children how to play.
Down from the mountains, down from the hill side
We are descending from the mountains and the hill side.
Down from the heavens, down by the riverside
We are descending from the heavens and the riverside.
Down to the village, down to the people
We are going to the village to reach the people.
Down to the children, he teach them how to play
Our focus is on teaching the children how to play.
Going down from the mountain to the valley
We are moving from the mountain to the valley.
Down from the valley to the people, teach them how to play
We are moving from the valley to the people, and our goal is to teach them how to play.
Down from the mountain to the valley
We are moving from the mountain to the valley.
Down, down
We continue to descend down.
Down to the valley, down form the hill side
We are going down to the valley from the hill side.
Down to the valley where the people all stay
Once again, we are going down to the valley where the people live.
Down to the valley where the people all stay
Another reminder that we are going down to the valley where the people live.
Contributed by Ryan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jayne Dough
Wonderful movie. Great soundtrack. 👍
Rusty David
Fantastic film.
Amazing song.
Romalvx
When God is in the house.
Luca Valentin
King
Azrin Bin Yunos Yunos
Hi guys