Although he recorded only three albums, critics and fellow musicians hold his work in very high esteem. Drake failed to find a wide audience during his lifetime and had a strong aversion to performing. Since his death, however, Drake's music has gained a significant cult following.
Drake's father worked as an engineer. Although he was born in Rangoon, Burma, Nick's family moved back to England soon afterward, and Drake was brought up in Tanworth-in-Arden, a small village in the English county of Warwickshire. He went to public school at Marlborough College, where he learned to play the clarinet and piano. As a young adult, Drake enrolled in Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, to study English. His older sister, Gabrielle Drake, is an actress.
Drake was a fan of British and the emerging American folk music scene, including artists Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs. While a university student, Drake began performing in local clubs and coffee houses. He was discovered by Ashley Hutchings, the bass player of the folk rock group Fairport Convention. Hutchings introduced Drake to the other members of Fairport Convention, folk singer John Martyn and producer Joe Boyd.
He delayed attendance to spend six months at the University of Aix-Marseille, France, beginning in February 1967. While in Aix, he began to practice guitar in earnest and to earn money would often busk with friends in the town centre. Drake began to smoke cannabis, and that spring he traveled with friends to Morocco, because, according to traveling companion Richard Charkin, "that was where you got the best pot". Drake's associates convinced Island Records to sign the young singer-songwriter to a three-album contract. Drake began recording his debut album Five Leaves Left later in 1968, with Boyd assuming the role of producer. The sessions took place in Sound Techniques studio, London, with Drake skipping lectures to travel by train to the capital. At the age of twenty, he released his first album Five Leaves Left (1969), which featured a chamber music quartet on several songs and had a light, breezy sound. Drake's second album Bryter Layter (1970) introduced a more upbeat, jazzier sound, with keyboards, horns and several brass instruments. Both albums were produced by Boyd and featured several members of Fairport Convention.
Many accounts of Drake focus on his mythology, but a large part of his enduring popularity is due to his meticulous songwriting, prosody, odd guitar tunings and lyricism.
Drake was pathologically shy and resented touring. The few concerts he did play were usually in support of other British folk acts of the time, such as Fairport Convention or John Martyn and were often brief and awkward. Partially because of this, his work received little attention and sold poorly. Whilst in the recording studio, he was so shy that he'd always play into the wall so as to avoid people's gazes.
Severely depressed and doubting his abilities as a musician, Drake recorded his final album Pink Moon (1972) in two two-hour sessions, both starting at midnight. The songs of Pink Moon were short (the album consists of eleven of them and lasts only 28 minutes) and emotionally bleak. Drake recorded them unaccompanied, in the presence of only a sound engineer (a piano was later overdubbed on the title track). Naked and sincere, it is widely thought to be his best work.
At this point, he considered other careers including the army and computer programming, but more suitably as a songwriter for other artists. However, none of Drake's plans materialized. In the next few months, Drake grew severely depressed and maintained relationships only with close friends such as John Martyn, who wrote the title song of his 1973 album Solid Air for and about Drake and with Sophia Ryde. He was hospitalized several times and lived with Hardy for a few months. Friends from that time have described how much his appearance changed: his nails grown, his hair and frame gaunt and thin.
In 1974, Drake felt well enough to write and record a few new songs. However, on November 25, he died of an overdose of antidepressants. The coroner concluded that the cause of Drake's death was suicide, although this was disputed by friends and relatives. Antidepressants of that time were quite lethal if ingested in any higher dosage than the one prescribed. His mother recounts that he must have had difficulty sleeping and had got up in the night to have a bowl of cornflakes. It's unclear whether he took more pills to help him sleep or to take his own life.
His simple gravestone in the Tanworth churchyard bears the line "And now we rise/And we are everywhere", taken from From the Morning - the last song on the last album Nick lived to complete.
Posthumous popularity
Since Drake’s death, his music has grown steadily in popularity. Several modern musicians, such as Lucinda Williams, Badly Drawn Boy, Matthew Good, Sebadoh's Lou Barlow, R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, Blur’s Graham Coxon, and Belle and Sebastian, consider Drake an important influence. In early 1999, BBC2 aired a 40-minute Nick Drake documentary, "A Stranger Among Us — In Search of Nick Drake", as part of its Picture This strand. The following year saw the release of a documentary by Dutch director Jeroen Berkvens, titled A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake and featuring interviews with Joe Boyd, Gabrielle Drake, audio engineer John Wood, and arranger Robert Kirby. Brad Pitt is a fan of Drake and, in 2004, he narrated a BBC radio documentary about the singer.
Island has responded to Drake’s popularity with several new releases including Time of No Reply (1986), an album of unreleased material including four new songs recorded in 1974, Way to Blue: An Introduction to Nick Drake (1994), a "best of" album, remastered HDCD releases of his three studio albums in 2000, and Made to Love Magic (2004), featuring one new track and some newly recorded orchestration for a previously released track. A replacement for Way to Blue called A Treasury was also released in 2004 on Hybrid-SACD.
In 2000, Volkswagen licensed the track Pink Moon, the title track from Nick's third release, for a particularly serene car commercial in the US. The advertisement caused a significant bounce in Drake’s popularity, bolstered by uses of Drake's music on a number of film soundtracks, including 1998's Hideous Kinky and Practical Magic (featuring "Road" from Pink Moon and "Black Eyed Dog" from Time of No Reply, respectively). In 2001, two Bryter Layter tracks appeared in mainstream films: "Northern Sky" in Serendipity, and "Fly" in The Royal Tenenbaums. In the same year, "Cello Song" from Five Leaves Left was featured in Me Without You. In 2004, "One of These Things First" appeared in Garden State and "Northern Sky" was featured again, this time in Fever Pitch.
Drake's "River Man" has become quite popular among Jazz musicians. A piano improvisation based on the melody was released by Brad Mehldau on the album "Progression: Art Of The Trio, Volume 5", and a Jazz vocal version by Claire Martin appears on the album Take My Heart.
Drake's posthumous popularity has made many fans consider the lyrics to "Fruit Tree" a song from Five Leaves Left prophetic: “Fame is but a fruit tree / So very unsound. / It can never flourish / Till its stock is in the ground. / So men of fame / Can never find a way / Till time has flown / Far from their dying day.” In 2004 two of his singles reached low positions in the UK charts - "Magic" and "River Man".
Most recently, Nick Drake has emerged as a key influence in the resurgence of 1960's and 1970's folk traditions, apparent in the works of artists including Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, and Six Organs of Admittance.
In 2005, performer Beck updated his website during Christmas time with covers of three songs from Pink Moon: "Pink Moon", "Which Will" and "Parasite."
Family Tree, the next Bryter Music/Island record was released in July 2007.
At The Chime Of The City Clock
Nick Drake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get on your knees
Pray for warmth and green paper.
A city drought
You're down and out
See your trousers don't taper.
Saddle up
Ride the range of a London street
Travel to a local plane
Turn around and come back again.
And at the chime of the city clock
Put up your road block
Hang on to your crown.
For a stone in a tin can
Is wealth to the city man
Who leaves his armor down.
Stay indoors
Beneath the floors
Talk with neighbors only.
The games you play
Make people say
You're either weird or lonely.
A city star
Won't shine too far
On account of the way you are
And the beads
Around your face
Make you sure to fit back in place.
And at the beat of the city drum
See how your friends come in twos;
Or threes or more.
For the sound of a busy place
Is fine for a pretty face
Who knows what a face is for.
The city clown
Will soon fall down
Without a face to hide in.
And he will lose
If he won't choose
The one he may confide in.
Sonny boy
With smokes for sale
Went to ground with a face so pale
And never heard
About the change
Showed his hand and fell out of range.
In the light of a city square
Find out the face that's fair
Keep it by your side.
When the light of the city falls
You fly to the city walls
Take off with your bride.
But at the chime of a city clock
Put up your road block
Hang on to your crown.
For a stone in a tin can
Is wealth to the city man
Who leaves his armor down.
Nick Drake's "At The Chime Of The City Clock" is a song that expresses the struggles and hardships of living in a city. The song begins with "A city freeze, get on your knees, pray for warmth and green paper," indicating that the city is a difficult and cold place to live in, and that the only way to survive is by having money. This theme of the importance of money in the city continues throughout the song, with lines such as "a stone in a tin can is wealth to the city man who leaves his armor down."
The beat of the city drum represents the fast-paced and busy lifestyle of the city, and the pressure to conform to societal norms. The lyrics "the games you play make people say you're either weird or lonely" highlight the isolation that can come from not fitting in with the crowd. The song's message is that living in a city can be challenging, and that people must choose whether to conform or stay true to themselves.
Overall, Nick Drake's "At The Chime Of The City Clock" explores the complexities of living in an urban environment, highlighting the pressures of conformity and the struggle to maintain a sense of individuality in a city that is constantly in motion.
Line by Line Meaning
A city freeze
The cold, hard and unwelcoming nature of city life
Get on your knees
The desperation of the city dwellers who have turned to prayer
Pray for warmth and green paper.
Prayer for both physical and financial warmth
A city drought
Scarcity in the city life
You're down and out
People are struggling and defeated
See your trousers don't taper.
Even personal aesthetics have been sacrificed for survival
Saddle up
Prepare to embark on a journey
Kick your feet
Exert effort while journeying forward
Ride the range of a London street
Venturing and exploring the urban landscape
Travel to a local plane
Finding freedom and space amidst the crowded cityscape
Turn around and come back again.
The journey is cyclical as one returns to the start
And at the chime of the city clock
A reminder of the city's inevitable schedule and routine
Put up your road block
Protect oneself from the city's harsh and rough nature
Hang on to your crown.
Strive to maintain one's own sense of dignity and self-respect
For a stone in a tin can
Even small and seemingly insignificant possessions can bring comfort and value
Is wealth to the city man
People in the city have a different perspective on what wealth means
Who leaves his armor down.
Even the toughest city dwellers can break down and become vulnerable
Stay indoors
A sense of claustrophobia and fear in the outside world; resorting to isolation
Beneath the floors
An attempt to escape the harshness and noises of the city life
Talk with neighbors only.
Even social interactions have become limited and restricted
The games you play
The coping mechanisms people use to survive the city life
Make people say
Being different or unconventional can lead to scrutiny and criticism
You're either weird or lonely.
Those who do not conform to city life can either be left out or ostracized
A city star
The bright lights of the city that attract people
Won't shine too far
The limitations of fame and success in the city life
On account of the way you are
Individuality and personality in the city is often discouraged
And the beads
Personal identity markers
Around your face
External expressions of personal identity
Make you sure to fit back in place.
Conformity is necessary for survival in the city life
And at the beat of the city drum
The ever-present rhythm of the city life
See how your friends come in twos;
Finding companionship and forming bonds amidst the crowds
Or threes or more.
Different types of relationships and groups found in the city life
For the sound of a busy place
The energy and excitement of the urban environment
Is fine for a pretty face
The superficial value of beauty in the city life
Who knows what a face is for.
Those who fit society's standards are rewarded, not necessarily those with inner substance
The city clown
The outsiders, those who are not part of the mainstream
Will soon fall down
Rejection and alienation in the city life leads to falling down
Without a face to hide in.
The ability to conceal one's true identity and emotions can be a safeguard
And he will lose
Those who cannot conform to the city life will inevitably struggle
If he won't choose
Being forced to make choices in order to survive in the city life
The one he may confide in.
The difficulty of trusting others in a shallow and competitive environment
Sonny boy
A name for a young man
With smokes for sale
Those who resort to illegal means to make a living
Went to ground with a face so pale
Going into hiding as a means of survival
And never heard
The risk of isolation and disconnection in the city life
About the change
The volatility of the city life means that things can change in an instant
Showed his hand and fell out of range.
Even the smallest mistakes can lead to being left behind in the city life
In the light of a city square
The public spaces in the city life
Find out the face that's fair
The beauty standards that are imposed in the city life
Keep it by your side.
The need to maintain one's image in the city life
When the light of the city falls
The fleeting nature of city life and its temporary nature
You fly to the city walls
The need to constantly seek refuge from the city's harshness
Take off with your bride.
The hope of finding a partner who can make city life bearable
But at the chime of a city clock
The inevitable repetition and cyclical nature of city life
Put up your road block
The need to protect oneself and one's sanity
Hang on to your crown.
Maintain one's dignity and sense of self in the city life
For a stone in a tin can
Appreciating the small things in life in contrast to the turbulence of the city
Is wealth to the city man
Individual perspectives on wealth in the city life
Who leaves his armor down.
The vulnerability that is necessary to survive in the city life
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: NICK DRAKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Preston
on Kimbie
And I need a Mackinaw
Preston
on Kimbie
hawl
Preston
on Kimbie
It's not a show. It's a shawl. The point here is that can be once a luxury item, a shawl that costs $9, while the speaker needs a Mackinaw, which is a practical warm coat. She "wants" something, but he "needs" something.
Preston
on Kimbie
Kimbie wants a nine dollar show
Kimbie desires a performance that costs exactly nine dollars
Kimbie wants a nine dollar show
Kimbie repeatedly expresses her desire for a nine dollar performance
She wants a nine dollar show
Kimbie is insistent on attending a nine dollar show
And I need
The artist has a need that is yet to be revealed
Well Kimbie let your hair hang down
The artist is telling Kimbie to let her hair loose and relax
Kimbie let your hair hang down
The singer repeats his request to Kimbie, urging her to let go of her worries
Let your hair hang down
The singer encourages Kimbie to let her hair down, implying that she should stop worrying and enjoy herself
T'il it touches the ground
The artist suggests that Kimbie should let her hair down completely
Well Kimbie let your hair hang down
The artist reminds Kimbie to let go of her worries as he intends to depart soon
Kimbie let your hair hang down
The artist emphasizes the importance of Kimbie letting her hair down before he leaves
Cause come the morning I’ll be gone
The singer implies that he will not stay for long
Well Kimbie where you been so long
The artist questions Kimbie's whereabouts since he last saw her
I’ve been down in your state pen
Kimbie has spent time in a prison located in the singer's state
With those rough and rowdy
Kimbie has been surrounded by aggressive and unruly people
Rough and rowdy men
The people Kimbie has been surrounded by in prison are male and are known for their aggressive behaviour
Well Kimbie where you been so long
The artist repeats his question, wondering where Kimbie has been and why she has been away for so long
And I gotta go back again
Kimbie reveals that she has to return to prison once again
Well I wished I was a mole in the ground
The singer expresses his wish to be a mole that burrows underground
I wished I were a mole in the ground
The singer repeats his desire to become a mole
I was a mole in the ground
The artist imagines himself as a mole burrowing beneath the surface of the earth
And that I’d tear this mountain
The artist imagines himself digging through a mountain
I’d tear this mountain down
The artist would use his strength to destroy a mountain if he were a mole
Wished I was a mole in the ground
The singer repeats his desire to become a mole, implying that he wants to be free from the burdens of the human world
Dave
on Free Ride
That interpretation isn't correct at all.