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 EinstΓΌrzende 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 (1987β)
Martyn P. Casey - bass, vocals (1991β)
Conway Savage - piano, organ, vocals (1991β)
Warren Ellis - violin, fender mandocaster, loops, mandolin, tenor guitar, viola, bouzouki, accordion, flute, lute, piano, programming, percussion, string arrangements, vocals (1994β)
Jim Sclavunos - percussion, drums, organ, melodica, vocals (1996β)
James Johnston - organ, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals (2003β)
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 (1984β2003); 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)
Love Letter
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A plea, a petition, a kind of prayer
I hope it does as I have planned
Losing her again is more than I can bear
I kiss the cold, white envelope
I press my lips against her name
Two hundred words. we live in hope
The sky hangs heavy with rain
Love letter love letter
Go get her go get her
Love letter love letter
Go tell her go tell her
A wicked wind whips up the hill
A handful of hopeful words
I love her and I always will
The sky is ready to burst
Said something I did not mean to say
Said something I did not mean to say
Said something I did not mean to say
It all came out the wrong way
Love letter love letter
Go get her go get her
Love letter love letter
Go tell her go tell her
Rain your kisses down upon me
Rain your kisses down in storms
And for all who'll come before me
In your slowly fading forms
I'm going out of my mind
Will leave me standing in
The rain with a letter and a prayer
Whispered on the wind
Come back to me
Come back to me
Oh baby please come back to me
The song Love Letter by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is an emotional plea from the singer who has lost the love of his life and desperately wants her back. He holds a letter in his hand, hoping that it will do as he has planned and win her back. Losing her again is more than he can bear, and his love for her is evident in the way he kisses the cold envelope with her name on it. He hopes that his letter, which is only two hundred words long, will bring him hope for a second chance with his love. However, as the sky hangs heavy with rain, the wicked wind whips up the hill, and a handful of hopeful words may not be enough to get his love back.
The chorus of the song expresses the singerβs intense desire to get his lover back. He calls for the love letter to go get her and go tell her that he loves her and always will. The rain becomes a metaphor for the singerβs tears and heartache, as he imagines his kisses raining down on him during the storm. He whispers a prayer on the wind that his love will return to him, knowing that he may be left standing in the rain with a letter in his hand.
Overall, Love Letter is a poignant and heartfelt song that captures the longing and desperation of a person who has lost their love.
Line by Line Meaning
I hold this letter in my hand
I am holding a letter that bears significance to me and my relationship with someone else.
A plea, a petition, a kind of prayer
This letter is not just any letter, but rather a desperate plea to hear back from the receiver, a kind of prayer that they will come back to me.
I hope it does as I have planned
I am hoping that my words written in this love letter will have the intended effect of bringing her back to me.
Losing her again is more than I can bear
The thought of losing her again would be unbearable for me, hence why I have taken to writing this letter.
I kiss the cold, white envelope
I am imprinting my love and affection onto the envelope, which stands as a tangible representation of the letter and ultimately, my feelings.
I press my lips against her name
I am yearning so deeply for her that I am even pressing my lips against her name written on the letter, hoping that the energy may travel through it and reach her.
Two hundred words. we live in hope
I've poured my heart and soul into this letter, which totals two hundred words. Despite the brevity of the letter, hope remains that it can say all it needs to say and accomplish my intentions.
The sky hangs heavy with rain
Weather-wise, it's a heavy, rainy day. Symbolically, this could represent the weightiness and seriousness of the situation at hand, intensifying the importance of the letter's message.
A wicked wind whips up the hill
The weather becomes more volatile, with the addition of a howling, wicked wind.
A handful of hopeful words
The words within the letter are imbued with hopefulness, as it's my way to express my unwavering love for her.
I love her and I always will
I am professing my love for her and reassuring her of my dedication to her, even after these recent struggles.
The sky is ready to burst
The impending rainstorm seems as if it could turn catastrophic at any moment, delivering a sense of ominous urgency.
Said something I did not mean to say
I've spoken carelessly in the past, possibly pushing her away with words that did not accurately convey the depth and sincerity of my love for her.
It all came out the wrong way
My intentions could have been good, but the delivery and phrasing of my words was lacking, leading to misunderstandings and hurt feelings.
Rain your kisses down upon me
I am longing for the feeling of her kisses and the affection that they represent.
Rain your kisses down in storms
I am so desperate to feel the warmth of her love that I would embrace her kisses even in a full-blown storm, risking getting caught in the tempestuous weather.
And for all who'll come before me
I am acknowledging that I was not the first to love her, and that there have been others who have had their hearts broken by her. Regardless, my love for her remains steadfast.
In your slowly fading forms
I am indicating that the physical presence of those who loved her before me is slowly disappearing into the past, and I am the one who remains present to love her now.
I'm going out of my mind
My love for her consumes my thoughts and emotions to the point of near insanity.
Will leave me standing in
If I do not hear back from her, I will be left alone, standing in the rain with nothing but the letter and prayers.
The rain with a letter and a prayer
If all else fails, my letter and my prayers will be the only things that remain, as the rain washes away everything else.
Whispered on the wind
The letter and my prayers will be whispered by the wind, carried away in a vast, infinite expanse.
Come back to me
My ultimate plea to her, to return to me and pick up where we left off.
Oh baby please come back to me
A plea that is filled with deep yearning and desperation, begging her to reconsider and return to him to be together again.
Love letter love letter
Reinforcement that the letter is a love letter and its purpose is to reconnect and express his love.
Go get her go get her
A call to action, urging the letter to set things right and deliver his message of love to her.
Go tell her go tell her
A repetition of the previous lines, a fervent desire to send what needs to be sent.
Lyrics Β© BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC , Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRIAN KIDD, CHASITY NVAGBARA, KEVIN SEWARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aphrodite Arva
I hold this letter in my hand
A plea, a petition, a kind of prayer
I hope it does as I have planned
Losing her again is more than I can bear
I kiss the cold, white envelope
I press my lips against her name
Two hundred words. We live in hope
The sky hangs heavy with rain
[Chorus]
Love Letter Love Letter
Go get her Go get her
Love Letter Love Letter
Go tell her Go tell her
[Verse 2]
A wicked wind whips up the hill
A handful of hopeful words
I love her and I always will
The sky is ready to burst
Said something I did not mean to say
Said something I did not mean to say
Said something I did not mean to say
It all came out the wrong way
[Chorus]
Love Letter Love letter
Go get her Go get her
Love Letter Love letter
Go tell her Go tell her
[Verse 3]
Rain your kisses down upon me
Rain your kisses down in storms
And for all who'll come before me
In your slowly fading forms
I'm going out of my mind
Will leave me standing in
The rain with a letter and a prayer
Whispered on the wind
Come back to me
Come back to me
O baby please come back to me
TomAraya
"Said something I did not mean to say
It all came out the wrong way
Love Letter Love letter
Go get her Go get her
.................................
I'm going out of my mind
Will leave me standing in
The rain with a letter and a prayer
Whispered on the wind
Come back to me"
alan waterhouse
My wife and I listened to this so many times and cried rivers together, she died 6 years ago, now I listen alone, together, I adored her , always will .
dantecarp
Dude...feel your pain
slave voltage
you just made me cry. I am so sorry... You are still together somewhere in space and time. life is so hard.. Wish you all the best.
alan waterhouse
@slave voltage Thanks for the message , sorry I made you cry , take care, and remember like I do, love and happiness is all that really matters.
slave voltage
@alan waterhouse Oh, no need to apologize. After I read your comment, I went and gave my wife a hug, she just looked at me like ??? ...its so easy to forget what really matters with all the noise.. We also listened to this song many times and cried too. As sad as it was, your story, it was beautiful, still. I wish you all the best!
slave voltage
I'm sorry about mentioning the part about my wife. I feel that it was insensitive of me. Please forgive me. And thank you for reminding me of what really matters. I have been lost for a long time, now.
David R
Nick Cave is a genius. Surely one of the greatest song-writers of the era.
Susan Matthews
Nick's music is my lifeline. He's my 'go to' whenever I need to be grounded.
wongdong
i wish i had more friends who like this song, i feel so lonely when i listen to this song cause it's one of my favorite but nobody to share the deep feeling i get when i hear it
Kevin Eaves
+wongdong It's a beautiful song.