The name of the new project indicated the shift in Cave's role from band member, as in The Birthday Party, to band leader, and coincided with his shift in songwriting style from expressionism to detailed lyrical narrative. The group has been through many personnel changes, with Cave and Harvey remaining the constants until 2009.
While in West Berlin, the band released four albums: The Firstborn Is Dead, Kicking Against the Pricks, Your Funeral... My Trial and Tender Prey. Kicking Against the Pricks was the first album to feature the drumming of Thomas Wydler, now the longest-serving band member alongside Cave and Harvey.
In 1987, The Bad Seeds made an appearance in the Wim Wenders film, Wings of Desire. In 1990, the band collectively eliminated hard drugs from its diet, relocated to Brazil, and released The Good Son, which reflected a less punk approach than their previous works. Their next record, 1992's Henry's Dream, was the first to feature current members Martyn P. Casey and Conway Savage. Following it came 1994's commercially successful Let Love In.
In 1996, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released Murder Ballads, their most successful album to date. The album included "Henry Lee", a duet with English rock singer PJ Harvey, with whom Cave had a brief relationship, and arguably the band's most well-known song, "Where the Wild Roses Grow", a duet with Australian pop idol Kylie Minogue. The latter was a mainstream hit in the United Kingdom and in Australia, winning three ARIA Awards including Song Of The Year.
Their next album, 1997's The Boatman's Call, marks a radical shift from archetypal and violent narratives to biographical and confessional songs about Cave's relationships with his ex-wife Vivianne Carneiro and PJ Harvey. It was also the first full-length album centered around Cave's piano playing.
Cave then took a short break to rehabilitate from his 20 years of heroin and alcohol abuse, during which time he married. The band resurfaced with No More Shall We Part in 2001, which followed a similar dynamic to The Boatman's Call, but received a mixed response from fans. After the release of the 2003 album Nocturama, which failed to excite reviewers, Bargeld announced he was leaving The Bad Seeds to devote more time to Einstürzende Neubauten, leaving Mick Harvey as the only original member other than Cave.
The following year, the band released their first double record, the acclaimed two-disc set Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus. In 2005, they released B-Sides and Rarities, a three-disc, 56-track collection of B-sides, rarities and unreleased songs.
In October 2007, Cave was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. During his acceptance speech, he cheekily took it upon himself to also induct the Australian members of The Bad Seeds (excluding Hugo Race), plus the members of The Birthday Party (excluding Phill Calvert).
In March 2008, the band released their 14th studio album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, inspired by the Biblical story of the resurrection of Lazarus. Following a similar style to The Bad Seeds' side project Grinderman, the album was "universally-acclaimed." An exclusive Live Session EP was released through iTunes in April 2008, recorded at the legendary Air Studios on 2 March, 2008 as part of iTunes' Live From London series.
On 22 January 2009, Mick Harvey announced through the band's web page that he was leaving The Bad Seeds to pursue other endeavours. Now the only original member of the band, Cave focused on Grinderman, which includes The Bad Seeds' Martyn P. Casey, Jim Sclavunos and Warren Ellis; as the project includes so many Bad Seeds members it is therefore sometimes referred to as "Mini-Seeds."
The current line-up of the band is:
Nick Cave - vocals, piano, organ, harmonica, percussion, electric guitar, string arrangements (1984-)
Thomas Wydler - drums, percussion, vocals (1987—)
Martyn P. Casey - bass, vocals (1991—)
Conway Savage - piano, organ, vocals (1991—)
Warren Ellis - violin, fender mandocaster, loops, mandolin, tenor guitar, viola, bouzouki, accordion, flute, lute, piano, programming, percussion, string arrangements, vocals (1994—)
Jim Sclavunos - percussion, drums, organ, melodica, vocals (1996—)
James Johnston - organ, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals (2003—)
Past members, guest and touring musicians include:
Mick Harvey - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, organ, percussion, piano, loops, string arrangements, vocals (1984-2009)
Blixa Bargeld - electric guitar, slide guitar, pedal steel guitar, vocals (1984–2003); original member who quit after almost 20 years
Anita Lane - lyrics (1984)
Barry Adamson - bass, electric guitar, drums, organ, piano, percussion, vocals (1984-1986)
Hugo Race - electric guitar, vocals (1984)
Rowland S. Howard (deceased) - electric guitar, organ, vocals
Tracy Pew (deceased) - bass
Kid Congo Powers - electric guitar, slide guitar (1986-1989)
Roland Wolf (deceased) - piano, organ, electric guitar, vocals (1986-1989)
Do You Love Me?
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wild bells rang in a wild sky
I knew from that moment on
I'll love her till the day that I died
And I kissed away a thousand tears
My lady of the various sorrows
Some begged, some borrowed, some stolen
Some kept safe for tomorrow
The bells from the chapel went jingle-jangle
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? like I love you?
She was given to me to put things right
And I stacked all my accomplishments beside her
Still I seemed so obsolete and small
I found god and all his devils inside her
In my bed she cast the blizzard out
A mock sun blazed upon her head
So completely filled with light she was
Her shadow fanged and hairy and mad
Our love-lines grew hopelessly tangled
And the bells from the chapel went jingle-jangle
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? like I love you?
She had a heart full of love and devotion
She had a mindful of tyranny and terror
Well, I try, I do, I really try
But I just err, baby, I do, I error
So come find me, my darling one
I'm down to the grounds, the very dregs
Ah, here she comes, blocking the sun
Blood running down the inside of her legs
The moon in the sky is battered and mangled
Band the bells from the chapel go jingle-jangle
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? like I love you?
All things move toward their end
I knew before I met her that I would lose her
I swear I made every effort to be good to her
I made every effort not to abuse her
Crazy bracelets on her wrists and her ankles
And the bells from the chapel go jingle-jangle
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? like I love you?
Nick Cave's song "Do You Love Me" describes a tumultuous romance, filled with passion, devotion, and danger. The song opens with a picture of a chaotic night, with fire and wild bells in the sky. From the moment the singer meets his lover, he is consumed by a deep and abiding love that will last until his death. He kisses away her tears and calls her his "lady of the various sorrows," acknowledging the pain and trauma she has experienced in her life. The pair have a love that is both beautiful and twisted, with shadowy and monstrous elements.
The lyrics are filled with religious imagery, suggesting that the love between the two lovers is intense and all-consuming, as though it is infused with the divine. The singer speaks of finding "God and all his devils" inside his lover, hinting at a complex dynamic of light and dark. The relationship is fraught with contradiction and paradox, with the singer feeling both inadequate and powerful in his lover's presence.
The final verse of the song is particularly poignant. The singer knows that his relationship with his lover will come to an end, and he tries desperately to be good to her, not to hurt or abuse her. But ultimately, he is unable to save their love from its inevitable destruction. The last line of the song is haunting, with the bells from the chapel still ringing and the singer left to wonder whether his lover truly loved him, as he loved her.
Overall, "Do You Love Me" is a powerful and deeply emotional song, exploring themes of love, devotion, and despair. The song's rich and evocative language paints a vivid picture of a relationship that is both beautiful and tragic.
Line by Line Meaning
I found her on a night of fire and noise
I met her in a wild and tumultuous moment.
Wild bells rang in a wild sky
The chaotic atmosphere was punctuated by ringing bells.
I knew from that moment on
I'll love her till the day that I died
I was immediately drawn to her and knew I would love her forever.
And I kissed away a thousand tears
I comforted her through a lot of pain.
My lady of the various sorrows
Some begged, some borrowed, some stolen
Some kept safe for tomorrow
She had many struggles and hardships in her life.
On and endless night, silver star spangled
The bells from the chapel went jingle-jangle
The chaotic night continued, and the ringing of the bells added to it.
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? do you love me?
Do you love me? like I love you?
I long to know if she loves me as much as I love her.
She was given to me to put things right
I felt like she was sent to me to fix my problems.
And I stacked all my accomplishments beside her
Still I seemed so obsolete and small
Despite my many achievements, I felt insignificant next to her.
I found god and all his devils inside her
I discovered both light and darkness within her.
In my bed she cast the blizzard out
A mock sun blazed upon her head
She brought warmth and light to my life.
So completely filled with light she was
Her shadow fanged and hairy and mad
She had both goodness and darkness within her.
Our love-lines grew hopelessly tangled
And the bells from the chapel went jingle-jangle
Our love became complicated and confused, and the bells continued to ring.
She had a heart full of love and devotion
She had a mindful of tyranny and terror
She had both kindness and cruelty in her heart.
Well, I try, I do, I really try
But I just err, baby, I do, I error
I made every effort to be good to her, but I still made mistakes.
So come find me, my darling one
I'm down to the grounds, the very dregs
Ah, here she comes, blocking the sun
Blood running down the inside of her legs
I'm waiting for her, even in my lowest moments, and she arrives in a powerful, bloody way.
The moon in the sky is battered and mangled
And the bells from the chapel go jingle-jangle
The world is chaotic and violent, and the ringing of the bells continues.
All things move toward their end
I knew before I met her that I would lose her
I swear I made every effort to be good to her
I made every effort not to abuse her
I knew our relationship would not last forever, and I did my best to treat her well and avoid mistreating her.
Crazy bracelets on her wrists and her ankles
And the bells from the chapel go jingle-jangle
She was restrained and possibly imprisoned, and the bells kept on chiming.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KIM FOWLEY, PAUL STANLEY, ROBERT A. EZRIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@turk914
I do admire the way he says "Do you love me?" like he's trying to get someone to admit to a crime. Just classic.
@lauraroach3512
“LIKE I LOVE YOU.” Ominously, almost as though the singer is trying to manipulate reciprocal love by proclaiming love, though based on the lyrics, I would determine that one of them (perhaps both) are profoundly disturbed, perhaps mentally ill?- “our lady of the various sorrows, some saved some borrowed some stolen , some kept, safe for tomorrow”, whereas the singer speaks as though he has a disturbing and ultimately fatalistic god-complex, coupled with a seemingly contradictory inferiority - (“I was sent to her to put things right.... so I stacked all my accomplishments beside her...still I seemed so obsolete and small.... I found GOD: now his devil’s inside Her”. From the first person narrative, it’s nearly impossible to know which one is crazier, if the “beloved” is a projection of the singers interpretation... and far from reality...etc.— gahhhh it doesn’t matter, it’s poetry -
Forgive me , I’m the daughter of an English prof and analysis is practically par for discourse
but I hate it when I dissect the most essential thing about a poem/lyric right out of the songthe vague, mysterious enchanting muddied water, or the questions that want to remain unanswered- dwelling in infinite possibilities@lauraroach3512
https://youtu.be/P51IVqf28Hs
@rexmundi3108
You said it.
@biancads393
Pois é
@klaarbeckers2496
I was thinking the same
@caroldecampo7190
He can't do anything wrong with that voice and talent.
THE PREACHER MAN ❤
@karlmorris-xz6iq
if you like this you might like my brother’s music. his name is Stu Morris and 'Daisy' is a good song by him.
@caroldecampo7190
@@karlmorris-xz6iq I will have a listen
@ASMRconKiki
I absolutely adore Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Pure poetry in music form.