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.
The River Man
Nick Drake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said she had a word to say
About things today
And fallen leaves.
Said she hadn't heard the news
Hadn't had the time to choose
A way to lose
Going to see the river man
Going to tell him all I can
About the plan
For lilac time.
If he tells me all he knows
About the way his river flows
And all night shows
In summertime.
Betty said she prayed today
For the sky to blow away
Or maybe stay
She wasn't sure.
For when she thought of summer rain
Calling for her mind again
She lost the pain
And stayed for more.
Going to see the river man
Going to tell him all I can
About the ban
On feeling free.
If he tells me all he knows
About the way his river flows
I don't suppose
It's meant for me.
Oh, how they come and go
Oh, how they come and go.
The lyrics of Nick Drake's "River Man" are complex and layered, offering different interpretations to different listeners. At its core, the song seems to be about freedom, hope, and the quest for understanding life's mysteries. The singer, Betty, has a word to say about things today, and about fallen leaves. She hasn't had the time to choose a way to lose, but she believes that she can find a way out. She's going to see the river man, to tell him about the plan for lilac time. The lilac time is a metaphor for the blooming of a new era, a time of hope and new beginnings.
The river man is a mysterious figure who seems to hold the key to understanding life's mysteries. Betty wants to learn all she can from him about the way his river flows in summertime, and about the shows he puts on at night. Betty prays for the sky to blow away, or maybe stay, because she's not sure what she wants. But when she thinks of the summer rain and how it calls her mind again, she loses the pain and stays for more. The river man represents the possibility of freedom and enlightenment, but at the same time, Betty wonders if it's meant for her. The song ends with the lines "Oh, how they come and go," which could refer to the transience of life and the fleeting moments of happiness and hope that we encounter.
Line by Line Meaning
Betty came by on her way
An acquaintance named Betty dropped by on a visit
Said she had a word to say
Betty mentioned that she had something to share
About things today
Betty's topic of discussion was about current events
And fallen leaves.
Betty made a passing reference to the season and the leaves on the ground
Said she hadn't heard the news
Betty claimed that she hasn't been up-to-date with the latest information
Hadn't had the time to choose
Betty stated that she hasn't had a chance to make a decision
A way to lose
Betty was talking about a choice that could lead to failure
But she believes.
Despite not knowing what to do, Betty has faith that everything will work out
Going to see the river man
The artist is planning to visit the River Man, who may have guidance or insight to offer
Going to tell him all I can
The artist wants to share their thoughts and experiences with the River Man
About the plan
The singer has a strategy or purpose in mind
For lilac time.
The artist is referring to the spring season when lilacs bloom, a time associated with renewal and beauty
If he tells me all he knows
The singer is hoping that the River Man will impart his wisdom
About the way his river flows
The singer is looking for information on how the River Man conducts his life
And all night shows
The singer is interested in the River Man's experiences and adventures
In summertime.
The artist is referring to the summer season, perhaps as a metaphor for a period of growth or success
Betty said she prayed today
Betty mentioned that she had offered a prayer earlier
For the sky to blow away
Betty was hoping that the clouds would clear and the sun would come out
Or maybe stay
Betty was uncertain whether she wanted the sun to shine or not
She wasn't sure.
Betty was ambivalent about what she wished for
For when she thought of summer rain
Betty had a particular experience or memory involving rainfall in the summer
Calling for her mind again
The memory or experience was repeatedly coming back to her
She lost the pain
Thinking about the summer rain brought Betty comfort and eased her suffering
And stayed for more.
Betty continued to think about the rainfall and relish the happy feeling it gave her
About the ban
The singer is telling the River Man about a prohibition or restriction on freedom
On feeling free.
The singer is referring to a limitation on the ability to express oneself or live life to the fullest
I don't suppose
The singer isn't expecting the River Man to have a solution or a way out of the situation
It's meant for me.
The artist is resigned to the fact that they must face their own challenges and struggles
Oh, how they come and go
The artist is reflecting on how people and experiences enter and exit their life
Oh, how they come and go.
The singer is repeating their observation, perhaps indicating a sense of wistfulness or nostalgia
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: EMILY DICKINSON, NICK DRAKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aminedadiao1253
Lyrics:
Betty came by on her way
Said she had a word to say
About things today
And fallen leaves.
Said she hadn't heard the news
Hadn't had the time to choose
A way to lose
But she believes.
Going to see the river man
Going to tell him all I can
About the plan
For lilac time.
If he tells me all he knows
About the way his river flows
And all night shows
In summertime.
Betty said she prayed today
For the sky to blow away
Or maybe stay
She wasn't sure.
For when she thought of summer rain
Calling for her mind again
She lost the pain
And stayed for more.
Going to see the river man
Going to tell him all I can
About the ban
On feeling free.
If he tells me all he knows
About the way his river flows
I don't suppose
It's meant for me.
Oh, how they come and go
Oh, how they come and go
@Hollowsmith
Nick Drake can teach unknown musicians a lesson.
MAKE YOUR MUSIC. Record it the best you can with the time and resources you have. Even if you're a total unknown, MAKE IT FOR YOU. Because remember, when Nick Drake died, he was a VERY obscure musician, known to an extremely small group of fellow folk musicians. And here we are decades later, and the QUALITY OF HIS ART has slowly made him become a very well known musician worldwide with millions of listens. It was like that with MANY musicians: folk artist Judee Sill, the punk band Death, and in some extreme cases like Sibylle Baier where her son literally found her recordings decades later in an attic and decided to release them. All these musicians now are highly revered decades later by hundreds of thousands of people and in some cases millions of people.
So MAKE YOUR ART. Make it, and release it into the public like a message in a bottle being thrown into the sea. It will have its own journey in terms of being noticed, which is up to chance, but make sure whatever is in the message reflects the best music you can make.
@bubbyskittles4802
This comment really changed the way I think about my music. Thank you so much
@manosparavida3551
I've greatly admired Nick Drake's music since 1998, when a total bad lady ended our relationship and a friend suggested that I should listen to '5 Leaves Left. Since then I've discovered Bryter Later etc. He's so unheralded, it's unbelievable. I've a huge diversity in music, but I don't know of anyone who has hit me like Nick Drake. I'm a huge Dylan fan, but if I had one option,i it would be Nick Drake.
@JS-wi9mw
great music will always see the light of day and find appreciation...just sometimes happens after the artist has passed :(
@akimyoung8507
Thank you for these words❤️
@andrewcorbett5729
I've done this with my poetry and art. I've sold about 3 books online so far but maybe one day long after I'm gone it will reach more people
@zackzallie8735
For me, he is the Van Gogh of music. He gained spotlight after his death, although he never gain good reputation for his music in his lifetime. He suffered depression and his lyrics is pure poetry and emotions like Van Gogh's paintings.
@user-le1ec1mm2i
So on point. A modern day artist unappreciated in his time whose suffering fueled his art until he died. Beautiful. I hope he has been at peace.
@billoliver5242
He and Syd Barrett
@JeffreySinghMedia
My friend introduced me to him yesterday and I said the exact same thing