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)
I LET LOVE IN
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Came a-knocking on my door, I let them in
Darling, you're the punishment for all of my former sins
[Chorus:]
I let love in
I let love in
My life flashed before my eyes, it was a horror to behold
A life-sentence sweeping confetti from the floor of a concrete hole
[Chorus: x2]
Well I've been bound and gagged and I've been terrorized
And I've been castrated and I've been lobotomized
But never has my tormentor come in such a cunning disguise
[Chorus: x2]
O Lord, tell me what I done
Please don't leave me here alone
Where are my friends?
My friends are gone
O Lord, tell me what I done
Please don't leave me here alone
Where are my friends?
My friends are gone
[Chorus]
So if you're sitting all alone and hear a-knocking at you door
And the air is full of promises, well buddy, you've been warned
Far worse to be Love's lover than the lover that Love has scorned
[Chorus: x4]
The lyrics of Nick Cave's song "I Let Love In" describe how the singer initially welcomes love with open arms, only to realize too late that it's not always the beautiful thing it's made out to be. The opening lines of the verses use contrasting imageries of "Despair and Deception" being "Love's ugly little twins" to emphasize how it's not just one-sided happiness but a bundle of double-edged emotions. The phrase "Came a-knocking on my door, I let them in" highlights how the singer was willing to accept the potential risks that come with relationships.
However, the chorus uses repetition to convey an ominous undercurrent - "I let love in" repeated multiple times could be interpreted as a warning, indicating something wrong is just around the corner. The second verse describes how the door was opened "just a crack" but the consequences of that slight opening were dire. The metaphorical mention of his life flashing before his eyes alludes to how quickly he realized how he had been trapped by love. The last line of this verse, "A life-sentence sweeping confetti from the floor of a concrete hole," further underscores how, for him, love was nothing but empty celebration in a bleak reality.
The last verse paints a picture of the singer's suffering, listing out all the different ways he has been tortured. By juxtaposing them with the phrase "But never has my tormentor come in such a cunning disguise," it is evident that the tormentor is love, showing how it's easier to cope with physical pain than the emotional turmoil that comes with being in love. In conclusion, "I Let Love In" is a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of giving in to love too easily and the pain that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Despair and Deception, Love's ugly little twins
Love often comes with feelings of despair and deception that can make one feel hopeless and lost.
Came a-knocking on my door, I let them in
Despite being aware of the negative aspects of love, the singer still opened himself up to it.
Darling, you're the punishment for all of my former sins
The person the singer fell in love with is the consequence of the mistakes and wrongdoings he committed in the past.
I let love in
I let love in
The singer repeats this line as a confirmation that he embraced love willingly, warts and all.
The door it opened just a crack, but Love was shrewed and bold
The artist intended to let a little love into his life, but it ended up taking over and dominating him completely.
My life flashed before my eyes, it was a horror to behold
The singer's life passed before him, and he was horrified at the thought of his existence without love.
A life-sentence sweeping confetti from the floor of a concrete hole
The singer feels trapped and hopeless, like he's serving a pointless and never-ending sentence in a miserable situation.
Well I've been bound and gagged and I've been terrorized
And I've been castrated and I've been lobotomized
But never has my tormentor come in such a cunning disguise
The artist has been through some terrible experiences, but none of them compared to the pain and suffering caused by love.
O Lord, tell me what I done
Please don't leave me here alone
Where are my friends?
My friends are gone
The singer is feeling lonely and abandoned, begging for answers and help from a higher power.
So if you're sitting all alone and hear a-knocking at you door
And the air is full of promises, well buddy, you've been warned
Far worse to be Love's lover than the lover that Love has scorned
The singer warns listeners to be cautious when opening themselves to love since it can be far worse than being the object of someone's love and then being rejected.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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