NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
A BOX FOR BLACK PAUL

 Who'll build a box for Black Paul? 
Ah'm enquirin on behalf of his soul 
Ah'd be beholdin to ya all 
For a lil information, just a little indication 
Just who'll dig the hole? 
When ya done ransackin' his room 
grabbin any damn thing that shines, 
throw the scraps down on the street 
Like all his books and his notes. 
All his books and his notes and 
All the junk that he wrote 
the whole fucken lot right up in smoke 
Ain't there nuthin sacred anymore 
Won't someone will build a box for Black Paul? 
And their shootin off his guns 
and their shootin off their mouths 
saying 'Fuck with us ... and die!' 
'Fuck with us ... and die!' 
(Let's see that rat of fear go scuttle in their skulls) 
'Cover that eye! Cover that frozen eye!' 
 
Black puppet, in a heap up against the stoning wall 
Black puppet, go to sleep, ma ma won't scold ya anymore 
 
Armies of ants, wade up the lil red streams 
they're headin for the mother pool 
O lord, it's cruel! O man it's hot! O man it's hot and 
And some of them ants they just climb to the spot 
Who threw the first stone at Black Paul? 
 
'Don't ask us', say the critics and the hacks 
The pen pushers and the quacks 
'We jes cum to git dah facks!' 
'We jes cum to git dah facks!' 
Hey, hey, hey, hey... 
 
Here is the hammer, that built the scaffold, 
and built the box... 
Here is the shovel, that dug the hole, 
in this ground of rocks... 
And here is the pile of stones! 
and for each one planted, God only knows, 
a blood rose grown... 
These are the true Demon Flowers! 
These are the true Demon Flowers! 
Stand back everyone! Blood black everyone! 
 
Who'll build a box for Black Paul? 
Who'll carry it up the hill? 
 
'Not I', said the widow, adjusting her veil 
'Ah will not drive the nail 
Or cart his puppet body home, 
For ah done that one hundred times before, 
Yeah! ah done that one hundred times or more, 
And why should ah dress his wounds? 
When he has wounded my dress, nightly, 
Right across the floor' 
 
Who'll build a box for Black Paul? 
Who'll carry it up the hill? 
Who'll bury it in the black soil? 
And from the woods and the thickets 
Come the ghosts of his victims 
'We love you!' 
'Ah love you!' 
'and this will not hurt a bit, 
Outta my eyes was your rise to full glory 
Spring up from the corp of life 
we'll go up, up, up, up, up into Death 
up, up, up, up, inhale its breath 
O yes, Death favours those that favor Death' 
 
Here is the stone, and this is the inscription it bare: 
'Below Lies Black Paul, Under The Upper... 
But Above and Beyond The Surface Flat Fall There.' 
 
And all the angels come on down, 
And all you men and women crowd around 
And all the old widows weeping into their skirts 
And all the lil gals and the lil Boys 
And the scribes with their pens poised 
All the hullaballoo, all the norse 
All the hullaballoo, all the noise 
All the hullaballoo, all of the noise 
clears his throat of black blood 
singin Black Paul like a lonely boy... 
 
We e e ll, ah have cried one thousand tears 
Ah've cried a thousand tears, its true 
And the next stormy night you know, 
That ah'm still cryin them for you 
 
Well, ah had a gal she was so sweet, 
Red dress, and long red hair hangin down 
And heaven yes ain't heaven 
Without that lil girl hangin around 
 
Well, ya know ah've beenn a bad man 
and Lord knows ah done some good things too 
But ah confess, my soul will never rest 
Until you've, until you've build 
Until you've built a box for my gal, too. 
my gal, too 
my gal, too

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
AIN'T GONNA RAIN ANYMORE

 Once there came a storm in the form of a girl 
It blew to pieces my snug little world 
Sometimes I swear I can still hear her howl 
Down through the wreckage and the ruins 
 
And it ain't gonna rain anymore 
Now my baby's gone 
And it ain't gonna rain anymore 
Now my baby's gone 
 
Now the storm has passed over me 
I'm left to drift on a dead calm sea 
And watch her forever through the cracks in the beams 
Nailed across the doorways of the bedrooms of my dreams 
 
And it ain't gonna rain anymore 
Now my baby's gone 
And it ain't gonna rain anymore 
Now my baby's gone 
 
Now I got no one to hold 
Now I am all alone again 
It ain't too hot but it ain't too cold 
And there is no sign of rain 
 
And it ain't gonna rain anymore 
Now my baby's gone 
And it ain't gonna rain anymore 
Now my baby's gone 
And I'm 
Here I'm on my own 
 
She ain't coming back no more 
She ain't coming back no more 
She ain't coming back no more 
Say what you will, I don't care 
 
And it ain't gonna rain anymore 
Now my baby's gone, yeah 
And it ain't gonna rain anymore 
Now my baby has gone

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES

 And what costume shall the poor girl wear 
To all tomorrow's parties 
A hand me down dress from who knows where 
To all tomorrow's parties 
 
And where will she go and what shall she do 
When midnight comes around 
She'll turn once more to Sunday's gown 
And cry behind the door 
 
And what costume shall the poor girl wear 
To all tomorrow's parties 
Why silks and plumes of yesterday's gowns 
To all tomorrow's parties 
 
And what shall she do with Thursday's rags 
When Monday comes around 
She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown 
And cry behind the door 
 
And what costume shall the poor girl wear 
To all tomorrow's parties 
For Thursday's child is Sunday's clown 
For whom none will go mourning 
 
A blackened shroud, a hand me down gown 
Of rags and silks, a costume 
Fit for one who sits and cries 
For all tomorrow's parties

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
AND NO MORE SHALL WE PART

 And no more shall we part 
It will no longer be necessary 
And no more will I say, dear heart 
I am alone and she has left me 
 
And no more shall we part 
The contracts are drawn up, the ring is locked upon the finger 
And never again will my letters start 
Sadly, or in the depths of winter 
 
And no more shall we part 
All the hatchets have been buried now 
And all of birds will sing to your 
beautiful heart 
Upon the bough 
 
And no more shall we part 
Your chain of command has been silenced now 
And all of those birds would've sung to your beautiful heart 
Anyhow 
 
Lord, stay by me 
Don't go down 
I will never be free 
If I'm not free now 
 
Lord, stay by me 
Don't go down 
I never was free 
What are you talking about? 
 
For no more shall we part 
And no more shall we part

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
AS I SAT SADLY BY HER SIDE

 As I sat sadly by her side 
At the window, through the glass 
She stroked a kitten in her lap 
And we watched the world as it fell past 
Softly she spoke these words to me 
And with brand new eyes, open wide 
We pressed our faces to the glass 
As I sat sadly by her side 
 
She said, Father, mother, sister, brother, 
Uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, 
Soldier, sailor, physician, labourer, 
Actor, scientist, mechanic, priest 
Earth and moon and sun and stars 
Planets and comets with tails blazing 
All are there forever falling 
Falling lovely and amazing 
 
Then she smiled and turned to me 
And waited for me to reply 
Her hair was falling down her shoulders 
As I sat sadly by her side 
 
As I sat sadly by her side 
The kitten she did gently pass 
Over to me and again we pressed 
Our different faces to the glass 
 That may be very well , I said 
 But watch the one falling in the street 
See him gesture to his neighbours 
See him trampled beneath their feet 
All outward motion connects to nothing 
For each is concerned with their immediate need 
Witness the man reaching up from the gutter 
See the other one stumbling on who can not see 
 
With trembling hand I turned toward her 
And pushed the hair out of her eyes 
The kitten jumped back to her lap 
As I sat sadly by her side 
 
Then she drew the curtains down 
And said, When will you ever learn 
That what happens there beyond the glass 
Is simply none of your concern? 
God has given you but one heart 
You are not a home for the hearts of your brothers 
 
And God does not care for your benevolence 
Anymore than he cares for the lack of it in others 
Nor does he care for you to sit 
At windows in judgement of the world He created 
While sorrows pile up around you 
Ugly, useless and over inflated 
 
At which she turned her head away 
Great tears leaping from her eyes 
I could not wipe the smile from my face 
As I sat sadly by her side

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
AVALANCHE

 I stepped into an avalanche 
It covered up my soul 
When I am not this hunchback that you see 
I sleep beneath the golden hill 
You who wish to conquer pain 
You must learn to serve me well 
 
You strike my side by accident 
As you go down to your goal 
This cripple here that you clothe and feed 
Is neither starved nor cold 
He does not ask for your company 
Not at the centre, the centre of the world 
 
I who am on a pedestal 
You did not raise me there 
Your laws do not compel me now 
To kneel grotesque and bare 
For I myself am the pedestal 
For this ugly hump at which you stare 
 
You who wish to conquer pain 
You must learn what makes me kind 
The crumbs of love that you offer me 
Are the crumbs I've left behind 
Your pain is no credential here 
It's just a shadow of my wound 
 
I have begun to ask for you 
I who have no greed 
I have begun to long for you 
I who have no need 
You say you've gone away from me 
But I can feel you when you breathe 
 
Do not dress in those rags for me 
I know you are not poor 
And do not love me quite so fiercely now 
When you know that you are not sure 
It is your turn, my beloved one 
It is your flesh that I wear 


 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
BABE, I M ON FIRE

 Father says it, mother says it 
Sister says it, brother says it 
Uncle says it, Auntie says it 
Everyone at the party says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The horse says it, the pig says it 
The judge in his wig says it 
The fox and the rabbit 
And the nun in her habit says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
My mate Bill Gates says it 
The President of the United States says it 
The slacker and the worker 
The girl in her burqa says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The general with his tank says it 
The man at the bank says it 
The soldier with his rocket 
And the mouse in my pocket says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The drug addled wreck 
With a needle in his neck says it 
The drunk says it, punk says it 
The brave Buddhist monk says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
Hit me up, baby, and knock me down 
Drop what you re doing and come around 
We can hold hands till the sun goes down 
Cause I know 
That you 
And I 
Can be 
Together 
Cause I love you 
 
The blind referee says it 
The unlucky amputee says it 
The giant killer bee 
Landing on my knee says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The cop with his breathalyser 
The paddy with his fertiliser 
The man in the basement 
That s getting a taste for it says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The fucked up Rastafarian says it 
The dribbling libertarian says it 
The sweet little Goth 
With the ears of cloth says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe I m on fire 
 
The cross over country singer says it 
The hump backed bell ringer says it 
The swinger, the flinger 
The outraged right winger says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The man going hiking says it 
The misunderstood Viking says it 
The man at the rodeo 
And the lonely old Eskimo says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
Chorus 
 
The mild little Christian says it 
The wild Sonny Liston says it 
The pimp and the gimp 
And the guy with the limp says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The blind piano tuner says it 
The Las Vegas crooner says it 
The hooligan mooner 
Holding a schooner says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The Chinese contortionist says it 
The backyard abortionist says it 
The poor Pakistani 
With his lamb Bhirriani says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The hopeless defendant says it 
The toilet attendant says it 
The pornographer, the stenographer 
The fashion photographer says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The college professor says it 
The vicious cross dresser says it 
Grandma and Grandpa 
In the back of the car says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
Chorus 
 
The hack at the doorstep says it 
The midwife with her forceps says it 
The demented young lady 
Who is roasting her baby 
On the fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The athlete with his hernia says it 
Picasso with his Guernica says it 
My wife with her furniture 
Everybody! 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The laughing hyena says it 
The homesick polish cleaner says it 
The man from the Klan 
With a torch in his hand says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The Chinese herbologist says it 
The Christian apologist says it 
The dog and the frog 
Sitting on a log says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The foxhunting toff says it 
The horrible moth says it 
The doomed homosexual 
With the persistent cough says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
Chorus 
 
The Papist with his soul says it 
The rapist on a roll says it 
Jack says it, Jill says it 
As they roll down the hill 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The clever circus flea says it 
The sailor on the sea says it 
The man from the Daily Mail 
With his dead refugee says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The hymen busting Zulu says it 
The proud kangaroo says it 
The koala, the echidna 
And the platypus too says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The disgraced country vicar says it 
The crazed guitar picker says it 
The beatnik, the peacenik 
The apparachick says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The deranged midnight stalker says it 
Garcia Lorca says it 
The hit man, Walt Whitman 
And the haliototic talker says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
Chorus 
 
The wine taster with his nose says it 
The fireman with his hose says it 
The pedestrian, the equestrian 
The tap dancer with his toes says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The beast in the beauty pageant 
The pimply real estate agent 
The beach comber, the roamer 
The girl in a coma says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The old rock n roller 
With his two seater stroller 
And the fan in the van 
With the abominable plan says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The menstruating Jewess says it 
The nervous stewardess says it 
The hijacker, the backpacker 
The cunning safecracker says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The sports commentator says it 
The old alligator says it 
The tennis pro with his racquet 
The loon in the straight jacket 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
Chorus 
 
The butcher with his cleaver says it 
The mad basket weaver says it 
The jaded boxing writer 
And the glass jawed fighter says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The old town cryer says it 
The inveterate liar says it 
The pilchard, the bream 
And the trout in the stream 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The war correspondent says it 
The enthused and the despondent says it 
The electrician, the mortician 
And the man going fishin says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The cattleman from Down Under says it 
The patriot with his plunder says it 
Watching a boat of full of refugees 
Sinking into the sea 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The silicone junky says it 
The corporate flunky says it 
The Italian designer 
With his rickshaw in China says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
Chorus 
 
The trucker with his juggernaut says it 
The lost astronaut says it 
The share cropper, the bent copper 
The compulsive shopper says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
The Viennese vampire says it 
The cowboy round his campfire says it 
The game show panellist 
The Jungian analyst says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
Warren says it, Blixa says it 
The lighting guy and mixer says it 
Mick says it, Marty says it 
Everyone at the party says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on Fire 
 
 
The hairy arachnophobic says it 
The scary agoraphobic says it 
The mother, the brother 
And the decomposing lover says 
Babe, I m on fire 
Babe, I m on fire 
 
Chorus

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
BLACK BETTY

 Look a look a yonder (3x) 
Well the sun done gone 
 
The captain can't hold her (3x) 
The way I do now 
 
Ada got a gold mine (3x) 
Way above her knees 
 
The shiv (?) is golden (3x) 
Above her knees 
 
Look a look a yonder (3x) 
Well the sun done gone 
 
Wohoh, Black Betty, bam e lam (2x) 
Black Betty had a baby, bam e lam (2x) 
Damn thing was crazy, bam e lam (2x) 
Wohoh, Black Betty, bam e lam (2x) 
Oh, Betty Black Betty, bam e lam (2x) 
Black Betty had a baby, bam e lam (2x) 
Damn thing was crazy, bam e lam (2x) 
Black Betty didn't mind, bam e lam (2x) 
Damn thing was blind, bam e lam (2x) 
Wohoh, Black Betty, bam e lam (2x) 
Black Betty, Black Betty, bam e lam (2x) 
Jump steady Black Betty, bam e lam (2x) 
 
That Monday, I was arrested 
Tuesday, I locked up in jail 
Wednesday baby, my trial's tested 
On Thursday, nobody could blow my bail 
 
Yes, I'm almost done (3x) 
And I ain't gonna yell against no bells 
 
On Monday, baby I went a walking 
Tuesday, I .... asked to go 
On Wednesday I sat down a talking 
On Thursday she hock all a my clothes 
 
Yes, I'm almost done (3x) 
And I ain't gonna .... no more

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
BLACK CROW KING

 Mmmmm Mmmmm Mmmmm 
I am the black crow king 
Mmmmm Mmmmm Mmmmm 
I am the black crow king 
Keeper of the nodding corn 
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! 
All the hammers are a talking 
All the nails are a singing 
So sweet and low 
 
You can hear it in the valley 
Where live the lame and the blind 
They climb the hill out of its belly 
They leave with mean black boots on 
 
 I just made a simple gesture 
They jumped up and nailed it to my shadow 
My gesture was a hooker 
You know, my shadow's made of timber. 
 
And the storm is a rolling 
And the storm is a rolling 
All down on me 
 
And I'm still here rolling after everybody's gone 
And I'm still here rolling after everybody's gone 
Ah'm still here rolling and I'm left on my own 
The blackbirds have all gone! 
Everyone's rolled on! 
 
I am the black crow king 
Keeper of the trodden corn 
I am the king 
Won't say it again 
And the rain, it raineth daily 
Lord 
And wash away my clothes 
I surrender up my arms 
To a company of crows 
I am the black crow king 
I won't say it again 
 
And all the thorns are a crowning 
King ruby on each spine 
And the spears are a sailing 
O my o my 
 
And the storm is a rolling 
And the storm is a rolling 
All down on me 
 
And I'm still here rolling after everybody's gone 
And I'm still here rolling after everybody's gone 
I'm still here rolling and left on my own 
Those blackbirds they have all flown and 
I am on my own 
 
I am the black crow king 
Keeper of the forgotten corn 
The King! The King! 
I'm the king of nuthin' at all 
The hammers are a talking 
The nails are a singing 
The thorns are a crowning him 
The spears are a sailing 
The crows are a mocking 
The corn is a nodding 
The storm is a rolling 
The storm is a rolling 
The storm is a rolling down 
The storm is a rolling down 
The storm is a rolling 
Down on me 
Rolling down on me 
Rolling down on me

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
BLACK HAIR

 Last night my kisses were banked in black hair 
And in my bed, my lover, her hair was midnight black 
And all her mystery dwelled within her black hair 
And her black hair framed a happy heart shaped face 
 
And heavy hooded eyes inside her black hair 
Shined at me frome the depths of her hair of deepest black 
While my fingers pushed into her straight black hair 
Pulling her black hair back from her happy heart shaped face 
 
To kiss her milk white throat, a dark curtain of black hair 
Smothered me, my lover with her beautiful black hair 
The smell of it is heavy. It is charged with life 
On my fingers the smell of her deep black hair 
 
Full of all my whispered words, her black hair 
And wet with tears and good byes, her hair of deepest black 
All my tears cried against her milk white throat 
Hidden behind the curtain of her beautiful black hair 
 
As deep as ink and black, black as the deepest sea 
The smell of her black hair upon my pillow 
Where her head and all its black hair did rest 
Today she took a train to the West 
Today she took a train to the West 
Today she took a train to the West

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
BLESS HIS EVER LOVING HEART

 Bless his ever loving heart 
Only he knows who you are 
He may seem so very far 
Bless his ever loving heart 
 
And when your feeling sad 
And everywhere you look you can't believe the things you see 
When it all comes down so bad 
And beauty lies exhausted in the streets 
 
Hold his ever loving hand 
Even when you do not understand 
Sorrow has it's (?? natural ??) end 
Hold his ever loving hand 
 
And when your feeling low 
And everyone you meet you can't believe the things they say 
When there's no place left to go 
Where someone isn't moving you a little further down the way 
 
Bless his ever loving heart 
What you do is what you are 
When it all comes down so hard 
Bless his ever loving heart 
Hold his ever loving hand 
When it seems you ain t got a friend 
 
Only he knows who you are and what you are 
Bless his ever loving heart 
Bless his ever loving heart

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
BLIND LEMON JEFFERSON

 Blind Lemon Jefferson is a coming 
Tap tap tappin with his cane 
Blind Lemon Jefferson is a coming 
Tap tap tappin with his cane 
His last ditch lies down the road of trials 
Down the road of trials 
Half filled with rain 
 
O Sycamore, Sycamore! 
Stretch your arms across the storm 
Down fly two greasy brother crows 
They hop'n'bop They hop'n'bop They hop'n'bop 
Like the tax man come to call 
They go knock knock! Knock knock! 
Hop'n'bop hop'n'bop 
They slap a death writ on his door 
 
Here come the Judgement train 
Git on board! 
And turn that big black engine home 
O let's roll! 
Let's roll! 
Down the tunnel 
The terrible tunnel of his world 
Waiting at his final station 
Like a bigger blacker third bird 
O let's roll! 
Let's roll! 
 
O his road is dark and lonely 
He don't drive no Cadillac 
O his road is dark and holy 
He don't drive no Cadillac 
If that sky serves as his eyes 
Then that moons a cataract 
 
Let's roll! 
Yeah let's roll!

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
BRING IT ON

 This garden that I built for you 
That you sit in now and yearn 
I will never leave it, dear 
I could not bear to return 
And find it all untended 
With the trees all bended low 
This garden is our home, dear 
And I got nowhere else to go 
 
So bring it on 
Bring it on 
Every little tear 
Bring it on 
Every useless fear 
Bring it on 
All your shattered dreams 
And I ll scatter them into the sea 
Into the sea 
 
The geraniums on your window sill 
The carnations, dear, and the daffodil 
Well, they re ordinary flowers 
But they long for the light of your touch 
And of your trembling will 
Ah, you re trembling still 
And I am trembling too 
To be perfectly honest I don t know 
Quite what else to do 
 
So bring it on 
Bring it on 
Every neglected dream 
Bring it on 
Every little scheme 
Bring it on 
Every little fear 
And I ll make them disappear 
 
So bring it on, bring it on 
Bring it on 
Every little thing 
Bring it on 
Every tiny fear 
Bring it on 
Every shattered dream 
And I ll scatter them into the sea

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
BROMPTON ORATORY

 Up those stone steps I climb 
Hail this joyful day's return 
Into its great shadowed vault I go 
Hail the Pentecostal morn 
 
The reading is from Luke 24 
Where Christ returns to his loved ones 
I look at the stone apostles 
Think that it's alright for some 
 
And I wish that I was made of stone 
So that I would not have to see 
A beauty impossible to define 
A beauty impossible to believe 
 
A beauty impossible to endure 
The blood imparted in little sips 
The smell of you still on my hands 
As I bring the cup up to my lips 
 
No God up in the sky 
No devil beneath the sea 
Could do the job that you did, baby 
Of bringing me to my knees 
 
Outside I sit on the stone steps 
With nothing much to do 
Forlorn and exhausted, baby 
By the absence of you

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
BROMPTON ORATORY

 Up those stone steps I climb 
Hail this joyful day's return 
Into its great shadowed vault I go 
Hail the Pentecostal morn 
 
The reading is from Luke 24 
Where Christ returns to his loved ones 
I look at the stone apostles 
Think that it's alright for some 
 
And I wish that I was made of stone 
So that I would not have to see 
A beauty impossible to define 
A beauty impossible to believe 
 
A beauty impossible to endure 
The blood imparted in little sips 
The smell of you still on my hands 
As I bring the cup up to my lips 
 
No God up in the sky 
No devil beneath the sea 
Could do the job that you did, baby 
Of bringing me to my knees 
 
Outside I sit on the stone steps 
With nothing much to do 
Forlorn and exhausted, baby 
By the absence of you

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
BROTHER, MY CUP IS EMPTY

 Brother, my cup is empty 
And I haven't got a penny 
For to buy no more whiskey 
I have to go home 
 
I am the captain of my pain 
Tis the bit, the bridle, 
The trashing cane 
The stirrup, the harness 
The whipping mane 
The pickled eye 
The shrinking brain 
O brother, buy me one more drink 
I'll explain the nature of my pain 
Yes, let me tell you once again 
I am the captain of my pain 
 
O brother, my cup is empty 
And I haven't got a penny 
For to buy no more whiskey 
I have to go home 
 
I cannot blame it all on her 
To blame her all would be a lie 
For many a night I lay awake 
And wished that I could watch her die 
To see her accusing finger spurt 
To see flies swarm her hateful eye 
To watch her groaning in the dirt 
To see her clicking tongue crack dry 
O brother, buy me one more drink 
One more drink and then goodbye 
And do not mock me when I say 
Let's drink one more before I die 
 
O brother, my cup is empty 
And I haven't got a penny 
For to buy no more whiskey 
I have to go home 
 
Well I've been sliding down on rainbows 
Well I've been swinging from the stars 
Now this wretch in beggars clothing 
Bangs his cup across the bars 
Look, this cup of mine is empty! 
Seems I've misplaced my desires 
Seems I'm sweeping up the ashes 
Of all my former fires 
So brother, be a brother 
And fill this tiny cup of mine 
And please, sir, make it whiskey 
For I have no head for wine 
 
O brother, my cup is empty 
And I haven't got a penny 
For to buy no more whiskey 
I have to go home 
 
I counted up my blessings 
And counted only one 
One tiny little blessing 
And now that blessings gone 
So buy me one more drink, my brother 
Then I'm taking to the road 
Yes, I'm taking to the rain 
I'm taking to the snow 
O my friend, my only brother 
Do not let the party grieve 
So throw a dollar onto the bar 
Now kiss my ass and leave 
 
O brother, my cup is empty 
And I haven't got a penny 
For to buy no more whiskey 
I have to go home

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
BROTHER, MY CUP IS EMPTY

 Brother, my cup is empty 
And I haven't got a penny 
For to buy no more whiskey 
I have to go home 
 
I am the captain of my pain 
Tis the bit, the bridle, 
The trashing cane 
The stirrup, the harness 
The whipping mane 
The pickled eye 
The shrinking brain 
O brother, buy me one more drink 
I'll explain the nature of my pain 
Yes, let me tell you once again 
I am the captain of my pain 
 
O brother, my cup is empty 
And I haven't got a penny 
For to buy no more whiskey 
I have to go home 
 
I cannot blame it all on her 
To blame her all would be a lie 
For many a night I lay awake 
And wished that I could watch her die 
To see her accusing finger spurt 
To see flies swarm her hateful eye 
To watch her groaning in the dirt 
To see her clicking tongue crack dry 
O brother, buy me one more drink 
One more drink and then goodbye 
And do not mock me when I say 
Let's drink one more before I die 
 
O brother, my cup is empty 
And I haven't got a penny 
For to buy no more whiskey 
I have to go home 
 
Well I've been sliding down on rainbows 
Well I've been swinging from the stars 
Now this wretch in beggars clothing 
Bangs his cup across the bars 
Look, this cup of mine is empty! 
Seems I've misplaced my desires 
Seems I'm sweeping up the ashes 
Of all my former fires 
So brother, be a brother 
And fill this tiny cup of mine 
And please, sir, make it whiskey 
For I have no head for wine 
 
O brother, my cup is empty 
And I haven't got a penny 
For to buy no more whiskey 
I have to go home 
 
I counted up my blessings 
And counted only one 
One tiny little blessing 
And now that blessings gone 
So buy me one more drink, my brother 
Then I'm taking to the road 
Yes, I'm taking to the rain 
I'm taking to the snow 
O my friend, my only brother 
Do not let the party grieve 
So throw a dollar onto the bar 
Now kiss my ass and leave 
 
O brother, my cup is empty 
And I haven't got a penny 
For to buy no more whiskey 
I have to go home

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
BY THE TIME I GET TO PHOENIX

 By the time I get to Phoenix, she'll be rising 
And she'll find that note that I left hanging on the door 
And she'll laugh when she reads the part 
That says: I'm leaving 
Cause I've left that girl so many times before 
 
And by the time I get to Albuquerque, she'll be working 
And she'll take off time just to give me a call 
And she'll hear that phone keep right on ringing and ringing 
On the wall, yeah oh, that's all 
 
And by the time I make Oklahoma, she'll be sleeping 
She'll turn softly in her sleep and call my name out low 
And then she'll cry just to think that I'd really leave her, I left her 
But time after time after time I tried to tell her so 
But she just didn't know That I would really go 
That I would really go

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
CABIN FEVER!

 The Captain's fore arm like bunched up rope 
with A N I T A wrigglin' free on a skull'n'dagger 
and a portrait of Christ, nailed to an anchor 
etched into his upper... 
O o o' Cabin Fever! 
O o o' Cabin Fever! 
Slams his fucken tin dish down 
Our Captain, takes time to crush 
Some Bloo Bottles glowin in his gruel 
with a lump in his throat, and lumpy mush 
Thumbing a scrapbook stuck up with clag 
and a morbid lump of Love in his flags. 
Done is the Missing, now all that remain 
Is to sail forever, upon the stain 
Cabin Fever! O o o' Cabin Fever! 
 
The captain's free hand is a cleaver 
which he fashions his beard, n' he rations his jerkey! 
and carves his peg outa the finest mahagony! 
Or was it Ebony? etc... 
 
Tallies up his loneliness, notch by notch 
For the sea offers nuthin to hold or touch 
Notch by notch, winter by winter 
Notch x notch, winter x winter 
 
Now his leg is whittled, right down to a splinter 
O o Cabin Fever! O o o Cabin Fever! 
O the rollin sea still rollin on! 
She's everywhere! now that she's gone! Gone! Gone! 
O Cabin Fever! O Cabin Fever! 
 
Welcome to his table, Beloved Unconscious 
Raisin her host of hair from her crooks 
and strugglin to summony one of her looks! 
His arm now like coiled s s s snakes 
Whips all the bottles that he's drunken, 
like crystal skittles about the cabin, 
of a ship they'd been sailing 
 
Five years sunken... etc...

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
CHRISTINA THE ASTONISHING

 Christina the Astonishing 
Lived a long time ago 
She was stricken with a seizure 
At the age of twenty two 
They took her body in a coffin 
To a tiny church in Liege 
Where she sprang up from the coffin 
Just after the Agnus Dei 
She soared up to the rafters 
Perched on a beam up there 
Cried The stink of human sin 
Is more that I can bear 
Christina the Astonishing 
Was the most astonishing of all 
She prayed balanced on a hurdle 
Or curled up into a ball 
She fled to remote places 
Climbed towers and trees and walls 
To escape the stench of human corruption 
Into an oven she did crawl 
O Christina the Astonishing 
Behaved in a terrifying way 
She would run wildly through the streets 
Jump in the Meusse and swim away 
O Christina the Astonishing 
Behaved in terrifying manner 
Died at the age of seventy four 
In the convent of St Anna

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
CITY OF REFUGE

 You better run You better run and run and run 
You better run You better run 
You better run to the City of Refuge 
You better run You better run 
You better run to the City of Refuge 
 
You stand before your maker 
In a state of shame 
Bacause your robes are covered in mud 
While your kneel at the feet 
Of a woman of the street 
The gutters will run with blood 
They will run with blood! 
 
You better run, you better run 
You better run to the City of Refuge 
You better run, you better run 
You better run to the City of Refuge 
 
In the days of madness 
My brother, my sister 
When you're dragged toward the Hell mouth 
You will beg at the end 
But there ain't gonna be one, friend 
For the grave will spew you out 
It will spew you out! 
 
You better run, you better run 
You better run to the City of Refuge 
You better run, you better run 
You better run to the City of Refuge 
 
You'll be working in the darkness 
Against your fellow man 
And you'll find you're called to come forth 
So you'll scrub and you'll scrub 
But the trouble is, bud 
The blood it won't wash off 
No, it won't come off! 
 
You better run, you better run 
You better run to the City of Refuge 
You better run, you better run 
You better run and run and run 
You better run to the City of Refuge

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
CROW JANE

 Crow Jane Crow Jane 
Crow Jane 
Horrors in her head 
That her tongue dare not name 
She lives alone by the river 
The rolling rivers of pain 
Crow Jane Crow Jane 
Crow Jane Ah hah huh 
There is one shining eye on a hard hat 
The company closed down the mine 
Winking on waters they came 
Twenty hard hats, twenty eyes 
In her clapboard shack 
Only six foot by five 
They killed all her whiskey 
And poured their pistols dry 
Crow Jane Crow Jane 
Crow Jane Ah hah huh 
Seems you've remembered 
How to sleep, how to sleep 
The house dogs are in your turnips 
And your yard dogs are running all over the street 
Crow Jane Crow Jane 
Crow Jane Ah hah huh 
 O Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson 
Why you close up shop so late? 
 Just fitted out a girl who looked like a bird 
Measured .32, .44, .38 
I asked that girl which road she was taking 
Said she was walking the road of hate 
But she stopped on a coal trolley up to New Haven 
Population: 48 
Crow Jane Crow Jane 
Crow Jane Ah hah huh 
Your guns are drunk and smoking 
They've followed you right back to your gate 
Laughing all the way back from the new town 
Population, now, 28 
Crow Jane Crow Jane 
Crow Jane Ah hah huh

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
DARKER WITH THE DAY

 As so with that, I thought I'd take a final walk 
The tide of public opinion had started to abate 
The neighbours, bless them, had 
turned out to be all talk 
I could see their frightened faces 
peering at me trough the gate 
 
I was looking for an end to this, for some kind of closure 
Time moved so rapidly, I had no hope 
of keeping track of it 
I thought of my friends who had died of exposure 
And I remembered other ones who 
had died from the lack of it 
 
And in my best shoes I started falling 
forward down the street 
I stopped at a church and jostled trough the crowd 
And love followed just behind me 
panting at my feet 
At the steeple tore the stomach from a lonely little cloud 
 
Inside I sat, seeking the presence of a God 
I searched trough the pictures in a 
leather bound book 
I found a woolly lamb dozing in an issue of blood 
And a gilled Jesus shivering on a 
fisherman's hook 
 
Babe 
It seems so long 
Since you've been gone away 
And I 
Just got to say 
That it grows darker with the day 
 
Back on the street I saw a great big smiling sun 
It was a Good day and an Evil day and 
all was bright and new 
And it seemed to me that most 
destruction was beeing done 
By those who could not choose 
between the two 
 
Amateurs, dilettantes, hacks, cowboya, clones 
The streets groan with little Caesars, 
Napoleons and cunts 
With their building blocks and their tiny 
plastic phones 
Counting on their fingers, with crumbs 
down their fronts 
 
I passed by your garden, saw you with your flowers 
The Mangolias, Camellias and Azaleas so sweet 
And I stood there invisible in the panicking crowds 
You looked so beatiful in the rising heat 
 
I smell smoke, see little fires bursting on the lawns 
People carry on regardless, listening to their hands 
Great cracks appear in the pavement, 
the earth yawns 
Bored and disgusted, to do us down 
 
Babe 
It seems so long 
Since you've been gone 
And I 
Just got to say 
That it grows darker with the day 
 
These streets are frozen now 
I come and go 
Full of a longing for something I do 
not know 
My father sits slumped in the 
deepening snow 
As I search, in and out, above, 
about, below 
 
Babe 
It seems so long 
Since you went away 
And I 
Just got to say 
That it grows darker with the day

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
DEAD MAN IN MY BED

 She sat in a wicker chair, her eyes they were downcast 
She breathed in the future, by breathing out the past 
The die is done, the die is shook, the die is duly cast 
There is a dead man in my bed, she said 
That smile you see upon his face 
It s been there for many days 
There s a dead man in my bed 
 
I ain t been feeling that good too much no more, she said, I swear 
She pointed at the bedroom door and said I ain t going in there 
She leaped out of her seat and screamed someone s not concentrating here 
There is a dead man in my bed, she said 
I ain t speaking metaphorically 
His eyes are open but he cannot see 
There s a dead man in my bed 
 
The leaves outside the window waved, all brown, they were, and falling 
Even I could tell the atmosphere in here was utterly appalling 
The phone it rang incessantly but nobody was calling 
There s a dead man in my bed, she said 
And though he keeps on taking notes 
I swear this ain t some kind of hoax 
Dead man in my bed 
 
Now she s in the kitchen, rattling those pots and pans 
I d cook him something nice, she said, but he refuses to wash his hands 
He used to be so good to me, now he smells so fucking bad 
There is a dead man in my bed, she said 
I keep poking at him with my stick 
But his skin is just so fucking thick 
There s a dead man in my bed 
 
We ve gotta get it all together 
We ve gotta get it all together 
We ve gotta get it all together 
We ve gotta get it all together

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
DEANNA

 O DEANNA 
O Deanna! 
O DEANNA 
Sweet Deanna! 
O DEANNA 
You know you are my friend, yeah 
O DEANNA 
And I ain't down here for your money 
I ain't down here for your love 
I ain't down here for your love or money 
I'm down here for your soul 
 
No carpet on the floor 
And the winding cloth holds many moths 
Around your Ku Klux furniture 
I cum of death head in your frock 
We discuss the murder plan 
We discuss murder and the murder act 
Murder takes the wheel of your Cadillac 
And death climbs in the back 
 
O DEANNA 
This is a car 
O DEANNA 
This is a gun 
O DEANNA 
And this a day number one 
O DEANNA 
Our little crimeworn histories 
Black and smoking christmas trees 
And honey, it ain't mystery 
Why you're a mystery to me 
 
We will eat out of their pantries 
And their parlours 
Ashy leaving in their beds 
And we'll unload into their heads 
On this mean season 
This little angel that I squeezin' 
She ain't been mean to me 
 
O DEANNA 
O Deanna! 
O DEANNA 
You are my friend and my partner 
O DEANNA 
On this house on the hill 
O DEANNA 
And I ain't down here for your money 
I ain't down here for your love 
I ain't down here for your love or money 
I'm down here for your soul 
 
O DEANNA 
I am a knocking 
O DEANNA 
With my toolbox and my stocking 
O DEANNA 
And I'll meet you on the corner 
O DEANNA 
Yes, you point it like a finger 
O DEANNA 
And squeeze its little thing 
O DEANNA 
Feel its kick, hear its bang 
And let no worry about its issue 
Don't worry about where its been 
and don't worry about where it hits 
Cause it just ain't yours to sin 
 
O DEANNA 
No it just ain't your to sin 
O DEANNA 
Sweet Deanna 
O DEANNA 
And we ain't getting any younger 
O DEANNA 
And I don't intend gettin' any older 
O DEANNA 
The sun a hump at my shoulder 
O DEANNA 
O Deanna! 
O DEANNA 
Sweet Deanna 
O DEANNA 
And I ain't down here for your money 
I ain't down here for your love 
I ain't down here for your love of money 
I'm down here for your soul

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
DEANNA

 O DEANNA 
O Deanna! 
O DEANNA 
Sweet Deanna! 
O DEANNA 
You know you are my friend, yeah 
O DEANNA 
And I ain't down here for your money 
I ain't down here for your love 
I ain't down here for your love or money 
I'm down here for your soul 
 
No carpet on the floor 
And the winding cloth holds many moths 
Around your Ku Klux furniture 
I cum of death head in your frock 
We discuss the murder plan 
We discuss murder and the murder act 
Murder takes the wheel of your Cadillac 
And death climbs in the back 
 
O DEANNA 
This is a car 
O DEANNA 
This is a gun 
O DEANNA 
And this a day number one 
O DEANNA 
Our little crimeworn histories 
Black and smoking christmas trees 
And honey, it ain't mystery 
Why you're a mystery to me 
 
We will eat out of their pantries 
And their parlours 
Ashy leaving in their beds 
And we'll unload into their heads 
On this mean season 
This little angel that I squeezin' 
She ain't been mean to me 
 
O DEANNA 
O Deanna! 
O DEANNA 
You are my friend and my partner 
O DEANNA 
On this house on the hill 
O DEANNA 
And I ain't down here for your money 
I ain't down here for your love 
I ain't down here for your love or money 
I'm down here for your soul 
 
O DEANNA 
I am a knocking 
O DEANNA 
With my toolbox and my stocking 
O DEANNA 
And I'll meet you on the corner 
O DEANNA 
Yes, you point it like a finger 
O DEANNA 
And squeeze its little thing 
O DEANNA 
Feel its kick, hear its bang 
And let no worry about its issue 
Don't worry about where its been 
and don't worry about where it hits 
Cause it just ain't yours to sin 
 
O DEANNA 
No it just ain't your to sin 
O DEANNA 
Sweet Deanna 
O DEANNA 
And we ain't getting any younger 
O DEANNA 
And I don't intend gettin' any older 
O DEANNA 
The sun a hump at my shoulder 
O DEANNA 
O Deanna! 
O DEANNA 
Sweet Deanna 
O DEANNA 
And I ain't down here for your money 
I ain't down here for your love 
I ain't down here for your love of money 
I'm down here for your soul

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
DEANNA

 O DEANNA 
O Deanna! 
O DEANNA 
Sweet Deanna! 
O DEANNA 
You know you are my friend, yeah 
O DEANNA 
And I ain't down here for your money 
I ain't down here for your love 
I ain't down here for your love or money 
I'm down here for your soul 
 
No carpet on the floor 
And the winding cloth holds many moths 
Around your Ku Klux furniture 
I cum of death head in your frock 
We discuss the murder plan 
We discuss murder and the murder act 
Murder takes the wheel of your Cadillac 
And death climbs in the back 
 
O DEANNA 
This is a car 
O DEANNA 
This is a gun 
O DEANNA 
And this a day number one 
O DEANNA 
Our little crimeworn histories 
Black and smoking christmas trees 
And honey, it ain't mystery 
Why you're a mystery to me 
 
We will eat out of their pantries 
And their parlours 
Ashy leaving in their beds 
And we'll unload into their heads 
On this mean season 
This little angel that I squeezin' 
She ain't been mean to me 
 
O DEANNA 
O Deanna! 
O DEANNA 
You are my friend and my partner 
O DEANNA 
On this house on the hill 
O DEANNA 
And I ain't down here for your money 
I ain't down here for your love 
I ain't down here for your love or money 
I'm down here for your soul 
 
O DEANNA 
I am a knocking 
O DEANNA 
With my toolbox and my stocking 
O DEANNA 
And I'll meet you on the corner 
O DEANNA 
Yes, you point it like a finger 
O DEANNA 
And squeeze its little thing 
O DEANNA 
Feel its kick, hear its bang 
And let no worry about its issue 
Don't worry about where its been 
and don't worry about where it hits 
Cause it just ain't yours to sin 
 
O DEANNA 
No it just ain't your to sin 
O DEANNA 
Sweet Deanna 
O DEANNA 
And we ain't getting any younger 
O DEANNA 
And I don't intend gettin' any older 
O DEANNA 
The sun a hump at my shoulder 
O DEANNA 
O Deanna! 
O DEANNA 
Sweet Deanna 
O DEANNA 
And I ain't down here for your money 
I ain't down here for your love 
I ain't down here for your love of money 
I'm down here for your soul

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
DEATH IS NOT THE END

 When you're sad and when you're lonely 
And you haven't got a friend 
Just remember that death is not the end 
And all that you held sacred 
Falls down and does not mend 
Just remember that death is not the end 
Not the end, not the end 
Just remember that death is not the end 
When you're standing on the crossroads 
That you cannot comprehend 
Just remember that death is not the end 
And all your dreams have vanished 
And you don't know what's up the bend 
Just remember that death is not the end 
Not the end, not the end 
Just remember that death is not the end 
When the storm clouds gather round you 
And heavy rains descend 
Just remember that death is not the end 
And there's no one there to comfort you 
With a helping hand to lend 
Just remember that death is not the end 
Not the end, not the end 
Just remember that death is not the end 
For the tree of life is growing 
Where the spirit never dies 
And the bright light of salvation 
Up in dark and empty skies 
When the cities are on fire 
With the burning flesh of men 
Just remember that death is not the end 
When you search in vain to find 
Some law abiding citizen 
Just remember that death is not the end 
Not the end, not the end 
Just remember that death is not the end 
Not the end, not the end 
Just remember that death is not the end

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
FAR FROM ME

 For you dear, I was born 
For you I was raised up 
For you I've lived and for you I will die 
For you I am dying now 
You were my mad little lover 
In a world where everybody fucks everybody else over 
You who are so far from me 
Far from me 
So far from me 
Way across some cold neurotic sea 
Far from me 
 
I would talk to you of all matter of things 
With a smile you would reply 
Then the sun would leave your pretty face 
And you'd retreat from the front of your eyes 
I keep hearing that you're doing best 
I hope your heart beats happy in your infant breast 
You are so far from me 
Far from me 
Far from me 
 
There is no knowledge but i know it 
There's nothing to learn from that vacant voice 
That sails to me across the line 
From the ridiculous to the sublime 
It's good to hear you're doing so well 
But really can't you find somebody else that you can ring and tell 
Did you ever 
Care for me? 
Were you ever 
There for me? 
So far from me 
 
You told me you'd stick by me 
Through the thick and through the thin 
Those were your very words 
My fair weather friend 
You were my brave hearted lover 
At the first taste of trouble went running back to mother 
So far from me 
Far from me 
Suspended in your bleak and fishless sea 
Far from me 
Far from me

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
FIFTEEN FEET OF PURE WHITE SNOW

 Where is Mona? 
She's long gone 
Where is Mary? 
She's taken her along 
But they haven't put their mittens on 
And there's fifteen feet of pure white snow? 
 
Where is Michael? 
Where is Mark? 
Where is Mathew 
Now it's getting dark? 
Where is John? They are all out back 
Under fifteen feet of pure white snow 
Would you please put down that telephone 
We're under fifteen feet of pure white snow 
 
I waved to my neighbour 
My neighbour waved to me 
But my neighbour 
Is my enemy 
I kept waving my arms 
Till I could not see 
Under fifteen feet of pure white snow 
 
Is anybody 
Out there please? 
It's too quiet in here 
And I'm beginning to freeze 
I've got icicles hanging 
From my knees 
Under fifteen feet of pure white snow 
 
Is there anybody here who feels this low? 
Under fifteen feet of pure white snow 
 
Raise your hands up to the sky 
Raise your hands up to the sky 
Raise your hands up to the sky 
Is it any wonder? 
Oh my Lord Oh my Lord 
Oh my Lord Oh my Lord 
 
Doctor, Doctor 
I'm going mad 
This is the worst day 
I've ever had 
I can't remember 
Ever feeling this bad 
Under fifteen feet of pure white snow 
Where's my nurse 
I need some healing 
I've been paralysed 
By a lack of feeling 
I can't even find 
Anything worth stealing 
Under fifteen feet of pure white snow 
 
Is there anyone else here who doesn't know? 
We're under fifteen feet of pure white snow 
 
Raise your hands up to the sky 
Raise your hands up to the sky 
Raise your hands up to the sky 
Is it any wonder? 
Oh my Lord Oh my Lord 
Oh my Lord Oh my Lord 
Save Yourself! Help Yourself! 
Save Yourself! Help Yourself! 
Save Yourself! Help Yourself! 
Save Yourself! Help Yourself!

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
FOI NA CRUZ

 Foi na cruz, foi na cruz 
Que um dia 
Meus pecados castigados em Jesus 
Foi na cruz 
Que um dia 
Foi na cruz 
 
Love comes a knocking 
Comes a knocking upon our door 
But you, you and me, love 
We don't live here any more 
 
Foi na cruz, foi na cruz 
Que um dia 
Meus pecados castigados em Jesus 
Foi na cruz 
Que um dia 
Foi na cruz 
 
A little sleep, a little slumber 
A little folding of the hands to sleep 
A little love, a little hate, babe 
A little trickery and deceit 
 
Foi na cruz, foi na cruz 
Que um dia 
Meus pecados castigados em Jesus 
Foi na cruz 
Que um dia 
Foi na cruz 
 
Dream on 'till you can dream no more 
For all our grand plans, babe 
Will be dreams forever more 
 
Foi na cruz, foi na cruz 
Que um dia 
Meus pecados castigados em Jesus 
Foi na cruz 
Que um dia 
Foi na cruz 
(Repeat)

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
FROM HER TO ETERNITY

 Ah wanna tell ya 'bout a girl 
You know, she lives in room 29 
Why... Why... that's the one right up top a mine 
Ah start to cry, Ah start to cry 
 
O Ah hear her walkin' 
Walkin' barefoot cross the floor boards 
All thru this lonesome night 
Ah hear her crying too. 
Hot tears come splashin on down 
Leaking thru the cracks, 
Down upon my face, Ah catch'em in my mouth! 
Ah catch'em in my mouth! 
Ah catch'em in my mouth! 
Walk'n'cry Walk'n'cry y!!! 
 
From her to eternity! 
From her to eternity! 
From her to eternity! 
 
Ah read her diary on her sheets 
Scrutinizin' every lil bit of dirt 
Tore out a page'n'stufft it inside my shirt 
Fled outa the window, 
And shinning it down the vine 
Outa her night mare, and back into mine 
Mine! O Mine! 
 
From her to eternity! 
From her to eternity! 
From her to eternity! 
Cry! Cry! CRY! 
 
She's wearing them bloo stockens, ah bet! 
and standin' like this with my ear to the ceiling 
Listen, Ah know it must sound absurd 
but Ah can hear the most melancholy sound 
Ah ever heard! 
Walk'n'cry! Kneel'n'cry y! 
 
From her to eternity! 
From her to eternity! 
 
O tell me why? O tell me why? 
Oh Why? Why? Why? 
O tell me why and don't tell me a lie! 
Why the ceiling still shakes? Shakes! Shakes! Shakes! 
Why the fixtures turn to serpents and snakes? 
 
This desire to possess her is a wound 
and its naggin at me like a shrew 
but, Ah know, that to possess her 
Is, therefore, not to desire her. 
 
O o o then ya know, that lil girl would just have to go! 
Go! Go o o! From her to eternity! 
 
From her to eternity! [Repeat]

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
FROM HER TO ETERNITY

 Ah wanna tell ya 'bout a girl 
You know, she lives in room 29 
Why... Why... that's the one right up top a mine 
Ah start to cry, Ah start to cry 
 
O Ah hear her walkin' 
Walkin' barefoot cross the floor boards 
All thru this lonesome night 
Ah hear her crying too. 
Hot tears come splashin on down 
Leaking thru the cracks, 
Down upon my face, Ah catch'em in my mouth! 
Ah catch'em in my mouth! 
Ah catch'em in my mouth! 
Walk'n'cry Walk'n'cry y!!! 
 
From her to eternity! 
From her to eternity! 
From her to eternity! 
 
Ah read her diary on her sheets 
Scrutinizin' every lil bit of dirt 
Tore out a page'n'stufft it inside my shirt 
Fled outa the window, 
And shinning it down the vine 
Outa her night mare, and back into mine 
Mine! O Mine! 
 
From her to eternity! 
From her to eternity! 
From her to eternity! 
Cry! Cry! CRY! 
 
She's wearing them bloo stockens, ah bet! 
and standin' like this with my ear to the ceiling 
Listen, Ah know it must sound absurd 
but Ah can hear the most melancholy sound 
Ah ever heard! 
Walk'n'cry! Kneel'n'cry y! 
 
From her to eternity! 
From her to eternity! 
 
O tell me why? O tell me why? 
Oh Why? Why? Why? 
O tell me why and don't tell me a lie! 
Why the ceiling still shakes? Shakes! Shakes! Shakes! 
Why the fixtures turn to serpents and snakes? 
 
This desire to possess her is a wound 
and its naggin at me like a shrew 
but, Ah know, that to possess her 
Is, therefore, not to desire her. 
 
O o o then ya know, that lil girl would just have to go! 
Go! Go o o! From her to eternity! 
 
From her to eternity! [Repeat]

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
FROM HER TO ETERNITY

 Ah wanna tell ya 'bout a girl 
You know, she lives in room 29 
Why... Why... that's the one right up top a mine 
Ah start to cry, Ah start to cry 
 
O Ah hear her walkin' 
Walkin' barefoot cross the floor boards 
All thru this lonesome night 
Ah hear her crying too. 
Hot tears come splashin on down 
Leaking thru the cracks, 
Down upon my face, Ah catch'em in my mouth! 
Ah catch'em in my mouth! 
Ah catch'em in my mouth! 
Walk'n'cry Walk'n'cry y!!! 
 
From her to eternity! 
From her to eternity! 
From her to eternity! 
 
Ah read her diary on her sheets 
Scrutinizin' every lil bit of dirt 
Tore out a page'n'stufft it inside my shirt 
Fled outa the window, 
And shinning it down the vine 
Outa her night mare, and back into mine 
Mine! O Mine! 
 
From her to eternity! 
From her to eternity! 
From her to eternity! 
Cry! Cry! CRY! 
 
She's wearing them bloo stockens, ah bet! 
and standin' like this with my ear to the ceiling 
Listen, Ah know it must sound absurd 
but Ah can hear the most melancholy sound 
Ah ever heard! 
Walk'n'cry! Kneel'n'cry y! 
 
From her to eternity! 
From her to eternity! 
 
O tell me why? O tell me why? 
Oh Why? Why? Why? 
O tell me why and don't tell me a lie! 
Why the ceiling still shakes? Shakes! Shakes! Shakes! 
Why the fixtures turn to serpents and snakes? 
 
This desire to possess her is a wound 
and its naggin at me like a shrew 
but, Ah know, that to possess her 
Is, therefore, not to desire her. 
 
O o o then ya know, that lil girl would just have to go! 
Go! Go o o! From her to eternity! 
 
From her to eternity! [Repeat]

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
GATES TO THE GARDEN

 Past the ivy covered windows of The Angel 
Down Athenaeum Lane to the cathedral 
Trough the churchyard I wandered 
Sat for a spell there and I pondered 
My back to the gates of the garden 
My back to the gates of the garden 
My back to the gates of the garden 
 
Fugitive fathers, sickly infants, decent mothers 
Runaways and suicidal lovers 
Assorted boxes of ordinary bones 
Of aborted plans and sudden shattered hopes 
In unlucky rows, up to the gates of the garden 
In unhappy rows, up to the gates of the garden 
In unlucky rows, up to the gates of the garden 
 
Won't you meet me at the gates 
Won't you meet me at the gates 
Won't you meet me at the gates 
To the garden 
 
Beneath the creeping shadow of the tower 
The bell from St.Edmunds informs me of the hour 
I turn to find you waiting there for me 
In sunlight and I see the way that you breathe 
Alive and leaning on the gates of the garden 
Alive and leaning on the gates of the garden 
Alive and leaning on the gates of the garden 
 
Leave these ancient places to the angels 
Let the saints attend to their keeping of the cathedrals 
And leave the dead beneath the ground so cold 
For God is in this hand that I hold 
As we open up the gates of the garden 
 
Won't you meet me at the gates 
Won't you meet me at the gates 
Won't you meet me at the gates 
To the garden

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
GOD IS IN THE HOUSE

 We've laid the cables and the wires 
We've split the wood and stoked 
the fires 
We've lit our town so there is no 
Place for crime to hide 
Our little church is painted white 
And in the safety of the night 
We all go quiet as a mouse 
For the word is out 
God is in the house 
God is in the house 
God is in the house 
No cause for worry now 
God is in the house 
 
Moral sneaks in the White House 
Computer geeks in the school house 
Drug freaks in the crack house 
We don't have that stuff here 
We have a tiny little Force 
But we need them of course 
For the kittens in the trees 
And at night we are on our knees 
As quiet as a mouse 
For God is in the house 
God is in the house 
God is in the house 
And no one's left in doubt 
God is in the house 
 
Homos roaming the streets in packs 
Queer bashers with tyre jacks 
Lesbian counter attacks 
That stuff is for the big cities 
Our town is very pretty 
We have a pretty little square 
We have a woman for a mayor 
Our policy is firm but fair 
Now that God is in the house 
God is in the house 
God is in the house 
Any day now He'll come out 
God is in the house 
 
Well meaning little therapists 
Goose stepping twelve stepping Tetotalitarianists 
The tipsy, the reeling and the drop down pissed 
We got no time for that stuff here 
Zero crime and no fear 
We've bred all our kittens white 
So you can see them in the night 
And at night we're on our knees 
As quiet as a mouse 
Since the word got out 
From the North down to the South 
For no one's left in doubt 
There's no fear about 
If we all hold hands and very quietly shout 
Hallelujah 
God is in the house 
God is in the house 
Oh I wish He would come out 
God is in the house

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
GREEN EYES

 Kiss me again, rekiss me and kiss me 
Slip your frigid hands beneath my shirt 
This useless old fucker with his twinkling cunt 
Doesn't care if he gets hurt 
 
Green eyes, Green eyes 
Green eyes, Green eyes 
 
If it were but a matter of faith 
If it were measured in petitions and prayer 
She would materialise, all fleshed out 
But it is not, nor do I care 
 
Green eyes, Green eyes 
Green eyes, Green eyes 
 
So hold me and hold me, don't tell me your name 
This morning will be wiser than this evening is 
Then leave me to my enemied dreams 
And be quiet as you are leaving, Miss 
 
Green eyes... 
Green eyes, Green eyes 
Green eyes, Green eyes 
Green eyes, Green eyes

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
GRIEF CAME RIDING

 A grief came riding 
On the wind 
Up the sun on river Thames 
I was sittin' on the bank with my mouth open 
When I felt it entering 
 
I began thinkin' about our wedding day 
And how love was a vow 
I was thinkin' about the chamber door 
Only we can enter now 
 
I began thinkin' about our ancient friends 
And of kissin them goodbye 
And then the wind blew under Battersea bridge 
And a tear broke from my eye 
 
I started thinkin' about London 
And nothing good ever came from this town 
and if the Thames weren t so filthy 
I would jump in the river and drown 
 
Don't be afraid 
Come on down 
I'm just sittin' here 
And thinking of love 
 
A grief came riding 
On the wind 
Up the river where the bridges crouch 
Blowin people back and fall 
From the marital bed to the psychiatric couch 
 
Blowin' people far apart 
Blowin' others so they collide 
Blowin some poor bastard right out of the water 
blowin another one over the side 
 
Hear the ancient iron bridge 
And listen to it groan 
with the weight of a thousand people 
Leavin' or returning home 
 
To their failures 
To their bordoms 
To their husbands 
And their wife s 
who are carving them up for dinner 
before they even arrive 
 
Don't be afraid 
Come on down 
I'm just sittin' here 
And thinkin' of love 
 
And look they just blow the water 
See the saviour of the human race 
Where the fishes and the frogs 
Has found his final resting place 
 
Don't be afraid 
Come on down 
I'm just sittin' here 
Thinkin' of love

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
HALLEJUJAH

 On the first day of May I took to the road 
I'd been staring out the window most of the morning 
I'd watched the rain claw at the glass 
And a vicious wind blew hard and fast 
I should have taken it as a warning 
As a warning As a warning 
As a warning 
 
I'd given my nurse the weekend off 
My meals were ill prepared 
My typewriter had turned mute as a tomb 
And my piano crouched in the corner of my room 
With all its teeth bared 
All its teeth bared All its teeth bared 
All its teeth bared. 
 
Hallelujah Hallelujah 
Hallelujah Hallelujah 
 
I left my house without my coat 
Something my nurse would not have allowed 
And I took the small roads out of town 
And I passed a cow and the cow was brown 
And my pyjamas clung to me like a shroud 
Like a shroud Like a shroud 
Like a shroud 
 
There rose before me a little house 
With all hope and dreams kept within 
A woman's voice close to my ear 
Said, Why don't you come in here? 
 You looked soaked to the skin 
Soaked to the skin Soaked to the skin 
Soaked to the skin 
 
Hallelujah Hallelujah 
Hallelujah Hallelujah 
 
I turned to the woman and the woman was young 
I extended a hearty salutation 
But I knew if my nurse had been here 
She would never in a thousand years 
Permit me to accept that invitation 
Invitation That invitation 
That invitation 
 
Now, you might think it wise to risk it all 
Throw caution to the reckless wind 
But with her hot cocoa and her medication 
My nurse had been my one salvation 
So I turned back home 
I turned back home I turned back home 
Singing my song 
 
Hallelujah 
The tears are welling in my eyes again 
Hallelujah 
I need twenty big buckets to catch them in 
Hallelujah 
And twenty pretty girls to carry 
them down 
Hallelujah 
And twenty deep holes to bury them in 
Hallelujah 
The tears are welling in my eyes again 
Hallelujah 
I need twenty big buckets to catch them in 
Hallelujah 
And twenty pretty girls to carry them down 
Hallelujah 
And twenty deep holes to bury them in

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
HARD ON FOR LOVE

 It is for she that the cherry bleeds 
That the moon is steeped in mild nad blood 
That I steal like a robber 
From her altar of love 
O money lender! O clover gender! 
I am the fiend hid in her skirts 
And it's as hot as hell in here 
Coming at her as I am from above 
Hard on for love hard on for love 
Hard on for love hard on for love 
 
Well, I swear I seen that girl before 
Like she walked straight outa the book of Leveticus 
But they can stone me with stones I don't care 
 
Just as long as I can get to kiss 
Those gypsy lips! Gypsy lips! 
My aim is to hit this Miss 
And I'm moving in (I'm moving in) 
Coming at her like Lazarus from above 
Hard on for love hard on for love 
Hard on for love hard on for love 
 
The Lord is my shepard I shall not want 
The Lord is my shepard I shall not want 
But he ledeth me like a lamb to the lips 
Of the mouth of the valley of the whadow of death 
I am his rod and his staff 
I am his sceptre and shaft 
And she is heaven and hell 
At whose gates I ain't been delivered 
I'm gunna give the gates a shove 
Hard on for love hard on for love 
Hard on for love hard on for love 
 
And her breasts rise and fall 
Breast rise and fall 
Breast rise and fall 
Breast rise and fall 
And just when I'm about to get my hands on her 
Just when I'm about to get my hands on her 
Just when I'm about to get my hands on her 
Just when I'm about to get my hands on her 
You are beautiful! O dove! 
Hard on for love hard on for love 
Hard on for love hard on for love 
 
Just when I'm about to get my hands on her 
Just when I'm about to get my hands on her 
 
Her breasts rise and fall 
Her breasts rise and fall 
 
Just when I'm about to get my hands on her 
Just when I'm about to get my hands on her 
 
Hard on for love hard on for love 
Hard on for love hard on for love

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
HE WANT S YOU

 In his boat and through the dark he rowed 
Chained to oar and the night and the wind that blowed 
Horribly ?round his ears 
Under the bridge and into your dreams he soars 
While you lie alone in that idea free sleep of yours 
That you ve been sleeping now for years 
 
And he wants you 
He wants you 
He is straight and he is true 
Ooh hoo hoo 
 
Beneath the hanging cliffs and under the many stars where 
He will move, all amongst your tangled hair 
And deep into the sea 
And you will wake and walk and draw the blind 
And feel some presence there behind 
And turn to see what that may be 
Oh, babe, it s me 
 
And he wants you 
He wants you 
He is straight and he is true 
Ooh hoo hoo

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
HENRY LEE

 Get down, get down, little Henry Lee 
And stay all night with me 
You won't find a girl in this damn world 
That will compare with me 
And the wind did howl and the wind did blow 
La la la la la 
La la la la lee 
A little bird lit down on Henry Lee 
I can't get down and I won't get down 
And stay all night with thee 
For the girl I have in that merry green land 
I love far better than thee 
And the wind did howl and the wind did blow 
La la la la la 
La la la la lee 
A little bird lit down on Henry Lee 
She leaned herself against a fence 
Just for a kiss or two 
And with a little pen knife held in her hand 
She plugged him through and through 
And the wind did roar and the wind did moan 
La la la la la 
La la la la lee 
A little bird lit down on Henry Lee 
Come take him by his lilly white hands 
Come take him by his feet 
And throw him in this deep deep well 
Which is more than one hundred feet 
And the wind did howl and the wind did blow 
La la la la la 
La la la la lee 
A little bird lit down on Henry Lee 
Lie there, lie there, little Henry Lee 
Till the flesh drops from your bones 
For the girl you have in that merry green land 
Can wait forever for you to come home 
And the wind did howl and the wind did moan 
La la la la la 
La la la la lee 
A little bird lit down on Henry Lee

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
HENRY LEE

 Get down, get down, little Henry Lee 
And stay all night with me 
You won't find a girl in this damn world 
That will compare with me 
And the wind did howl and the wind did blow 
La la la la la 
La la la la lee 
A little bird lit down on Henry Lee 
I can't get down and I won't get down 
And stay all night with thee 
For the girl I have in that merry green land 
I love far better than thee 
And the wind did howl and the wind did blow 
La la la la la 
La la la la lee 
A little bird lit down on Henry Lee 
She leaned herself against a fence 
Just for a kiss or two 
And with a little pen knife held in her hand 
She plugged him through and through 
And the wind did roar and the wind did moan 
La la la la la 
La la la la lee 
A little bird lit down on Henry Lee 
Come take him by his lilly white hands 
Come take him by his feet 
And throw him in this deep deep well 
Which is more than one hundred feet 
And the wind did howl and the wind did blow 
La la la la la 
La la la la lee 
A little bird lit down on Henry Lee 
Lie there, lie there, little Henry Lee 
Till the flesh drops from your bones 
For the girl you have in that merry green land 
Can wait forever for you to come home 
And the wind did howl and the wind did moan 
La la la la la 
La la la la lee 
A little bird lit down on Henry Lee

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
HEY JOE

 Hey Joe, where you going with that gun in your hand? 
Hey Joe, where you going with that gun in your hand? 
I'm gonna shoot my baby, I caught her messin round with another man 
 
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your baby down 
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your baby down 
Yes I did I shot her, I went and put her in the ground 
 
Hey Joe, where you gonna run to now? 
Hey Joe, where you gonna run to now? 
I'm heading way down South where I can be free 
I'm heading Mexico way, no hangman's about to put a leash around me

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
I DO LOVE HER SO (LIME TREE ARBOUR)

 The boatman calls from the lake 
A lone loon dives upon the water 
I put my hand over her 
Down in the lime tree arbour 
 
The wind in the trees is whispering 
Whispering low that I love her 
She puts her hand over mine 
Down in the lime tree arbour 
 
Through every breath that I breathe 
And every place I go 
There is hand that protects me 
And I do love her so 
 
There will always be suffering 
It flows through life like water 
I put my hand over hers 
Down in the lime tree arbour 
 
The boatman he has gone 
And the loons have flown for cover 
She puts her hand over mine 
Down in the lime tree arbour 
 
Through every word that I speak 
And every thing I know 
There is hand that protects me 
And I do love her so

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
I DO LOVE HER SO (LIME TREE ARBOUR)

 The boatman calls from the lake 
A lone loon dives upon the water 
I put my hand over her 
Down in the lime tree arbour 
 
The wind in the trees is whispering 
Whispering low that I love her 
She puts her hand over mine 
Down in the lime tree arbour 
 
Through every breath that I breathe 
And every place I go 
There is hand that protects me 
And I do love her so 
 
There will always be suffering 
It flows through life like water 
I put my hand over hers 
Down in the lime tree arbour 
 
The boatman he has gone 
And the loons have flown for cover 
She puts her hand over mine 
Down in the lime tree arbour 
 
Through every word that I speak 
And every thing I know 
There is hand that protects me 
And I do love her so

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
I HAD A DREAM, JOE

 I had a dream 
I had a dream 
I had a dream, Joe 
 
I had a dream, Joe 
You were standing in the middle of an open road 
I had a dream, Joe 
Your hands were raised up to the sky 
And your mouth was covered in foam 
I had a dream, Joe 
A shadowy Jesus flitted from tree to tree 
I had a dream, Joe 
And a society of whores stuck needles in an image of me 
I had a dream, Joe 
It was Autumn time and thickly fell the leaves 
And in that dream, Joe 
A pimp in seersucker suit sucked a toothpick 
And pointed his finger at me 
 
I had a dream, 
I had a dream, 
I had a dream, Joe 
 
I opened my eyes, Joe 
The night had been a giant, dribbling and pacing the boards 
I opened my eyes, Joe 
All your letters and cards stacked up against the door 
I opened my eyes, Joe 
The morning light came slowly tumbling through the crack 
In the window, Joe 
And I thought of you and I felt like I was lugging 
A body on my back 
 
I had a dream, 
I had a dream, 
I had a dream, Joe 
 
Where did you go, Joe? 
On that endless, senseless, demented drift 
Where did you go, Joe? 
Into the woods, into the trees, where you move and shift 
Where did you go, Joe? 
All dressed up in your ridiculous seersucker suit 
Where did you go, Joe? 
With that strew of wreckage 
Forever at the heel of your boot 
 
I had a dream 
I had a dream 
I had a dream, Joe 
I had a dream 
I had a dream 
I had a dream, Joe

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
I LET LOVE IN

 Despair and Deception, Love's ugly little twins 
Came a knocking on my door, I let them in 
Darling, you're the punishment for all of my former sins 
 
I let love in 
I let love in 
 
The door it opened just a crack, but Love was shrewed and bold 
My life flashed before my eyes, it was a horror to behold 
A life sentence sweeping confetti from the floor of a concrete hole 
 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
 
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 tormenter come in such a cunning disguise 
 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
 
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 
 
I let love in 
I let love in 
 
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 
 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
I LET LOVE IN

 Despair and Deception, Love's ugly little twins 
Came a knocking on my door, I let them in 
Darling, you're the punishment for all of my former sins 
 
I let love in 
I let love in 
 
The door it opened just a crack, but Love was shrewed and bold 
My life flashed before my eyes, it was a horror to behold 
A life sentence sweeping confetti from the floor of a concrete hole 
 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
 
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 tormenter come in such a cunning disguise 
 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
 
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 
 
I let love in 
I let love in 
 
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 
 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in 
I let love in

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
I'M GONNA KILL THAT WOMAN

 Yeah, my baby left me this morning 
And I don't care now, I don't care what the people say 
 
Yeah, I did everything that I could, everything I could, 
Lord knows I did everything I could 
I tried to satisfy her worried mind, that's what I did 
 
You know she was nothing but trouble, trouble 
She keep me worried all the time 
God knows her movements are killing me 
 
Yeah, my baby stayed out all night long, all night long 
She keep me worried all the time 
 
Yeah, I lay down last night I was thinking 
Must I kill that woman? Must I kill that woman? 
Oh Lord I get down on my knees 
They tell me God forgivin' everything you do 
But I don't care what the people say 
I'm gonna kill that woman, 
I'm gonna kill that woman, God knows 
I'm gonna get down on my knees

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
IDIOT PRAYER

 They're taking me down, my friend 
And as they uskher me off to my end 
Will I bid you adieu? 
Or will I be seeing you soon? 
If what they say around here is true 
Then we'll meet again 
Me and you 
 
My time is at hand, my dove 
They're gunna pass me to that house above 
Is Heaven just for victims, dear? 
Where only those in pain go? 
Well it takes two to tango 
We will meet again, my love 
I know 
 
If you're in Heaven then you'll forgive me, dear 
Because that's what they do up there 
If you're in Hell, then what can I say 
You probably deserved in anyway 
I guess I'm gunna find out any day 
For we'll meet again 
And there'll be Hell to pay 
 
Your face comes to me from the depths, dear 
Your silent mouth mouths, 'Yes , dear 
Dark red and big with blood 
They're gunna shut me down, my love 
They're gunna launch me into the stars 
Well, all things come to pass 
Glory hallelujah 
 
This prayer is for you, my love 
Sent on the wings of a dove 
An idiot prayer of empty words 
Love, dear, is strictly for the birds 
We each get what we deserve 
My little snow white dove 
Rest assured

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
IN THE GHETTO

 As the snow flies 
On a cold and grey Chicago morn 
A poor little baby child is born in the ghetto 
 
And his mama cries 
Cause there's one thing that she don't need 
Is another little hungry mouth to feed in the ghetto 
 
Oh people don't you understand 
This child needs a helping hand 
He's gonna grow to be an angry young man some day 
Take a look at you and me 
Are we that blind to see? 
Do we simply turn our heads and look the other way? 
 
And the world turns 
And the hungry little boy with the runny nose 
Plays in the streets as the cold wind blows in the ghetto 
And his hunger burns 
So he starts to roam the streets at night 
And he learns how to steal and he learns how to fight in the ghetto 
 
Then one night in desperation 
The young man breaks away 
He buys a gun and steals a car 
He tries to run but he don't get far 
And his mama cries 
A crowd gathers round an angry young man 
Face down in the street with a gun in his hand in the ghetto 
 
Oh people don't you understand 
This child needs a helping hand 
He's gonna grow to be an angry young man some day 
Take a look at you and me 
Are we that blind to see? 
Do we simply turn our heads and look the other way? 
 
And as her young man dies 
On a cold and grey Chicago morn 
Another little baby child is born in the ghetto

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
INTO MY ARMS

 I don't believe in an interventionist God 
But I know, darling, that you do 
But if I did I would kneel down and ask Him 
Not to intervene when it came to you 
Not to touch a hair on your head 
To leave you as you are 
And if He felt He had to direct you 
Then direct you into my arms 
 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms 
 
And I don't believe in the existence of angels 
But looking at you I wonder if that's true 
But if I did I would summon them together 
And ask them to watch over you 
To each burn a candle for you 
To make bright and clear your path 
And to walk, like Christ, in grace and love 
And guide you into my arms 
 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms 
 
And I believe in Love 
And I know that you do too 
And I believe in some kind of path 
That we can walk down, me and you 
So keep your candlew burning 
And make her journey bright and pure 
That she will keep returning 
Always and evermore 
 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
INTO MY ARMS

 I don't believe in an interventionist God 
But I know, darling, that you do 
But if I did I would kneel down and ask Him 
Not to intervene when it came to you 
Not to touch a hair on your head 
To leave you as you are 
And if He felt He had to direct you 
Then direct you into my arms 
 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms 
 
And I don't believe in the existence of angels 
But looking at you I wonder if that's true 
But if I did I would summon them together 
And ask them to watch over you 
To each burn a candle for you 
To make bright and clear your path 
And to walk, like Christ, in grace and love 
And guide you into my arms 
 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms 
 
And I believe in Love 
And I know that you do too 
And I believe in some kind of path 
That we can walk down, me and you 
So keep your candlew burning 
And make her journey bright and pure 
That she will keep returning 
Always and evermore 
 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms, O Lord 
Into my arms

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
JACK THE RIPPER

 I got a woman 
She rules my house with an iron fist 
I got a woman 
She rules my house with an iron fist 
She screams out Jack the Ripper 
Every time I try to give that girl a kiss 
 
I got a woman 
She strikes me down with a fist of lead 
I got a woman 
She strikes me down with a fist of lead 
We bed in a bucket of butcher's knives 
A awake with a hatchet hanging over my head 
 
Well you know the story of the viper 
It's long and lean with poison tooth 
Yeah, you know the story of the viper 
It's long and lean with poison tooth 
Well they're hissing under the floorboards 
Hanging down in bunches from my roof 
 
I got a woman 
She just hollers what she wants from where she is 
I got a woman 
She just hollers what she wants from where she is 
She screams out Jack the Ripper 
Every time I try to give that girl a kiss

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
JACK THE RIPPER

 I got a woman 
She rules my house with an iron fist 
I got a woman 
She rules my house with an iron fist 
She screams out Jack the Ripper 
Every time I try to give that girl a kiss 
 
I got a woman 
She strikes me down with a fist of lead 
I got a woman 
She strikes me down with a fist of lead 
We bed in a bucket of butcher's knives 
A awake with a hatchet hanging over my head 
 
Well you know the story of the viper 
It's long and lean with poison tooth 
Yeah, you know the story of the viper 
It's long and lean with poison tooth 
Well they're hissing under the floorboards 
Hanging down in bunches from my roof 
 
I got a woman 
She just hollers what she wants from where she is 
I got a woman 
She just hollers what she wants from where she is 
She screams out Jack the Ripper 
Every time I try to give that girl a kiss

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
JACK'S SHADOW

 They dragged Jack and his shadow 
From the hole 
And the bulb that burned above him 
Did shine both day and night 
And his shadow learned to love his 
Little darks and greater light 
And the sun it shined 
And the sun it shined 
And the sun it shined 
A little longer 
 
Jack wept and kissed his shadow 
 Goodbye 
Spat from their dirty dungeons 
Into a truly different din 
Shat from their institutions 
Into a fully different din 
And his shadow soon became a wife 
And children plagued his latter life 
Until one night he took a skinning knife 
And stole into the town 
And tracked his shadow down 
 
Said the shadow to Jack Henry 
 What's wrong? 
Jack said A home is not a hole 
 And shwdow, you're just a gallow that I hang my body from 
 O Shadow, your a shackle from wich my time is never done 
Then he peeled his shadow off in strips 
He peeled his shadow off in strips 
Then kneeled his shadow on some steps 
And cried What have I done? 
 
And the sun it shined 
And the sun it shined 
I say Love is blind 
 And is it any wonder?! 
 And is it any wonder?! 
 
Jacked and his damned shadow 
Is gone 
And though each one of us are want to duly mourn 
And though each one of us are want to duly mourn 
'Tis done in brighter corners now 
'Tis done in brighter corners now 
Now that Jack's black shadow's gone 
 
And the sun it shined 
And the sun it shined 
 
And the sun it shined 
A little stronger 
 
I swear, love is blind 
Ooh, love is blind 
Yeah, love is blind 
And is it any wonder? 
 
'Tis done in brighter corners now 
'Tis done in brighter corners now 
Now that Jack's black shadow's gone 
 
Etcetera Etcetera

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
JANGLING JACK

 Jangling Jack 
Goes Yackety Yack 
Visits the home of the brave 
Hails a fat yellow cab 
Jack wanna celebrate 
Jack wanna big drink 
Driver drops him at a bar 
Called the Rinky Dink 
Jack pushes through the door 
And crosses the floor 
Tips his hat to a man 
Grinning in the corner 
Going Do da do Do da do 
 
Says, I'm Jangling Jack 
I go Do da do 
I wanna Rinky Dink Special 
I wanna little umbrella too 
Jack flops on his stool 
Sees the grinning man laugh 
So Jack laughs back 
Jack raises his glass 
Says, God bless this country 
And everything in it 
The losers and the winners 
The good guys and the sinners 
The grinning man says, Buddy 
It's all Yackety Yack 
Whips out a little black pistol 
Shoots a bullet in Jack 
 
Jangling Jack Do Da Do Do Da Do 
Jangling Jack 
How do you Do Da Do 
 
Jangling Jack Flies off his seat 
Crashes through the door 
Lands in a heap on the street 
Hears his mother's voice 
Going, Do do do 
Jack is shouting 
Mummy is that you? 
He sees the berserk city 
Sees the dead stacked in piles 
Sees the screaming crowd 
Screams, Where am I? 
Going Do da do Going Do da do 
 
Well Jangling Jack 
As a matter of fact 
Crawls through the crowd 
Back into the bar 
Jack crawls to his stool 
Jack drags himself up 
Falls back down on his arse 
In a puddle of blood 
Going Goodbye Mummy 
Goodbye Goodbye 
Jack doubles over 
And he vomits and dies 
Going Do do do Going Do do do

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
JESUS MET THE WOMAN AT THE WELL

 Jesus met the woman at the well 
Jesus met the woman at the well 
And he told her, everything that she'd done, that she'd done 
 
And he said, woman, look a here woman, 
Tell me where is your husband? 
She said whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I don't have one 
 
He said, woman, look a here woman, 
They tell me you have five husbands 
And that man you have now sure ain't one 
 
She went running, crying, God help me 
She said whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, you must be the prophet 
Because you told me everything that I've done

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
JOHN FINN'S WIFE

 Well the night was deep and the night was dark 
And I was at the old dance hall on the edge of town 
Some big ceremony was going down 
Dancers writhed and squirmed and then, 
Came apart and then writhed again 
Like squirming flies on a pin 
In the heat and in the din 
Yes, in the heat and in the din 
I fell to thinking about brand new wife of mad John Finn 
 
Well, midnite came and clock did strike 
And in she came, did John Finn's wife 
With legs like scissors and butcher's knives 
A tattooed breast and flaming eyes 
And a crimson carnation in her teeth 
Carving her way through the dance floor 
And I'm standing over by the bandstand 
Every eye gaping on John Finn's wife 
Yeah, every eye gaping on John Finn's wife 
 
Now John Finn's wife was something of a mystery 
In a town where to share a sworn secret was a solemn duty 
I had brass knuckles and a bolo knife 
Over near the bandstand with John Finn's wife 
She got perfumed breasts and raven hair 
Sprinkled with wedding confettis 
And a gang of garrotters were all giving me stares 
Armed, as they were, with machetes 
And the night through the window was full of lights 
Winking and awatching at John Finns' wife 
Winking and awatching at John Finns' wife 
 
Next came the cops, all out on the town 
But it don't look like no trouble there 
As they head for the bar in their lumpy suits 
And I slip my hand between the thighs of John Finn's wife 
And they seemed to yawn awake, her things 
It was a warm and very ferocious night 
The moon full of blood and light 
And my eyes grew small and my eyes grew tight 
As I plotted in the ear of John Finns' wife 
 
Enter John Finn in his shrunken suit 
With his quick black eyes and black cheroot 
With his filled down teeth and a hobnail boot 
And his fists full of pistols in his pockets 
Aiming at me and aiming at his wife 
The band fall silent fearing for their lives 
And with fear in my guts like tangled twine 
Cause all I got is brass knuckles and a bolo knife 
And mad John Finns' wife is all 
And the three of us walk out of the hall 
 
Now the night bore down upon us all 
You could hear the crickets in the thickets call 
And guns did flare and guns did bawl 
And I planted my bolo knife in the neck 
Of mad John Finn. I took his wretched life 
Now I'm over near the bandstand 
Every hand moving on John Finns' wife 
Every hand moving on John Finns' wife 
 
And John Finns' wife 
Took all the flowers down 
From her hair 
And threw them on the ground 
And the flies did hum 
And the flies did buzz around 
Poor John Finn 
Lying dead upon the ground 
Lying dead upon the ground

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
JOHN FINN'S WIFE

 Well the night was deep and the night was dark 
And I was at the old dance hall on the edge of town 
Some big ceremony was going down 
Dancers writhed and squirmed and then, 
Came apart and then writhed again 
Like squirming flies on a pin 
In the heat and in the din 
Yes, in the heat and in the din 
I fell to thinking about brand new wife of mad John Finn 
 
Well, midnite came and clock did strike 
And in she came, did John Finn's wife 
With legs like scissors and butcher's knives 
A tattooed breast and flaming eyes 
And a crimson carnation in her teeth 
Carving her way through the dance floor 
And I'm standing over by the bandstand 
Every eye gaping on John Finn's wife 
Yeah, every eye gaping on John Finn's wife 
 
Now John Finn's wife was something of a mystery 
In a town where to share a sworn secret was a solemn duty 
I had brass knuckles and a bolo knife 
Over near the bandstand with John Finn's wife 
She got perfumed breasts and raven hair 
Sprinkled with wedding confettis 
And a gang of garrotters were all giving me stares 
Armed, as they were, with machetes 
And the night through the window was full of lights 
Winking and awatching at John Finns' wife 
Winking and awatching at John Finns' wife 
 
Next came the cops, all out on the town 
But it don't look like no trouble there 
As they head for the bar in their lumpy suits 
And I slip my hand between the thighs of John Finn's wife 
And they seemed to yawn awake, her things 
It was a warm and very ferocious night 
The moon full of blood and light 
And my eyes grew small and my eyes grew tight 
As I plotted in the ear of John Finns' wife 
 
Enter John Finn in his shrunken suit 
With his quick black eyes and black cheroot 
With his filled down teeth and a hobnail boot 
And his fists full of pistols in his pockets 
Aiming at me and aiming at his wife 
The band fall silent fearing for their lives 
And with fear in my guts like tangled twine 
Cause all I got is brass knuckles and a bolo knife 
And mad John Finns' wife is all 
And the three of us walk out of the hall 
 
Now the night bore down upon us all 
You could hear the crickets in the thickets call 
And guns did flare and guns did bawl 
And I planted my bolo knife in the neck 
Of mad John Finn. I took his wretched life 
Now I'm over near the bandstand 
Every hand moving on John Finns' wife 
Every hand moving on John Finns' wife 
 
And John Finns' wife 
Took all the flowers down 
From her hair 
And threw them on the ground 
And the flies did hum 
And the flies did buzz around 
Poor John Finn 
Lying dead upon the ground 
Lying dead upon the ground

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
KING KONG KITCHEE KITCHEE KI MI O

 (Can you turn me up a bit?) 
King kong kitchee kitchee ki mi o [4 times and throughout song] 
 
Well frog went a courtin' and he did ride 
With a sword and a pistol by his side And he rode 'til he came to Miss Mouse's door 
And then he knelt right down upon the floor 
He said, Little Miss Mouse, will you marry me 
Way down yonder in the hollow tree 
With an owl and a bat and a bumblebee? 
 
(Shoop shoop, shoop shoop) 
Miss Mouse had suitors, three or four 
And they came rushing through the door 
Well they grabbed Miss Mouse and began to fight 
In the hollow tree; it was a terrible night 
Yeah, Little Miss Mouse, will you marry me 
Way down yonder in the hollow tree 
With an owl and a bat and a bumblebee? 
Yeah! Yeah! 
 
Mr Frog threw her suitors to the floor 
And with his sword and his pistol he killed them all 
And they went to the vicar the very next day 
And they left on their honeymoon right away 
Oh glory, glory, glory be 
Way down yonder in the hollow tree 
With an owl and a bat and a bumblebee

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
KNOCKIN' ON JOE

 These chains of sorrow, they are heavy, it is true 
And these locks cannot be broken, 
no, not with one thousand keys 
O Jailer, you drag a ball n chain you cannot see 
You can lay your burden on me 
You can lay your burden down on me 
You can lay your burden down upon me 
But you cannot lay down your memory 
 
Woooo wooo wooo 
Woooo wooo wooo 
Here I go! 
Knockin on Joe! 
This square foot of sky will be mine til I die 
Knocking on Joe 
Woooo wooo wooo 
All down the row 
Knockin on Joe 
 
O Warden I surrender to you 
Your fists can't hurt me anymore 
You know, these hands will never mop 
your dirty Death Row floors 
O Preacher, come closer, you don't scare me anymore 
Just tell Nancy not to come here 
Just tell her not to come here anymore 
Tell Nancy not to come 
And let me die in the memory of those arms 
 
O woo woo woo 
Woo woo woo 
All down the row 
Knockin on Joe 
O you kings of halls and ends of halls 
You will die within these walls 
And I'll go, down the row 
Knockin on Joe 
 
O Nancy's body is a coffin, 
she wears my tombstone at her head 
O Nancy's body is a coffin, 
she wears my tombstone at her head 
She wears her body like a coffin 
She wears a dress of gold and red 
She wears a dress of gold and red 
She wears a dress of red and gold 
Grave looters at my coffin 
before my body's even cold 
 
It's a door for when I go 
Knockin on Joe 
These hands will never mop 
your dirty Death Row floors 
No! You can hide! You can run! 
O but your trial is yet to come 
O you can run! You can hide! 
But you have yet to be tried! 
You can lay your burdens down here 
You can lay your burden down 
Knockin on Joe 
You can lay your burden upon me 
You can lay your burden upon me 
Knockin on Joe 
You can lay it down here 
You can bring your burden down 
Knockin on Joe 
You can't hurt me anymore 
You can't hurt me anymore 
Knockin on Joe

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
LAMENT

 I've seen your fairground hair, 
your seaside eyes 
Your vampire tooth, your little truth 
Your tiny lies 
 
I know your trembling hand, your guilty prize 
Your sleeping limbs, your foreign hymns 
Your midnight cries 
 
So dry your eyes 
And turn your head away 
Now there's nothing more to say 
Now you're gone away 
 
I know your trail of tears, your slip of hand 
Your monkey paw, your monkey claw 
And your monkey hand 
 
I've seen your trick of blood, your trap of fire 
Your ancient wound, your scarlet moon 
And your jailhouse smile 
 
So dry your eyes 
And turn your head away 
Now there's nothing more to say 
Now you're gone away 
 
I'll miss your urchin smile, your orphan tears 
Your shining prize, your tiny cries 
Your little fears 
I'll miss your fairground hair, your seaside eyes 
Your vampire tooth, your little truth 
And your tiny lies 
 
So dry your eyes 
And turn your head away 
Now there's nothing more to say 
Now you're gone away 
(Repeat)

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
LAY ME LOW

 They're gonna lay me low (Lay me low) 
They're gonna sink me in the snow 
They're gonna throw back their heads and crow 
When I go 
 
They're gonna jump and shout (Lay me low) 
They're gonna wave their arms about 
All the stories will come out 
When I go 
 
All the stars will glow bright (Lay me low) 
And my friends will give up the fight 
They'll see my work in a different light 
When I go 
 
They'll try telephoning my mother (Lay me low) 
But they'll end up getting my brother 
Who'll spill the story on some long gone lover 
That I hardly know 
 
Hats off to the man 
On top of the world 
Come crawl up here, baby 
And I'll show you how it works 
If you wanna be my friend 
And you wanna repent 
And you want it all to end 
And you wanna know when 
Well do it now don't care how 
Take your final bow 
Make a stand Take my hand 
And blow it all to hell 
 
They gonna inform the police chief (Lay me low) 
Who'll breathe a sigh of relief 
He'll say I was a malanderer, a badlander, and a thief 
When I go 
 
They will interview my teachers (Lay me low) 
Who'll say I was one of God's sorrier creatures 
There'll print informative six page features 
When I go 
 
They'll bang a big old gong (Lay me low) 
The motorcade will be ten miles long 
The world will join together for a farewell song 
When they put me down below 
 
They'll sound a fluegelhorn (Lay me low) 
And the sea will rage, and the sky will storm 
All man and beast will mourn 
When I go 
 
Hats off to the man 
On top of the world 
Come crawl up here, baby 
And we can watch this damn thing turn 
If you wanna be my friend 
And you wanna repent 
And you want it all to end 
And you wanna know when 
Well do it now Do it now 
Take a long last bow 
Take my hand Make a stand 
And blow it all to hell 
 
Lay me low... 
When I go...

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
LITTLE EMPTY BOAT

 You found me at some party 
You thought I'd understand 
You barreled over to me 
With a drink in each hand 
I respect your beliefs, girl, 
And I consider you a friend, 
But I've already been born once, 
I don't wanna to be born again. 
 
Your knowledge is impressive 
And your argument is good 
But I am the resurrection, babe, 
And you're standing on my foot! 
 
But my little boat is empty 
It don't go 
And my oar is broken 
It don't row, row, row 
But my little boat is empty 
It don't go 
And my oar is broken 
It don't row, row, row 
(Row!) 
 
Your tiny little face 
Keeps yapping in the gloom 
Seven steps behind me 
With your dustpan and broom. 
I couldn't help but imagine you 
All postured and prone 
But there's a little guy on my shoulder 
Says I should go home alone. 
You keep leaning in on me 
And you're looking pretty pissed 
That grave you've dug between your legs 
Is hard to resist. 
 
But my little boat is empty 
It don't go 
And my oar is broken 
It don't row, row, row 
But my little boat is empty 
It don't go 
And my oar is broken 
It don't row, row, row 
 
Give to God what belongs to God 
And give the rest to me 
Tell our gracious host to fuck himself 
It's time for us to leave. 
 
But my little boat is empty 
It don't go 
And my oar is broken 
It don't row, row, row 
But my little boat is empty 
It don't go 
And my oar is broken 
It don't row, row, row 
Row...row...row...row...

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
LONG BLACK VEIL

 She walks these hills in a long black veil 
She visits my grave when the night winds wail 
Nobody knows, nobody sees 
Nobody knows but me 
 
Ten years ago, on a cold dark night 
Someone was killed 'neath the Town Hall light 
There were few at the scene, but they all agreed 
That the slayer who ran looked a lot like me 
 
The judge he said: Son, what is your alibi 
If you were somewhere else, then you won't have to die 
But I spoke not a word though it meant my life 
For I'd been in the arms of my best friends wife 
 
Now the scaffold is high and eternity is near 
She stood in the crowd but shed not a tear 
But sometimes at night when the cold winds moan 
In a long black veil she cries on my bones

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
LONG TIME MAN

 Yeah, they came to take me away 
Said I'd be sitting here for the rest of my life 
But I don't really care I shot my wife 
And brother, I can't even remember the reason why 
 
Oh, it makes a long time man feel bad 
Yeah, it makes a long time man feel bad 
Well I ain't had no love since I don't know when 
It sure makes a long time man feel bad 
 
We was down in Jacksonville 
A cold winter night 
My baby and I, we began to fight 
I heated up, and I grabbed my gun 
I get so cold on those nights down south 
 
She was laying in a pool right there on the kitchen floor 
She looked up at me and began to smile 
Her gasping words: Baby, I love you 
Then she closed those baby blue eyes 
 
(chorus, and variations) 
 
Sometimes I hear you call my name in the dead of the night 
 
I ain't had those arms around me 
I ain't had those lips, those lips, around me 
 
It sure makes a long time man feel bad 
So bad

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
LOVE LETTER

 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 
 
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 
O baby please come back to me

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
LOVELY CREATURE

 There she stands, this lovely creature 
There she stands, there she stands 
With her hair full of ribbons 
And green gloves on her hands 
So I asked this lovely creature 
Yes, I asked. Yes I asked 
Would she walk with me a while 
Through this night so fast 
She took my hand, this lovely creature 
 Yes , she said, Yes , she said 
 Yes, I'll walk with you a while 
It was a joyful man she led 
Over hills, this lovely creature 
Over mountains, over ranges 
By great pyramids and sphinxs 
We met drifters and strangers 
Oh the sands, my lovely creature 
And the mad, moaning winds 
At night the deserts writhed 
With diabolical things 
Through the night, through the night 
The wind lashed and it whipped me 
When I got home, my lovely creature 
She was no longer with me 
Somewhere she lies, this lovely creature 
Beneath the slow drifting sands 
With her hair full of ribbons 
And green gloves on her hands

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
LOVERMAN

 There's a devil waiting outside your door 
(How much longer?) 
There's a devil waiting outside your door 
It is bucking and braying and pawing at the floor 
And he's howling with pain and crawling up the walls 
There's a devil waiting outside your door 
He's weak with evil and broken by the world 
He's shouting your name and he's asking for more 
There's a devil waiting outside your door 
 
Loverman! Since the world began 
Forever, Amen Till end of time Take off that 
dress I'm coming down I'm your loverman 
Cause I am what I am what I am what I am 
 
L is for LOVE, baby 
O is for ONLY you that I do 
V is for loving VIRTUALLY all that you are 
E is for loving almost EVERYTHING that you do 
R is for RAPE me 
M is for MURDER me 
A is for ANSWERING all of my prayers 
N is for KNOWING your loverman's going to 
be the answer to all of yours 
 
Loverman! Till the bitter end 
While empires burn down Forever and ever 
and ever and ever Amen I'm your loverman 
So help me, baby So help me 
Cause I am what I am what I am what I am 
I'll be your loverman! 
 
There's a devil crawling along your floor 
There's a devil crawling along your floor 
With a trembling heart, he's coming through your door 
With his straining sex in his jumping paw 
There's a devil crawling along your floor 
And he's old and he's stupid and 
he's hungry and he's sore 
And he's lame and he's blind 
and he's dirty and he's poor 
Give him more 
There's a devil crawling along your floor 
 
Loverman! Here I stand Forever, Amen 
Cause I am what I am what I am what I am 
Forgive me, baby My hands are tied 
And I got no choice No, I got no choice at all 
 
I'll say it again 
L is for LOVE, baby 
O is for O yes I do 
V is for VIRTUE, so I ain't gonna hurt you 
E is for EVEN if you want me to 
R is for RENDER unto me, baby 
M is for that which is MINE 
A is for ANY old how, darling 
N is for ANY old time 
 
I'll be your loverman! I got a masterplan 
To take off your dress And be your man 
Seize the throne Seize the mantle 
Seize the crown Cause I am what I am 
What I am what I am I'm your loverman! 
 
There's a devil lying by your side 
You might think he's asleep 
but look at his eyes 
He wants you, baby, to be his bride 
There's a devil lying by your side 
 
Loverman! Loverman!

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
LUCY

 Last night I lay trembling 
The moon it was low 
It was the end of love 
Of misery and woe 
Then suddenly above me 
Her face buried in light 
Came a vision of beauty 
All covered in white 
Now the bell tower is ringing 
And the night has stole past 
O Lucy, can you hear me? 
Wherever you rest 
I'll love her forever 
I'll love her for all time 
I'll love her till the stars 
Fall down from the sky 
Now the bell tower is ringing 
And I shake on the floor 
O Lucy, can you hear me? 
When I call and call 
Now the bell tower is ringing 
And the moon it is high 
O Lucy, can you hear me 
When I cry and cry and cry

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
MERCY

 I stood in the water 
In the middle month of winter 
My camel skin was torture 
I was in a state of nature 
The wind, sir, it was wicked 
I was so alone 
Just as I predicted 
My followers were gone 
 
And I cried Mercy' 
Have mercy upon me 
And I got down on my knees 
 
Thrown into a dungeon 
Bread and water was my portion 
Faith my only weapon 
To rest the devil's legion 
The speak hole would slide open 
A viper's voice would plead 
Thick with innuendo 
Syphilis and Greed 
 
And she cried Mercy' 
Have mercy upon me 
And I told her to get down on her knees 
 
In a garden full of roses 
My hands, tied behind me 
My cousin was working miracles 
I wondered if he'd find me 
The moon was turned toward me 
Like a platter made of gold 
My death, it almost bored me 
So often was it told 
 
And I cried Mercy' 
I cried mercy on me 
Cryind Mercy' 
Have mercy on me

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
MUDDY WATER

 Mary, grab the baby, the river's rising 
Muddy water taking back the land 
The old frame house, she can't take a one more beating 
Ain't no use to stay and make a stand 
 
Well the morning light shows water in the valley 
Daddy's grave just went below the line 
Things to say, you just can't take em with ya 
This flood will swallow all you've left behind 
 
Won't be back to start all over 
Cause what I felt before is gone 
 
Mary, take the child, the river's rising 
Muddy water taking back my home 
The road is gone, there's just one way to leave here 
Turn my back on what I've left below 
Shifting land, broken farms around me 
Muddy water's changing all I know 
 
It's hard to say just what I'm losing 
Ain't never felt so all alone 
 
Mary, take the child, the river's rising 
Muddy water taking back my home 
 
Won't be back to start all over 
Cause what I felt before is gone 
 
Mary, take the child, the river's rising 
Muddy water's changing all I know 
Muddy water's changing all I know 
Lord, this muddy water is taking back my home

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
NEW MORNING

 One morn I awakened 
A new sun was shining 
The sky was a Kingdom 
All covered in blood 
The moon and the stars 
Where the troops that lay conquered 
Like fruit left to wither 
Poor spiritual food 
 
And the spears of bright sun 
All brave with it conquest 
Did hover unearthly 
In banners of fire 
I kneit in the garden 
Awash with the dawning 
And a voice came so brightly 
I covered my eyes 
 
Thank you for giving 
This bright new morning 
So steeped seemed the evening 
In darkness and blood 
There'll be no sadness 
There'll be no sorrow 
There'll be no road too narrow 
There'll be a new day 
And it's today 
For us

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
NEW MORNING

 One morn I awakened 
A new sun was shining 
The sky was a Kingdom 
All covered in blood 
The moon and the stars 
Where the troops that lay conquered 
Like fruit left to wither 
Poor spiritual food 
 
And the spears of bright sun 
All brave with it conquest 
Did hover unearthly 
In banners of fire 
I kneit in the garden 
Awash with the dawning 
And a voice came so brightly 
I covered my eyes 
 
Thank you for giving 
This bright new morning 
So steeped seemed the evening 
In darkness and blood 
There'll be no sadness 
There'll be no sorrow 
There'll be no road too narrow 
There'll be a new day 
And it's today 
For us

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
NOBODY'S BABY NOW

 I've searched the holy books 
I tried to unravel the mystery of Jesus Christ, the saviour 
I've read the poets and the analysts 
Searched through the books on human behaviour 
I travelled this world around 
For an answer that refused to be found 
I don't know why and I don't know how 
But she's nobody's baby now 
 
I loved her then and I guess I love her still 
Hers is the face I see when a certain mood moves in 
She lives in my blood and skin 
Her wild feral stare, her dark hair 
Her winter lips as cold as stone 
Yeah, I was her man 
But there are some things love won't allow 
I held her hand but I don't hold it now 
I don't know why and I don't know how 
But she's nobody's baby now 
 
This is her dress that I loved best 
With the blue quilted violets across the breast 
And these are my many letters 
Torn to pieces by her long fingered hand 
I was her cruel hearted man 
And though I've tried to lay her ghost down 
She's moving through me, even now 
I don't know why and I don't know how 
But she's nobody's baby now 
She's nobody's baby now 
Nobody's baby now 
She's nobody's baby now

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
NOBODY'S BABY NOW

 I've searched the holy books 
I tried to unravel the mystery of Jesus Christ, the saviour 
I've read the poets and the analysts 
Searched through the books on human behaviour 
I travelled this world around 
For an answer that refused to be found 
I don't know why and I don't know how 
But she's nobody's baby now 
 
I loved her then and I guess I love her still 
Hers is the face I see when a certain mood moves in 
She lives in my blood and skin 
Her wild feral stare, her dark hair 
Her winter lips as cold as stone 
Yeah, I was her man 
But there are some things love won't allow 
I held her hand but I don't hold it now 
I don't know why and I don't know how 
But she's nobody's baby now 
 
This is her dress that I loved best 
With the blue quilted violets across the breast 
And these are my many letters 
Torn to pieces by her long fingered hand 
I was her cruel hearted man 
And though I've tried to lay her ghost down 
She's moving through me, even now 
I don't know why and I don't know how 
But she's nobody's baby now 
She's nobody's baby now 
Nobody's baby now 
She's nobody's baby now

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
O'MALLEY'S BAR

 I am tall and I am thin 
Of an enviable hight 
And I've been known to be quite handsome 
In a certain angle and in certain light 
Well I entered into O'Malley's 
Said, O'Malley I have a thirst 
O'Malley merely smiled at me 
Said You wouldn't be the first 
I knocked on the bar and pointed 
To a bottle on the shelf 
And as O'Malley poured me out a drink 
I sniffed and crossed myself 
My hand decided that the time was nigh 
And for a moment it slipped from view 
And when it returned, it fairly burned 
With confidence anew 
Well the thunder from my steely fist 
Made all the glasses jangle 
When I shot him, I was so handsome 
It was the light, it was the angle 
Huh! Hmmmmmm 
 Neighbours! I cried, Friends! I screamed 
I banged my fist upon the bar 
 I bear no grudge against you! 
And my dick felt long and hard 
 I am the man for which no God waits 
But for which the whole world yearns 
I'm marked by darkness and by blood 
And one thousand powder burns 
Well, you know those fish with the swollen lips 
That clean the ocean floor 
When I looked at poor O'Malley's wife 
That's exactly what I saw 
I jammed the barrel under her chin 
And her face looked raw and vicious 
Her head it landed in the sink 
With all the dirty dishes 
Her little daughter Siobhan 
Pulled beers from dusk till down 
And amongst the townfolk she was a bit of a joke 
But she pulled the best beer in town 
I swooped magnificent upon her 
As she sat shivering in her grief 
Like the Madonna painted on the church house wall 
In whale's blood and banana leaf 
Her throat it crumbled in my fist 
And I spun heroically around 
To see Caffrey rising from his seat 
I shot that mother fucker down 
Mmmmmmmmmm Yeah Yeah Yeah 
 I have no free will , I sang 
As I flew about the murder 
Mrs. Richard Holmes, she screamed 
You really should have heard her 
I sang and I laughed, I howled and I wept 
I panted like a pup 
I blew a hole in Mrs. Richard Holmes 
And her husband stupidly stood up 
As he screamed, You are an evil man 
And I paused a while to wonder 
 If I have no free will then how can I 
Be morally culpable, I wonder 
I shot Richard Holmes in the stomach 
And gingerly he sat down 
And he whispered weirdly, No offense 
And then lay upon the ground 
 None taken , I replied to him 
To which he gave a little cough 
With blazing wings I neatly aimed 
And blew his head completely off 
I've lived in this town for thirty years 
And to no one I am a stranger 
And I put new bullets in my gun 
Chamber upon chamber 
And I turned my gun on the bird like Mr. Brookes 
I thought of Saint Francis and his sparrows 
And as I shot down the youthful Richardson 
It was St. Sebastian I thought of, and his arrows 
Hhhhhhhhhh Mmmmmmmmmmmm 
I said, I want to introduce myself 
And I am glad that all you came 
And I leapt upon the bar 
And shouted out my name 
Well Jerry Bellows, he hugged his stool 
Closed his eyes and shrugged and laughed 
And with an ashtray as big as a fucking really big brick 
I split his head in half 
His blood spilled across the bar 
Like a steaming scarlet brook 
And I knelt at it's edge on the counter 
Wiped the tears away and looked 
Well, the light in there was blinding 
Full of God and ghosts of truth 
I smiled at Henry Davenport 
Who made an attempt to move 
Well, from the position I was standing 
The strangest thing I ever saw 
The bullet entered through the top of his chest 
And blew his bowels out on the floor 
Well I floated down the counter 
Showing no remorse 
I shot a hole in Kathleen Carpenter 
Recently divorced 
But remorse i felt and remorse I had 
It clung to every thing 
From the raven's hair upon my head 
To the feathers on my wings 
Remorse sqeezed my hand in it's fradulent claw 
With it's golden hairless chest 
And I glided through the bodies 
And killed the fat man Vincent West 
Who sat quietly in his chair 
A man become a child 
And I raised the gun up to his head 
Executioner style 
He made no attempt to resist 
So fat and dull and lazy 
 Did you know I lived in your street? I said 
And he looked at me as though I were crazy 
 O , he said, I had no idea 
And he grew as quiet as a mouse 
And the roar of the pistol when it went off 
Near blew that hat right off the house 
Hmmmmmm Uh Uh 
Well, I caught my eye in the mirror 
And gave it a long and loving inspection 
 There stands some kind of man , I roared 
And there did, in the reflection 
My hair combed back like a raven's wing 
My muscles hard and tight 
And curling from the business end of my gun 
Was a query mark of cordite 
Well I spun to the left, I spun to the right 
And I spun to the left again 
 Fear me! Fear me! Fear me! 
But no one did cause they were dead 
Huh! Hmmmmmmmmm 
And then there were the police sirens wailing 
And a bull horn squelched and blared 
 Drop your weapons and come out 
With your hands held in the air 
Well, I checked the chamber of my gun 
Saw I had one final bullet left 
My hand, it looked almost human 
As I raised it to my head 
 Drop your weapon and come out! 
Keep your hands above your head! 
I had one one long hard think about dying 
And did exactly what they said 
There must have been fifty cops out there 
In a circle around O'Malley's bar 
 Don't shoot , I cried, I'm a man unarmed! 
So they put me in their car 
And they sped me away from that terrible scene 
And I glanced out of the window 
Saw O'Malley's bar, saw the cops and the cars 
And I started counting on my fingers 
Aaaaaah One Aaaaaah Two Aaaaaah Three Aaaaaaah Four 
O'Malley's bar O'Malley's bar

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
OH MY LORD

 I thought I'd take a walk today 
It's a mistake I sometimes make 
My children lay asleep in bed 
My wife lay wide awake 
I kissed her softly on the brow 
I tried not to make a sound 
But with stony eyes she looked at me 
And gently squeezed my hand 
Call it a premonition, call it a crazy vision 
Call it intuition, something learned from mother 
But when she looked up at me, I could clearly see 
The Sword of Damocles hanging directly above her 
Oh Lord Oh my Lord 
Oh Lord 
How have I offended thee? 
Wrap your tender arms around me 
Oh Lord Oh Lord 
Oh My Lord 
 
They called at me through the fence 
They were not making any sense 
They claimed that I had lost the plot 
Kept saying that I was not 
The man I used to be 
They held their babes aloft 
Threw marsh mellows at the Security 
And said that I'd grown soft 
Call it intuition, call it a creeping suspicion, 
But their words of derision meant they hardly knew me 
For even I could see in the way they looked at me 
The Spear of Destiny sticking right through me 
Oh Lord Oh my lord 
Oh Lord 
How have I offended thee? 
Wrap your tender arms round me 
Oh Lord Oh lord 
Oh My Lord 
 
Now I'm at the hairdressers 
People watch me as they move past 
A guy wearing plastic antlers 
Presses his bum against the glass 
Now I'm down on my hands and knees 
And it's so fucking hot! 
Someone cries, What are you looking for? 
I scream, The plot, the plot! 
I grab my telephone, I call my wife at home 
She screams, Leave us alone! I say, Hey, it's only me 
The hairdresser with his scissors, he holds up the mirror 
I look back and shiver; I can't even believe what I can see 
 
Be mindful of the prayers you send 
Pray hard but pray with care 
For the tears that you are crying now 
Are just your answered prayers 
The ladders of life that we scale merrily 
Move mysteriously around 
So that when you think you're climbing up, man 
In fact you're climbing down 
Into the hollows of glamour, where with spikes and hammer 
With telescopic camera, they chose to turn the screw 
Oh I hate them, Ma! Oh I hate them, Pa! 
Oh I hate them all for what they went and done to you 
Oh Lord Oh my Lord 
Oh Lord 
How have I offended thee? 
Wrap your tender arms round me 
Oh Lord Oh Lord 
Oh My Lord

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
PAPA WON'T LEAVE YOU, HENRY

 I went out walking the other day 
The wind hung wet around my neck 
My head it rung with screams and groans 
From the night I spent amongst her bones 
I passed beside the mission house 
Where that mad old buzzard, the reverend, 
Shrieked and flapped about life after your dead 
Well, I thought about my friend, Michel 
How they rolled him in linoleum 
And shot him in the neck 
A bloody halo, like a think bubble 
Circling his head 
And I bellowed at the firmament 
Looks like the rains are hear to stay 
And the rain pissed down upon me 
And washed me all away 
Saying 
 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
Well, the road is long 
And the road is hard 
And many fall by the side 
But Papa won't leave you, Henry 
So there ain't no need to cry 
 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
 
Well, the moon it looked exhausted 
Like something you should pity 
Spent an age spotted 
Above the sizzling wires of the city 
Well, it reminded me of her face 
Her bleached and hungry eyes 
Her hair was like a curtain 
Falling open with the laughter 
And closing with the lies 
But the ghost of her still lingers on 
Though she's passed through me 
And is gone 
The slum dogs, they are barking 
And the rain children on the streets 
And the tears that we will weep today 
Will all be washed away 
By the tears that we will weep again tomorrow 
 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
For the road is long 
And the road is hard 
And many fall by the side 
But Papa won't leave you, Henry 
So there ain't no need to cry 
 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
 
And I came upon a little house 
A little house upon a hill 
And I entered through, the curtain hissed 
Into the house with its blood red bowels 
Where wet lipped women with greasy fists 
Crawled the ceilings and the walls 
They filled me full of drink 
And led me round the rooms 
Naked and cold and grinning 
Until everything went black 
And I came down spinning 
I awoke so drunk and full of rage 
That I could hardly speak 
A fag in a whale bone corset 
Draping his dick across my cheek 
And its into the shame 
And its into a guilt 
And its into the fucking fray 
And the walls ran red around me 
A warm arterial spray 
Saying 
 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
Well, the night is dark 
And the night is deep 
And its jaws are open wide 
But Papa won't leave you, Henry 
So there ain't no need to cry 
 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
 
It's the rainy season where I'm living 
Death comes leaping out of every doorway 
Wasting you for money, for your clothes 
And for your nothing 
Entire towns being washed away 
Favelas exploding on inflammable spillways 
Lynch mobs, death squads, babies being born without brains 
The mad heat and the relentless rains 
And if you stick your arm into that hole 
It comes out sheared off to the bone 
And with her kisses bubbling on my lips 
I swiped the rain and nearly missed 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
Singing 
 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
Well, the road is long 
And the road is hard 
And many fall by the side 
But Papa won't leave you, Henry 
So there ain't no need to cry 
 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
Bent Beneath my heavy load 
Under his heavy load 
Yeah, I went on down the road 
Yeah, he went on down the road 
 
Woah, woah 
Woah, woah 
Woah, woah 
Woah, woah 
And I went on down that road

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
PAPA WON'T LEAVE YOU, HENRY

 I went out walking the other day 
The wind hung wet around my neck 
My head it rung with screams and groans 
From the night I spent amongst her bones 
I passed beside the mission house 
Where that mad old buzzard, the reverend, 
Shrieked and flapped about life after your dead 
Well, I thought about my friend, Michel 
How they rolled him in linoleum 
And shot him in the neck 
A bloody halo, like a think bubble 
Circling his head 
And I bellowed at the firmament 
Looks like the rains are hear to stay 
And the rain pissed down upon me 
And washed me all away 
Saying 
 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
Well, the road is long 
And the road is hard 
And many fall by the side 
But Papa won't leave you, Henry 
So there ain't no need to cry 
 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
 
Well, the moon it looked exhausted 
Like something you should pity 
Spent an age spotted 
Above the sizzling wires of the city 
Well, it reminded me of her face 
Her bleached and hungry eyes 
Her hair was like a curtain 
Falling open with the laughter 
And closing with the lies 
But the ghost of her still lingers on 
Though she's passed through me 
And is gone 
The slum dogs, they are barking 
And the rain children on the streets 
And the tears that we will weep today 
Will all be washed away 
By the tears that we will weep again tomorrow 
 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
For the road is long 
And the road is hard 
And many fall by the side 
But Papa won't leave you, Henry 
So there ain't no need to cry 
 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
 
And I came upon a little house 
A little house upon a hill 
And I entered through, the curtain hissed 
Into the house with its blood red bowels 
Where wet lipped women with greasy fists 
Crawled the ceilings and the walls 
They filled me full of drink 
And led me round the rooms 
Naked and cold and grinning 
Until everything went black 
And I came down spinning 
I awoke so drunk and full of rage 
That I could hardly speak 
A fag in a whale bone corset 
Draping his dick across my cheek 
And its into the shame 
And its into a guilt 
And its into the fucking fray 
And the walls ran red around me 
A warm arterial spray 
Saying 
 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
Well, the night is dark 
And the night is deep 
And its jaws are open wide 
But Papa won't leave you, Henry 
So there ain't no need to cry 
 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
 
It's the rainy season where I'm living 
Death comes leaping out of every doorway 
Wasting you for money, for your clothes 
And for your nothing 
Entire towns being washed away 
Favelas exploding on inflammable spillways 
Lynch mobs, death squads, babies being born without brains 
The mad heat and the relentless rains 
And if you stick your arm into that hole 
It comes out sheared off to the bone 
And with her kisses bubbling on my lips 
I swiped the rain and nearly missed 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
Singing 
 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
Papa won't leave you, Henry 
Papa won't leave you, Boy 
Well, the road is long 
And the road is hard 
And many fall by the side 
But Papa won't leave you, Henry 
So there ain't no need to cry 
 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
And I went on down the road 
He went on down the road 
Bent Beneath my heavy load 
Under his heavy load 
Yeah, I went on down the road 
Yeah, he went on down the road 
 
Woah, woah 
Woah, woah 
Woah, woah 
Woah, woah 
And I went on down that road

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
PEOPLE AIN'T NO GOOD

 People just ain't no good 
I think that's welll understood 
You can see it everywhere you look 
People just ain't no good 
 
We were married under cherry trees 
Under blossom we made pour vows 
All the blossoms come sailing down 
Through the streets and through the playgrounds 
 
The sun would stream on the sheets 
Awoken by the morning bird 
We'd buy the Sunday newspapers 
And never read a single word 
 
People they ain't no good 
People they ain't no good 
People they ain't no good 
 
Seasons came, Seasons went 
The winter stripped the blossoms bare 
A different tree now lines the streets 
Shaking its fists in the air 
The winter slammed us like a fist 
The windows rattling in the gales 
To which she drew the curtains 
Made out of her wedding veils 
 
People they ain't no good 
People they ain't no good 
People they ain't no good at all 
 
To our love send a dozen white lilies 
To our love send a coffin of wood 
To our love let aal the pink eyed pigeons coo 
That people they just ain't no good 
To our love send back all the letters 
To our love a valentine of blood 
To our love let all the jilted lovers cry 
That people they just ain't no good 
 
It ain't that in their hearts they're bad 
They can comfort you, some even try 
They nurse you when you're ill of health 
They bury you when you go and die 
It ain't that in their hearts they're bad 
They'd stick by you if they could 
But that's just bullshit 
People just ain't no good 
 
People they ain't no good 
People they ain't no good 
People they ain't no good 
People they ain't no good at all

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
PLAIN GOLD RING

 

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
RED RIGHT HAND

 Take a litle walk to the edge of town 
Go across the tracks 
Where the viaduct looms, 
like a bird of doom 
As it shifts and cracks 
Where secrets lie in the border fires, 
in the humming wires 
Hey man, you know 
you're never coming back 
Past the square, past the bridge, 
past the mills, past the stacks 
On a gathering storm comes 
a tall handsome man 
In a dusty black coat with 
a red right hand 
 
He'll wrap you in his arms, 
tell you that you've been a good boy 
He'll rekindle all the dreams 
it took you a lifetime to destroy 
He'll reach deep into the hole, 
heal your shrinking soul 
Hey buddy, you know you're 
never ever coming back 
He's a god, he's a man, 
he's a ghost, he's a guru 
They're whispering his name 
through this disappearing land 
But hidden in his coat 
is a red right hand 
 
You ain't got no money? 
He'll get you some 
You ain't got no car? He'll get you one 
You ain't got no self respect, 
you feel like an insect 
Well don't you worry buddy, 
cause here he comes 
Through the ghettos and the barrio 
and the bowery and the slum 
A shadow is cast wherever he stands 
Stacks of green paper in his 
red right hand 
 
(Organ solo) 
 
You'll see him in your nightmares, 
you'll see him in your dreams 
He'll appear out of nowhere but 
he ain't what he seems 
You'll see him in your head, 
on the TV screen 
And hey buddy, I'm warning 
you to turn it off 
He's a ghost, he's a god, 
he's a man, he's a guru 
You're one microscopic cog 
in his catastrophic plan 
Designed and directed by 
his red right hand 
 
(Organ solo) 
Extra verse from DJ Spooky Remix (From Scream 2 Soundtrack): 
He'll extend his hand, real slowly for a shake 
You'll see it coming toward you, real slowly for a shake 
(Grabbing at your peril buddy?) cause you know you ain't 
getting near much as he will take. 
 
He's a... 
He's mumbling words you can't understand 
He's mumbling word behind his red right hand.

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
RED RIGHT HAND

 Take a litle walk to the edge of town 
Go across the tracks 
Where the viaduct looms, 
like a bird of doom 
As it shifts and cracks 
Where secrets lie in the border fires, 
in the humming wires 
Hey man, you know 
you're never coming back 
Past the square, past the bridge, 
past the mills, past the stacks 
On a gathering storm comes 
a tall handsome man 
In a dusty black coat with 
a red right hand 
 
He'll wrap you in his arms, 
tell you that you've been a good boy 
He'll rekindle all the dreams 
it took you a lifetime to destroy 
He'll reach deep into the hole, 
heal your shrinking soul 
Hey buddy, you know you're 
never ever coming back 
He's a god, he's a man, 
he's a ghost, he's a guru 
They're whispering his name 
through this disappearing land 
But hidden in his coat 
is a red right hand 
 
You ain't got no money? 
He'll get you some 
You ain't got no car? He'll get you one 
You ain't got no self respect, 
you feel like an insect 
Well don't you worry buddy, 
cause here he comes 
Through the ghettos and the barrio 
and the bowery and the slum 
A shadow is cast wherever he stands 
Stacks of green paper in his 
red right hand 
 
(Organ solo) 
 
You'll see him in your nightmares, 
you'll see him in your dreams 
He'll appear out of nowhere but 
he ain't what he seems 
You'll see him in your head, 
on the TV screen 
And hey buddy, I'm warning 
you to turn it off 
He's a ghost, he's a god, 
he's a man, he's a guru 
You're one microscopic cog 
in his catastrophic plan 
Designed and directed by 
his red right hand 
 
(Organ solo) 
Extra verse from DJ Spooky Remix (From Scream 2 Soundtrack): 
He'll extend his hand, real slowly for a shake 
You'll see it coming toward you, real slowly for a shake 
(Grabbing at your peril buddy?) cause you know you ain't 
getting near much as he will take. 
 
He's a... 
He's mumbling words you can't understand 
He's mumbling word behind his red right hand.

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
RIGHT NOW I'M A ROAMING

 When I get home, I'm gunna clean up my house 
When I get home, I'm gunna kick out that mouse 
When I get home, I'm gunna put things in order 
but right now, right right now, right now I'm a roaming 
 
When I get home, I'm gunna make that call 
When I get home, I'm gunna talk it through 
When I get home, I'm gunna straighten it out 
but right now, right now, right now I'm a roaming 
 
When I get home, I'm gunna give up the booze 
When I get home, I'm gunna get me some food 
When I get home, I'm gunna quit them drugs 
but right now, right now, right now I'm a roaming 
 
When I get home, I'm gunna call my mother 
When I get home, I'm gunna cook her some dinner 
When I get home, I'm gunna invite my brothers 
but right now, right right now, right now I'm a roaming 
 
When I get home, I'm gunna see my little boy 
When I get home, I'm buy him a little toy 
When I get home, he's gunna jump for joy 
but right now, right right now, right now I'm a roaming 
 
When I get home, I'm gunna unpack my bags 
When I get home, I'm gunna waash these dirty rags 
When I get home, I'm gunna pack 'em up again 
but I'm gunna go, I'm gunna go, I'm gunna go right back roaming.

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
RIGHT OUT OF YOUR HAND

 Please forgive me 
If I appear unkind 
But any fool can tell you 
It s all in your mind 
 
Down in the meadow 
The old lion stirs 
Puts his hand ?cross his mouth 
He has no use for words 
 
Poor little girl 
With your handful of snow 
Poor little girl 
Had no way to know 
 
And you ve got me eating 
You ve got me eating 
You ve got me eating 
Right out of your hand 
 
I mean you no harm 
When I tell you you re blind 
Give a sucker an even break 
He ll lose it all, every time 
 
The airborne starlings circle 
Over the frozen fields 
The hollyhocks hang harmlessly 
And the old lion yields 
 
And you ve got me eating 
You ve got me eating 
You ve got me eating 
Right out of your hand

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
ROCK OF GIBRALTAR

 Let me say this to you 
I ll be steadfast and true 
And my love will never falter 
 
The sea would crash about us 
The waves would lash about us 
I ll be your Rock of Gibraltar 
 
Sometimes it s hard 
And we re both caught off guard 
But there s nothing I would ever alter 
 
The wind could howl round our ears 
For the next thousand years 
I d still be your Rock of Gibraltar 
 
The best thing I done 
Was to make you the one 
Who I d walk with down to the altar 
 
You d stand by me 
And together we d be 
That great, steady Rock of Gibraltar 
 
Under the big yellow moon 
On our honeymoon 
I took you on a trip to Malta 
 
And all through the night 
You held me so tight 
Your great, steady Rock of Gibraltar 
 
Could the powers that be 
Ever foresee 
That things could so utterly alter? 
 
All the plans that we laid 
Could soon be betrayed 
Betrayed like the Rock of Gibraltar

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
RUNNING SCARED

 Just running scared, each place we go 
So afraid, that he might show 
 
Yeah, running scared, what would I do 
If he came back and wanted you? 
 
Just running scared, feeling low 
Running scared that you love him so 
 
Just running scared, afraid to lose 
If he came back, which one would you choose? 
 
And then all at once, he was standing there 
So sure of himself, his head in the air 
While my heart was breaking, which one would it be? 
Then you turned round and walked right out on me

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
SAD WATERS

 Down the road I look and there runs Mary 
Hair of gold and lips like cherries 
We go down to the river where the willows weep 
Take a naked root for a lovers seat 
That rose out of the bitten soil 
But sound to the ground by creeping ivy coils 
O Mary you have seduced my soul 
And I don't know right from wrong 
Forever a hostage of your child's world 
 
And then I ran my tin cup heart along 
The prison of her ribs 
And with a toss of her curls 
That little girl goes wading in 
Rollin her dress up past her knee 
Turning these waters into wine 
Then she platted all the willow vines 
 
Mary in the shallows laughing 
Over where the carp dart 
Spooked by the new shadows that she cast 
Across these sad waters and across my heart

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
SAINT HUCK

 Born of the river, 
Born of its ever changing, never changing murky water 
Oh riverboat just rollin' along through the great great greasy city 
Huck standing like a Saint, upon its deck 
If ya wanna catch a Saint, 
then bait ya hook, let's take a walk... 
 
'O come to me!, O come to me!' is what the dirty city 
say to Huck... HUCK 
 
woah woah, woah woah! 
woah woah, woah woah! 
Saint Huck! Huck! 
 
Straight in the arms of the city goes Huck, 
down the beckonin' streets of op po tunity 
whistling his favorite river song... 
And a bad blind nigger at the piano 
Buts a sinister blooo lilt into that sing a long 
Huck senses somthing's wrong! 
 
Sirens wail in the city, 
and lil Ulysses turn to putty 
and Ol Man River's got a bone to pick! 
and our boy's hardly got a bone to suck! 
He go, woah woah, woah woah! 
woah woah, woah woah! 
Saint Huck! Huck! 
 
The mo o o on, its huge cycloptic eye 
watches the city streets contract 
twist and cripple and crack. 
Saint Huck goes on a dog's leg now 
Saint Huck goes on a dog's leg now 
 
You know the story! 
Ya wake up one morning and you find you're a thug 
blowing smoke rings in some dive 
Ya fingers hot and itchin, ya cracking ya knuckles 
Ya bull neck bristling... 
Still Huck he ventures on whistling, 
and Death reckons Huckleberry's time is up, 
O woah woah woah! 
Saint Huck! 
O woah woah woah! 
Saint Huck! Huck! 
 
Yonder go Huck, minus pocket watch an' wallet gone 
Skin shrink wraps his skeleton 
No wonder he gets thinner, what with his cold'n'skinny dinners! 
Saint Huck a Saint Elvis, Saint Huck a Saint Elvis 
O you recall the song ya used to sing a long 
Shifting the river trade on that ol' steamer 
Life is but a dream! 
 
But ya traded in the Mighty ol' man River 
for the Dirty ol' Man Latrine! 
The brothel shift 
The hustle'n'the bustle and the green backs rustle 
And all the sexy cash 
And the randy cars 
And the two dollar fucks 
O o o ya outa luck, ya outa luck 
Woah woah woah woah 
Saint Huck! Huck! 
 
This is the track of deception 
leads to the heart of despair 
Huck whistles like he just don't care 
but in the pocket of the jacket is a chamber 
Lead pellets sleeps in there 
Wake Up! 
 
Now Huck whistles and he kneels 
and he lays down there 
See ya huck, good luck 
A smoke ring hovers above his head 
And the rats and the dogs and the men all come 
and put a bullet through his eye 
and the drip and the drip and the drip of the Mississippi cryin' 
And Saint Huck hears his own Mississippi just rollin' by him 
Woah woah woah woah 
Woah woah woah woah 
Saint Huck! Saint Huck! Saint Huck! 
Woah woah woah woah 
Woah woah woah woah 
Saint Huck! Saint Huck! Saint Huck! 
Woah woah woah woah

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
SAY GOODBYE TO THE LITTLE GIRL TREE

 O say goodbye to the little girl tree 
O you know that I must say goodbye 
To the little girl tree 
This wall I built around you 
Is made out of stone lies 
O little girl the truth would be 
An axe in thee 
O father look to your daughter 
Brick of grief and stricken morter 
With this ring 
This silver hoop of wire 
I bind your maiden mainstem 
Just to keep you as a child 
 
O say goodbye to the little girl tree 
O you know that I must say goodbye 
To my little girl tree 
How fast your candy bones 
Reached out for me 
I must say goodbye to your brittle bones 
Crying out for me 
O you know that I must say goodbye 
O goodbye 
Even though you will betray me 
The very minute that I leave 
 
O say goodbye to the little girl tree 
O Lord you know that I must say goodbye 
To that little girl tree 
I rise up her girl child lumps and slipping knots 
Into her laden boughs 
And amongst her roping limbs 
Like a swollen neck vein branching 
Into smaller lesser veins 
That must all just sing and say goodbye 
And let her blossom veils fly 
Her velvet gown 
Down down down 
Down down down 
Down down down and goodbye 
For you know that I must say goodbye 
 
To a rhythm softly tortured 
Of a motion back and forth 
Thats a rhythm sweetly tortured 
O that's the rhythm of the orchard 
And you know that I must say goodbye 
To that little girl tree 
O goodbye 
Yes goodbye 
For you know that I must die 
Down down down 
Down down down 
Down down down and goodbye 
For you know that I must die 
Yes you know that I must die 
O o you know that I must die

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
SCUM

 Well, I lived with one 
Well, I lived with one, I lived with two, 
I even lived with a third 
I wanna tell you about number one 
He was a miserable shitwringing turd 
Like he reminded me of some evil gnome 
Shakin hands was like shakin a hot, fat, oily bone 
Holdin on for far too long 
Yes he took me in, he took me in 
He said that I looked pale and thin 
I told him he looked fat 
His lips were red and lickin wet 
His house was roastin hot 
In fact it was a fuckin slum 
Scum! Scum! 
Well then he hooked up with some slut from the same game 
Black snow! Black snow! 
Cocksuckstress, and I should know 
Mean and vicious, her microphone always smelled suspicious 
His and herpes bath towel type 
If you know what I mean 
I could not look at him, worm 
He'd be takin a shower and who should walk in 
He was the epitome of their type 
Her middle name was Welcome, his was Wipe 
Scum! Scum! 
Well you're on the shit list 
Thrust and twist, twist and screw 
You gave me a bad review 
And maybe you think that it's all just water under the bridge 
Well my UNfriend, I'm the type that holds a grudge 
I'm your creator 
I think you fuckin traitor, chronic masturbator, 
Shitlicker, user, self abuser, jigger jigger! 
What rock did you crawl from? 
Which ..... did you come? 
You Judas, Brutus, Vitus, Scum! 
Hey four eyes, come 
That's right, it's a gun 
Face is bubble, blood, and ...... street 
Snowman with six holes clean into his fat fuckin guts 
Psychotic drama mounts 
Guts well deep then a spring is fount (?) 
I unload into his eyes 
Blood springs 
Dead snow 
Blue skies

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
SHE FELL AWAY

 Once she lay open like a road 
Carbed apart the madness that I stumbled from 
But she fell away 
She fell away 
Shed me like a skin 
She fell away 
Left me holding everything 
 
Once the road lay open like a girl 
And we drank and laughed and threw the bottle over 
But she fell away 
She fell away 
I did not see the cracks form 
As I knelt to pray 
I did not see the crevice yawn, no 
 
Sometimes 
At night I feel the end it is at hand 
My pistol going crazy in my hand 
For she fell away 
O she fell away 
Walked me th the brink 
The fell away 
I did not see her fall 
To better days 
Sometimes I wonder was she ever there at all 
She fell away 
She fell away 
She fell away

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
SHE PASSED BY MY WINDOW

 She passed by my window 
Her eyes were all aglow 
And bent to pick her glove she d dropped 
From the bright and brittle snow 
 
Nature had spoken it in the Spring 
With apple, plum and brand new pear 
Have you time for my company? 
No, I said, I have none to spare 
 
You gotta sanctify my love 
You gotta sanctify my love 
You gotta sanctify my love 
I ain t no lover boy 
 
For apple, plum and brand new pear 
Soon wither on the ground 
She slapped the snow from off her glove 
And moved on without a sound 
 
You gotta sanctify my love 
You gotta sanctify my love 
You gotta sanctify my love 
I ain t no lover boy

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
SLEEPING ANALEAH

 Yesterday the sun was shining but you're finding the sun it 
Don't shine all the time 
A winter day suddenly came your way 
And you ran into your mind 
 
Sleeping Analeah, Weeping Analeah 
Do you think you're ready for me? 
 
Oh and yesterday is gone forever and ever, never 
To be again 
You looked for the sunshine, that brought warmth to your mind 
But find only rain 
 
Sleeping Analeah, Weeping Analeah 
No, you're not ready for me 
 
But when yesterday becomes a memory, a memory 
That we uncovered in time 
If you still remember that cold September 
I reigned in your mind 
 
Sleeping Analeah, Weeping Analeah 
Then you'd be ready for me

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
SLOWLY GOES THE NIGHT

 Lover, lover, goodbye 
So slowly goes the night 
I trace the print of your body with my hand 
Like the map of some forbidden land 
I trace the ghosts of your bones 
With my trembling hand 
Dark is my night 
But darker is my day yeah 
I must've been blind 
Out of my mind 
Not to read the warning signs 
How goes it? 
It goes lonely 
Goes slowly 
 
So slowly goes the night 
Ten lonely days, ten lonely nights 
I watch the moon get flayed anew 
Until the moom becomes the skinning tool 
I send the skins of my sins out to cover and comfort you 
I know of a Heaven 
And honey I know of a Hell yeah 
I hang my head 
In my bed 
And remember what you said 
 One evening, I'm leaving 
And I laughed and checked her breathing 
And said darling 
 
Go slowly through the knight 
O baby, I feel the heal of time 
I wake to find you sitting here 
Cutting tangels out of your hair 
Singing a song that's all wrong 
Hey, but that's alright, I don't care 
O darling forgive me 
For all the misery yeah 
I embrace an empty space 
And your laughing song it fades 
Where goes it? 
It goes some place 
Where it's lonely 
 
And black as the night 
Come back, darling and put things right 
I hang my head and cry cry cry 
Darling, all night I try 
To cease on a reason for this mad mad season 
The nights, they are so long now 
I can't remember it being light 
Call it sleep, call it death, call it what you like 
But only sleep, dear 
Only sleep brings you back to life yeah 
I hang my head 
I toss and I sweat 
I never never can forget 
How goes it? 
I'm going, but slowly slowly going 
And we both know that it's gonna be alright 
 
But it ain't you who has to cry cry cry 
Ten lonely days, ten lonely nights 
Since you left my side side side

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
SOMETHING'S GOTTEN HOLD OF MY HEART

 Something's gotten hold of my heart 
Keeping my soul and my senses apart 
Something's gotten into my life 
Cutting its way through my dreams like a knife 
Turning me up and turning me down 
Making me smile and making me frown 
 
In a world that was small 
I once lived in a time there was peace with no trouble at all 
But then you came my way 
And a feeling unknown shook my heart, made me want you to stay 
All of my nights and all of my days 
 
I gotta tell you now 
Something's gotten hold of my hand 
Dragging my soul to a beautiful land 
Something has invaded my nights 
Painting my sleep with a colour so bright 
Changing the grey and changing the blue 
Scarlet for me and scarlet for you 
 
I've got to know if this is the real thing 
I've got to know what's making my heart sing 
You smile and I am lost for a lifetime 
Each minute spent with you is the right time 
Every hour, every day 
You touch me and my mind goes astray

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
SONG OF JOY

 Have mercy on me, sir 
Allow me to impose on you 
I have no place to stay 
And my bones are cold right through 
I will tell you a story 
Of a man and his family 
And I swear that it is true 
Ten years ago I met a girl named Joy 
She was a sweet and happy thing 
Her eyes were bright blue jewels 
And we were married in the spring 
I had no idea what happiness and little love could bring 
Or what life had in store 
But all things move toward their end 
All things move toward their their end 
On that you can be sure 
La la la la la la la la la la 
La la la la la la la la la la 
Then one morning I awoke to find her weeping 
And for many days to follow 
She grew so sad and lonely 
Became Joy in name only 
Within her breast there launched an unnamed sorrow 
And a dark and grim force set sail 
Farewell happy fields 
Where joy forever dwells 
* Hail horrors hail * 
Was it an act of contrition or some awful premonition 
As if she saw into the heart of her final blood soaked night 
Those lunatic eyes, that hungry kitchen knife 
Ah, I see sir, that I have your attention! 
Well, could it be? 
How often I've asked that question 
Well, then in quick succession 
We had babies, one, two, three 
We called them Hilda, Hattie and Holly 
They were their mother's children 
Their eyes were bright blue jewels 
And they were quiet as a mouse 
There was no laughter in the house 
No, not from Hilda, Hattie or Holly 
 No wonder , people said, poor mother Joy's so melancholy 
Well, one night there came a visitor to our little home 
I was visiting a sick friend 
I was a doctor then 
Joy and the girls were on their own 
La la la la la la la la la la 
La la la la la la la la la la 
Joy had been bound with electrical tape 
In her mouth a gag 
She'd been stabbed repeatedly 
And stuffed into a sleeping bag 
In their very cots my girls were robbed of their lives 
Method of murder much the same as my wife's 
Method of murder much the same as my wife's 
It was midnight when I arrived home 
Said to the police on the telephone 
Someone's taken four innocent lives 
They never caught the man 
He's still on the loose 
It seems he has done many many more 
Quotes John Milton on the walls in the victim's blood 
The police are investigating at tremendous cost 
In my house he wrote his red right hand 
That, I'm told is from Paradise Lost 
The wind round here gets wicked cold 
But my story is nearly told 
I fear the morning will bring quite a frost 
And so I've left my home 
I drift from land to land 
I am upon your step and you are a family man 
Outside the vultures wheel 
The wolves howl, the serpents hiss 
And to extend this small favour, friend 
Would be the sum of earthly bliss 
Do you reckon me a friend? 
The sun to me is dark 
And silent as the moon 
Do you, sir, have a room? 
Are you beckoning me in? 
La la la la la la la la la la 
La la la la la la la la la la

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
SORROW'S CHILD

 Sorrow's child sits by the river 
Sorrow's child hears not the water 
Sorrow's child sits by the river 
Sorrow's child hears not the water 
And just when it seems as though 
You've got strength enough to stand 
Sorrow's child all weak and strange 
Stands waiting at your hand 
 
Sorrow's child steps in the water 
Sorrow's child you follow after 
Sorrow's child wades in deeper 
Sorrow's child invites you under 
And just when you thought as though 
All your tears were wept and done 
Sorrow's child grieves not what has passed 
But all the past still yet to come 
Sorrow's child sits by the water 
Sorrow's child your arms enfold her 
Sorrow's child you're loathe to befriend her 
Sorrow's child but in sorrow surrender 
And just when is seems as though 
All your tears were at an end 
Sorrow's child lifts up her hand 
And she brings it down again

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
STAGGER LEE

 It was back in '32 when times were hard 
He had a Colt .45 and a deck of cards 
Stagger Lee 
He wore rat drawn shoes and an old stetson hat 
Had a '28 Ford, had payments on that 
Stagger Lee 
His woman threw him out in the ice and snow 
And told him, Never ever come back no more 
Stagger Lee 
So he walked through the rain and he walked through the mud 
Till he came to a place called The Bucket Of Blood 
Stagger Lee 
He said Mr Motherfucker, you know who I am 
The barkeeper said, No, and I don't give a good goddamn 
To Stagger Lee 
He said, Well bartender, it's plain to see 
I'm that bad motherfucker called Stagger Lee 
Mr. Stagger Lee 
Barkeep said, Yeah, I've heard your name down the way 
And I kick motherfucking asses like you every day 
Mr Stagger Lee 
Well those were the last words that the barkeep said 
'Cause Stag put four holes in his motherfucking head 
Just then in came a broad called Nellie Brown 
Was known to make more money than any bitch in town 
She struts across the bar, hitching up her skirt 
Over to Stagger Lee, she starts to flirt 
With Stagger Lee 
She saw the barkeep, said, O God, he can't be dead! 
Stag said, Well, just count the holes in the motherfucker's head 
She said, You ain't look like you scored in quite a time. 
Why not come to my pad? It won't cost you a dime 
Mr. Stagger Lee 
 But there's something I have to say before you begin 
You'll have to be gone before my man Billy Dilly comes in, 
Mr. Stagger Lee 
 I'll stay here till Billy comes in, till time comes to pass 
And furthermore I'll fuck Billy in his motherfucking ass 
Said Stagger Lee 
 I'm a bad motherfucker, don't you know 
And I'll crawl over fifty good pussies just to get one fat boy's asshole 
Said Stagger Lee 
Just then Billy Dilly rolls in and he says, You must be 
That bad motherfucker called Stagger Lee 
Stagger Lee 
 Yeah, I'm Stagger Lee and you better get down on your knees 
And suck my dick, because If you don't you're gonna be dead 
Said Stagger Lee 
Billy dropped down and slobbered on his head 
And Stag filled him full of lead 
Oh yeah.

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
STILL IN LOVE

 The cops are hanging around the house 
The cars outside look like they ve got the blues 
The moon don t know if it s day or night 
Everybody s creeping around with plastic covers on their shoes 
You re making coffee for everyone concerned 
Someone points to this and someone points to that 
Everyone is saying that you should lie down 
But you ain t having none of that 
And I say to the sleepy summer rain 
With a complete absence of pain 
You might think I m crazy 
But I m still in love with you 
 
Hide your eyes, hide your tears, 
Hide your face, my love 
Hide your ribbons, hide your bows 
Hide your coloured cotton gloves 
Hide your trinkets, hide your treasures 
Hide your neatly scissored locks 
Hide your memories, hide them all 
Stuff them in a cardboard box 
Or throw them into the street below 
Leave them to the wind and the rain and the snow 
For you might think I m crazy 
But I m still in love with you 
 
Call me up, baby, and I will answer your call 
Call me up but remember I am no use to you at all 
 
Now, you re standing at the top of the stairs 
One hand on the banister, a flower in your hair 
The other one resting on your hip 
Without a solitary care 
I fall to sleep in the summer rain 
With no single memory of pain 
And you might think I m crazy 
But I m still in love with you

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
STRAIGHT TO YOU

 All the towers of ivory are crumbling 
And the swallows have sharpened their beaks 
This is the time of our great undoing 
This is the time that I'll come running 
Straight to you 
For I am captured 
Straight to you 
For I am captured 
One more time 
 
The light in our window is fading 
The candle gutters on the ledge 
Well now sorrow, it comes a stealing 
And I'll cry, girl, but I'll come a running 
Straight to you 
For I am captured 
Straight to you 
For I am captured 
Once again 
 
Gone are the days of rainbows 
Gone are the nights of swinging from the stars 
For the sea will swallow up the mountains 
And the sky will throw thunder bolts and sparks 
Straight at you 
But I'll come a running 
Straight to you 
But I'll come a running 
One more time 
 
Heaven has denied us its kingdom 
The saints are drunk howling at the moon 
The chariots of angels are colliding 
Well, I'll run, babe, but I'll come running 
Straight to you 
For I am captured 
Straight to you 
For I am captured 
One more time

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
STRAIGHT TO YOU

 All the towers of ivory are crumbling 
And the swallows have sharpened their beaks 
This is the time of our great undoing 
This is the time that I'll come running 
Straight to you 
For I am captured 
Straight to you 
For I am captured 
One more time 
 
The light in our window is fading 
The candle gutters on the ledge 
Well now sorrow, it comes a stealing 
And I'll cry, girl, but I'll come a running 
Straight to you 
For I am captured 
Straight to you 
For I am captured 
Once again 
 
Gone are the days of rainbows 
Gone are the nights of swinging from the stars 
For the sea will swallow up the mountains 
And the sky will throw thunder bolts and sparks 
Straight at you 
But I'll come a running 
Straight to you 
But I'll come a running 
One more time 
 
Heaven has denied us its kingdom 
The saints are drunk howling at the moon 
The chariots of angels are colliding 
Well, I'll run, babe, but I'll come running 
Straight to you 
For I am captured 
Straight to you 
For I am captured 
One more time

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
STRANGER THAN KINDNESS

 Stranger than kindness 
Bottled light from hotels 
Spilling everything 
Wet hand from the volcano 
Sobers your skin 
Stranger than Kindness 
0é nYou caress yourself 
And grind my soft cold bones below 
Your map of desire 
Burned in your flesh 
Even a fool can come 
A strange lit stair 
And find a rope hanging there 
Stranger than kindness 
 
Keys rain like heaven's hair 
There is no home there is no bread 
We sit at the gate and scratch 
 
The gaunt fruit of passion 
Dies in the light 
Stranger than kindness 
 
Your sleeping hands journey 
The loiter 
Stranger than kindness 
You hold me so carelessy close 
Tell me I'm dirty 
Stranger than kindness

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
STRANGER THAN KINDNESS

 Stranger than kindness 
Bottled light from hotels 
Spilling everything 
Wet hand from the volcano 
Sobers your skin 
Stranger than Kindness 
0é nYou caress yourself 
And grind my soft cold bones below 
Your map of desire 
Burned in your flesh 
Even a fool can come 
A strange lit stair 
And find a rope hanging there 
Stranger than kindness 
 
Keys rain like heaven's hair 
There is no home there is no bread 
We sit at the gate and scratch 
 
The gaunt fruit of passion 
Dies in the light 
Stranger than kindness 
 
Your sleeping hands journey 
The loiter 
Stranger than kindness 
You hold me so carelessy close 
Tell me I'm dirty 
Stranger than kindness

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR

 Sugar Sugar Sugar 
That man is bad 
The road he drives you down 
O sugar its a drag 
 
That road it twists 
That road is crossed 
Its down that road 
A lot of little girls go lost 
 
Sugar Sugar Sugar 
Keep on driving on 
Until the City of right 
Becomes the City of wrong 
 
That stretch is long 
You'll sleep and slide 
That stretch will find you 
Gagged and tied 
 
The hunter lies 
In a lowly ditch 
His eyes they sting 
And his fingers twitch 
 
You'll be his queen for the night 
But the morning you'll wake 
With the Lords and high ladies 
Of the bottom of the lake 
 
Sugar sugar sugar 
That man is wild 
And sugar, you know 
That you're merely a child 
 
He will laugh 
And hang your sheets to see 
The tokens of your virginity 
 
Sugar sugar sugar 
Honey you're so sweet 
And beside you baby 
Nothing can complete 
 
Sugar sugar sugar 
Honey your so sweet 
But beside you baby 
A bad man sleeps 
 
You better pray baby 
Pray baby, pray baby 
You better pray 
You better pray, baby 
Pray, baby, pray baby 
You better pray baby 
 
Sugar sugar sugar 
That man is bad 
And that's the bottom baby 
Coming right up ahead 
 
You can smell his fear 
You can smell his love 
As he wipes his mouth 
On your altar cloth 
 
Sugar sugar sugar 
Try to understand 
I'm an angel of God 
I'm your guardian 
 
He smells you innocence 
And like a dog he comes 
And like all the dogs he is 
I shut him down 
 
Sugar sugar sugar 
I can't explain 
Must I kill that cocksucker 
Everyday 
 
You better pray baby, pray baby, pray baby 
You better pray your daddy he ain't far away 
You better pray baby pray baby pray baby 
You better pray your daddy's come to take you away 
You better pray baby, pray baby, pray baby 
You better pray o tender prey baby tender prey 
You better pray tender pray baby tender prey

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
SUNDAY'S SLAVE

 Sunday's got a slave 
Monday's got one too 
Sunday's got a slave 
Monday's got one too 
Our sufferings are countless 
Our pleasures are motley few 
Spend all day digging my grave 
Now go get Sunday's slave 
 
Tuesday sleeps in a stable 
Wednesday's in a chains 
Tuesday gathers up the crumbs under the table 
Wednesday dare not complain 
My heart has collapsed on the tracks of a run a way train 
Just whisper his name 
And here comes Sunday's slave 
 
The hands in the stable are willing and able to pay 
If you feel at a loss, man, just who is the boss man 
Ask the blood of one of its bad days 
For his nerve is to serve but the sevice is a mockery 
He insists that he piss in your fist 
But he still takes the money anyway 
The master's a bastard 
But don't tell Sunday's slave 
 
Thursday's angered the master 
O.K. so Friday's gonna pay 
Thursday's angered the master 
Yeah, so Friday's gonna pay 
One night on the rack and he's back saddling up Saturday 
You can only whisper his name 
But not on Sundays 
Never on Sundays 
O Not on Sunday's slave

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
SWEETHEART COME

 Come over here, babe 
It ain't that bad 
I don't claim to understand 
The troubles that you've had 
But the dogs you say they fed you to 
Lay their muzzles in your lap 
And the lions that they led you to 
Lie down and take a nap 
The ones you fear are wind and air 
And I love you without measure 
It seems we can be happy now 
Be it better late than never 
 
Sweetheart, come 
Sweetheart, come 
Sweetheart, come 
Sweetheart, come to me 
 
The burdens that you carry now 
Are not of your creation 
So let's not weep for their evil deeds 
But for their lack of imagination 
Today's the time for courage, babe 
Tomorrow can be for forgiving 
And if he touches you again with his stupid hands 
His life won't be worth living 
 
Sweetheart, come 
Sweetheart, come 
Sweetheart, come 
Sweetheart, come to me 
 
Walk with me now under the stars 
For it's a clear and easy pleasure 
And be happy in my company 
For I love you without measure 
Walk with me now under the stars 
It's a safe and easy pleasure 
It seems we can be happy now 
It's late but it ain't never 
It's late but it ain't never 
It's late but it ain't never

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE BALLAD OF ROBERT MOORE AND BETTY COLTRANE

 There was a thick set man with frog eyes 
who was standing by the door 
and a little bald man with wing nut ears 
was waiting in the car 
Well Robert Moore passed the frog eyed man 
as he walked into the bar, 
and Betty Coltrane she jumped under her table. 
 
 What's your pleasure? asked the barman 
he had a face like boiled meat 
 There's a girl called Betty Coltrane 
that I have come to see 
 But I ain't seen that girl 'round here 
for more than a week 
and Betty Coltrane she hid beneath the table. 
Well, then in came a sailior with 
mermaids tattooed on his arms, 
Followed by the man with the wing nut ears 
who was waitin' in the car 
Well, Robert Moore sensed trouble, 
he'd seen it comin' from afar 
and Betty Coltrain she gasped beneath the table. 
 
Well, the sailor said I'm looking for my wife, 
they call her Betty Coltrain! 
The frog eyed man said That can't be; 
that's my wife's maiden name. 
And the man with the wing nut ears said, 
 Hey, I married her back in Spain! 
and Betty Coltrain crossed herself beneath the table. 
 
Well, Robert Moore stepped up and said 
 That woman is my wife. 
and he drew a silver pistol 
and a wicked bowie knife; 
And he shot the man with the wing nut ears 
straight between the eyes 
and Betty Coltrain, she moaned under the table. 
 
The frog eyed man jumped at Robert Moore, 
who stabbed him in the chest 
and as Mister Frog eyes died he said 
 Betty, your the girl that I loved best! 
The sailor pulled a razor, 
Robert blasted it to bits 
 And Betty, I know you're under the table. 
 
 Well have no fear, said Robert Moore, 
 I do not want to hurt you! 
 Never a woman did'na love me 
half as much as you. 
You are the blessed' sun, girl 
and you are the sacred moon. 
and Betty shot his legs out from under the table! 
 
Well, Robert Moore went down heavy 
with a crash upon the floor 
and over to his trashin' body 
Betty Coltrain she did crawl. 
She put the gun to the back of head 
and pulled the trigger once more 
and blew his brains out all over the table! 
 
Well Betty stood up and shook her head 
and waved the smoke away. 
Said, I'm sorry Mr Barman 
to leave your place this way. 
As she emptied out their wallets she said, 
 I'll collect my severence pay. 
and then she winked and threw a dollar on the table.

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE CARNIVAL IS OVER

 Say goodbye, my one true lover 
And we'll steal a lover's song 
How it breaks my heart to leave you 
Now the carnival has gone 
 
Oh my love, the dawn is breaking 
And my tears are falling rain 
For the carnival is over 
We may never meet again 
 
Like a drum my heart was beating 
And your kiss was sweet as wine 
But the joys of love are fleeting 
For Pierrot and Columbine 
 
Now the cloak of night is falling 
This will be our last goodbye 
Though the carnival is over 
I will love you till I die

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE CARNY

 And no one saw the carny go 
And the weeks flew by 
Until they moved on the show 
Leaving his caravan behind 
It was parked out on the south east ridge 
And as the company crossed the bridge 
With the first rain filling the bone dry river bed 
It shone, just so, upon the edge 
 
Dog boy, atlas, half man, the geeks, the hired hands 
There was not one among them that did not cas an eye behind 
In the hope that the carny would return to his own kind 
 
And the carny had a horse, all skin and bone 
A bow backed nag, that he named Sorrow 
How it is buried in a shallow grave 
In the then parched meadow 
 
And the dwarves were given the task of digging the ditch 
And laying the nag's carcass in the ground 
And boss Bellini, waving his smoking pistol around 
saying The nag is dead meat 
 We caint afford to carry dead weight 
The whole company standing about 
Not making a sound 
And turning to dwarves perched on the enclosure gate 
The boss says Bury this lump of crow bait 
 
And thean the rain came 
Everybody running for their wagons 
Tying all the canvas flaps down 
The mangy cats crowling in ther cages 
The bird girl flapping and squawking around 
The whole valley reeking of wet beast 
Wet beast and rotten hay 
Freak and brute creation 
Packed up and on their way 
 
The three dwarves peering from their wagon's hind 
Moses says to Noah We shoulda dugga deepa one 
Their grizzled faces like dying moons 
Still dirty from the digging done 
 
And as the company passed from the valley 
Into a higher ground 
The rain beat on the ridge and on the meadow 
And on the mound 
 
Until nothing was left, nothing at all 
Except the body of Sorrow 
That rose in time 
To float upon the surface of the eaten soil 
 
And a murder of crows did circle round 
First one, then the others flapping blackly down 
 
And the carny's van still sat upon the edge 
Tilting slowly as the firm ground turned to sludge 
And the rain it hammered down 
 
And no one saw the carny go 
I say it's funny how things go 

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE CARNY

 And no one saw the carny go 
And the weeks flew by 
Until they moved on the show 
Leaving his caravan behind 
It was parked out on the south east ridge 
And as the company crossed the bridge 
With the first rain filling the bone dry river bed 
It shone, just so, upon the edge 
 
Dog boy, atlas, half man, the geeks, the hired hands 
There was not one among them that did not cas an eye behind 
In the hope that the carny would return to his own kind 
 
And the carny had a horse, all skin and bone 
A bow backed nag, that he named Sorrow 
How it is buried in a shallow grave 
In the then parched meadow 
 
And the dwarves were given the task of digging the ditch 
And laying the nag's carcass in the ground 
And boss Bellini, waving his smoking pistol around 
saying The nag is dead meat 
 We caint afford to carry dead weight 
The whole company standing about 
Not making a sound 
And turning to dwarves perched on the enclosure gate 
The boss says Bury this lump of crow bait 
 
And thean the rain came 
Everybody running for their wagons 
Tying all the canvas flaps down 
The mangy cats crowling in ther cages 
The bird girl flapping and squawking around 
The whole valley reeking of wet beast 
Wet beast and rotten hay 
Freak and brute creation 
Packed up and on their way 
 
The three dwarves peering from their wagon's hind 
Moses says to Noah We shoulda dugga deepa one 
Their grizzled faces like dying moons 
Still dirty from the digging done 
 
And as the company passed from the valley 
Into a higher ground 
The rain beat on the ridge and on the meadow 
And on the mound 
 
Until nothing was left, nothing at all 
Except the body of Sorrow 
That rose in time 
To float upon the surface of the eaten soil 
 
And a murder of crows did circle round 
First one, then the others flapping blackly down 
 
And the carny's van still sat upon the edge 
Tilting slowly as the firm ground turned to sludge 
And the rain it hammered down 
 
And no one saw the carny go 
I say it's funny how things go 

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE CURSE OF MILLHAVEN

 I live in a town called Millhaven 
And it's small and it's mean and it's cold 
But if you come around just as the sun goes down 
You can watch the whole town turn to gold 
It's around about then that I used to go a roaming 
Singing La la la la La la la lie 
All God's children they all gotta die 
My name is Loretta but I prefer Lottie 
I'm closing in on my fifteenth year 
And if you think you have seen a pair of eyes more green 
Then you sure didn't see them around here 
My hair is yellow and I'm always a combing 
La la la la La la la lie 
Mama often told me we all got to die 
You must have heard about The Curse Of Millhaven 
How last Christmas Bill Blake's little boy didn't come home 
They found him next week in One Mile Creek 
His head bashed in and his pockets full of stones 
Well, just imagine all the wailing and moaning 
La la la la La la la lie 
Even little Billy Blake's boy, he had to die 
Then Professor O'Rye from Millhaven High 
Found nailed to his door his prize winning terrier 
Then next day the old fool brought little Biko to school 
And we all had to watch as he buried her 
His eulogy to Biko had all the tears a flowing 
La la la la La la la lie 
Even God's little creatures, they have to die 
Our little town fell into a state of shock 
A lot of people were saying things that made little sense 
Then the next thing you know the head of Handyman Joe 
Was found in the fountain of the Mayor's residence 
Foul play can really get a small town going 
La la la la La la la lie 
Even God's children all have to die 
Then, in a cruel twist of fate, old Mrs Colgate 
Was stabbed but the job was not complete 
The last thing she said before the cops pronounced her dead 
Was, My killer is Loretta and she lives across the street! 
Twenty cops burst through my door without even phoning 
La la la la La la la lie 
The young ones, the old ones, they all gotta die 
Yes, it is I, Lottie. The Curse Of Millhaven 
I've struck horror in the heart of this town 
Like my eyes ain't green and my hair ain't yellow 
It's more like the other way around 
I gotta pretty little mouth underneath all the foaming 
La la la la La la la lie 
Sooner or later we all gotta die 
Since I was no bigger than a weavil they've been saying I was evil 
That if bad was a boot that I'd fit it 
That I'm a wicked young lady, but I've been trying hard lately 
O fuck it! I'm a monster! I admit it! 
It makes me so mad my blood really starts a going 
La la la la La la la lie 
Mama always told me that we all gotta die 
Yeah, I drowned the Blakey kid, stabbed Mrs. Colgate, I admit 
Did the handyman with his circular saw in his garden shed 
But I never crucified little Biko, that was two junior high school psychos 
Stinky Bohoon and his friend with the pumpkin sized head 
I'll sing to the lot, now you got me going 
La la la la La la la lie 
All God's children have all gotta die 
There were all the others, all our sisters and brothers 
You assumed were accidents, best forgotten 
Recall the children who broke through the ice on Lake Tahoo? 
Everyone assumed the Warning signs had followed them to the bottom 
Well, they're underneath the house where I do quite a bit of stowing 
La la la la La la la lie 
Even twenty little children, they had to die 
And the fire of '91 that razed the Bella Vista slum 
There was the biggest shit fight this country's ever seen 
Insurance companies ruined, land lords getting sued 
All cause of wee girl with a can of gasoline 
Those flames really roared when the wind started blowing 
La la la la La la la lie 
Rich man, poor man, all got to die 
Well I confessed to all these crimes and they put me on trial 
I was laughing when they took me away 
Off to the asylum in an old black Mariah 
It ain't home, but you know, it's fucking better than jail 
It ain't such bad old place to have a home in 
La la la la La la la lie 
All God's children they all gotta die 
Now I got shrinks that will not rest with their endless Rorschach tests 
I keep telling them they're out to get me 
They ask me if I feel remorse and I answer, Why of course! 
There is so much more I could have done if they'd let me! 
So it's Rorschach and Prozac and everything is groovy 
Singing La la la la La la la lie 
All God's children they all have to die 
La la la la La la la lie 
I'm happy as a lark and everything is fine 
Singing La la la la La la la lie 
Yeah, everything is groovy and everything is fine 
Singing La la la la La la la lie 
All God's children they gotta die

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE GOOD SON

 One more man gone 
One more man gone 
One more man is gone 
 
The good son walks into the field 
He is a tiller, he has a tiller's hands 
But down in his heart now 
He lays down his queer plans 
Against his brother and against his family 
Yet he worships his brother 
And he worships his mother 
But it's his father, he says, is an unfair man 
The good son 
The good son 
The good son 
 
The good son has sat and often wept 
Beneath a malign star by which he's kept 
And the night time in which he's wrapped 
Speaks of good and speaks of evil 
And he calls to his mother 
And he calls to his father 
But they are deaf in the shadows 
Of his brother's truancy 
The good son 
The good son 
The good son 
The good son 
 
And he curses his mother 
And he curses his father 
And he curses his virtue like an unclean thing 
The good son 
The good son 
The good son 
 
One more man gone 
One more man gone 
One more man 
One more man gone 
One more man gone 
One more man 
One more man gone 
One more man gone 
One more man 
(Repeat)

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE GOOD SON

 One more man gone 
One more man gone 
One more man is gone 
 
The good son walks into the field 
He is a tiller, he has a tiller's hands 
But down in his heart now 
He lays down his queer plans 
Against his brother and against his family 
Yet he worships his brother 
And he worships his mother 
But it's his father, he says, is an unfair man 
The good son 
The good son 
The good son 
 
The good son has sat and often wept 
Beneath a malign star by which he's kept 
And the night time in which he's wrapped 
Speaks of good and speaks of evil 
And he calls to his mother 
And he calls to his father 
But they are deaf in the shadows 
Of his brother's truancy 
The good son 
The good son 
The good son 
The good son 
 
And he curses his mother 
And he curses his father 
And he curses his virtue like an unclean thing 
The good son 
The good son 
The good son 
 
One more man gone 
One more man gone 
One more man 
One more man gone 
One more man gone 
One more man 
One more man gone 
One more man gone 
One more man 
(Repeat)

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE HAMMER SONG

 I set out on monday 
The night was cold and vast 
And my brother slept 
 
And though I left quite quietly 
My father raged and raged 
And my mother wept 
 
Now, my life was like a river 
All sucked into the ground 
And then the hammer came down 
Lord, the hammer came down 
 
Many miles did I roam 
Through the ice and through the snow 
My horse died on the seventh day 
 
I stumbled into a city 
Where the people tried to kill me 
And I ran in shame 
 
Then I came upon a river 
And I laid my saddle down 
And then the hammer came down 
Lord, the hammer came down 
It knocked me to the ground 
And I said, Please, please 
Take me back to my home town 
Lord, the hammer came down 
 
Now I've been made weak by visions 
Many visions did I see 
All through the night 
 
On the seventh hour an angel came 
With many snakes in all his hands 
And I fled in fright 
 
I pushed off into the river 
And the water came around 
And then the hammer came down 
Lord, the hammer came down 
And it did not make a sound 
And I said, Please, please 
Take me back to my home ground 
Lord, the hammer came down

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE HAMMER SONG

 Oh please don't send me out 
Said the man with the hammer, hammering the anvil 
I been walking on a road of rocks 
And I keep on hammering, keep on hammering, keep on hammering, 
Hammering the anvil 
 
Don't let the sun go down 
Said the man with the fire, firing the furnace 
I been buried in the snow 
And I keep on firing, keep on firing, keep on firing, 
Firing the furnace 
 
Oh don't talk to me 
Said the man with the chisel, chiseling the surface 
I been sleeping far too long 
And I keep on chiseling, keep on chiseling, keep on chiseling, 
Chiseling the surface 
 
I don't know what you mean 
Said the man with the shovel, shoveling the ashes 
I been digging in the frozen ground 
And I keep on shoveling, keep on shoveling, keep on shoveling, 
Shoveling the ashes 
 
Shoveling the ashes 
Chiseling the surface 
Firing the furnace 
Hammering the anvil

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

 They found Mary Bellows cuffed to the bed 
With a rag in her mouth and a bullet in her head 
O poor Mary Bellows 
She'd grown up hungry, she'd grown up poor 
She left her home in Arkansas 
O poor Mary Bellows 
She wanted to see the deep blue sea 
She travelled across Tennessee 
O poor Mary Bellows 
She met a man along the way 
He introduced himself as Richard Slade 
O poor Mary Bellows 
Poor Mary thought that she might die 
When she saw the ocean for the first time 
O poor Mary Bellows 
She checked into a cheap little place 
Richard Slade carried in her old suitcase 
O poor Mary Bellows 
 I'm a good girl, sir , she said to him 
I couldn't possibly permit you in 
O poor Mary Bellows 
Slade tipped his hat and winked his eye 
And turned away without goodbye 
O poor Mary Bellows 
She sat on her bed and thought of home 
With the sea breeze whistling all alone 
O poor Mary Bellows 
In hope and loneliness she crossed the floor 
And undid the latch on the front door 
O poor Mary Bellows 
They found her the next day cuffed to the bed 
A rag in her mouth and a bullet in her head 
O poor Mary Bellows 
So mothers keep your girls at home 
Don't let them journey all alone 
Tell them this world is full of danger 
And to shun the company of strangers 
O poor Mary Bellows 
O poor Mary Bellows

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE LOOM OF THE LAND

 It was the dirty end of winter 
Along the loom of the land 
When I walked with sweet Sally 
Hand upon hand 
 
And the wind it bit bitter 
For a boy of no means 
With no shoes on his feet 
And a knife in his jeans 
 
Along the loom of the land 
The mission bells peeled 
From the tower at Saint Mary's 
Down to Reprobate Fields 
 
And I saw that the world 
Was all blessed and bright 
And Sally breathed softly 
In the majestic night 
 
O baby please don't cry 
And try to keep 
Your little hand upon my shoulder 
Now go to sleep 
 
The elms and the poplars 
Were turning their backs 
Past the rumbling station 
We followed the tracks 
 
We found an untrodden path 
And followed it down 
The moon in the sky 
Like a dislodged crown 
 
My hands they burned 
In the folds of her coat 
Breathing milky white air 
From deep in her throat 
 
O baby please don't cry 
And try to keep 
Your little head upon my shoulder 
Now go to sleep 
 
I told Sally in whispers 
I'll never bring you harm 
Her breast it was small 
And warm in my palm 
 
I told her the moon 
Was a magical thing 
That it shone gold in winter 
And silver in spring 
 
And we walked and walked 
Across the endless sands 
Just me and my Sally 
Along the loom of the land 
 
O baby please don't cry 
And try to keep 
Your little head upon my shoulder 
Now go to sleep

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE MERCY SEAT

 It began when they come took me from my home 
And put me in Dead Row, 
Of which I am nearly wholly innocent, you know. 
And I'll say it again 
I..am..not..afraid..to..die. 
 
I began to warm and chill 
To objects and their fields, 
A ragged cup, a twisted mop 
The face of Jesus in my soup 
Those sinister dinner meals 
The meal trolley's wicked wheels 
A hooked bone rising from my food 
All things either good or ungood. 
 
And the mercy seat is waiting 
And I think my head is burning 
And in a way I'm yearning 
To be done with all this measuring of truth. 
An eye for an eye 
A tooth for a tooth 
And anyway I told the truth 
And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
Interpret signs and catalogue 
A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog. 
The walls are bad. Black. Bottom kind. 
They are sick breath at my hind 
They are sick breath at my hind 
They are sick breath at my hind 
They are sick breath gathering at my hind 
 
I hear stories from the chamber 
How Christ was born into a manger 
And like some ragged stranger 
Died upon the cross 
And might I say it seems so fitting in its way 
He was a carpenter by trade 
Or at least that's what I'm told 
 
Like my good hand I 
tatooed E.V.I.L. across it's brother's fist 
That filthy five! They did nothing to challenge or resist. 
 
In Heaven His throne is made of gold 
The ark of his Testament is stowed 
A throne from which I'm told 
All history does unfold. 
Down here it's made of wood and wire 
And my body is on fire 
And God is never far away. 
 
Into the mercy seat I climb 
My head is shaved, my head is wired 
And like a moth that tries 
To enter the bright eye 
I go shuffling out of life 
Just to hide in death awhile 
And anyway I never lied. 
 
My kill hand is called E.V.I.L. 
Wears a wedding band that's G.O.O.D. 
 Tis a long suffering shackle 
Collaring all that rebel blood. 
 
And the mercy seat is waiting 
And I think my head is burning 
And in a way I'm yearning 
To be done with all this measuring of truth. 
An eye for an eye 
And a tooth for a tooth 
And anyway I told the truth 
And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
And the mercy seat is burning 
And I think my head is glowing 
And in a way I'm hoping 
To be done with all this weighing up of truth. 
An eye for an eye 
And a tooth for a tooth 
And I've got nothing left to lose 
And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
And the mercy seat is glowing 
And I think my head is smoking 
And in a way I'm hoping 
To be done with all this looks of disbelief. 
An eye for an eye 
And a tooth for a tooth 
And anyway there was no proof 
Nor a motive why. 
 
And the mercy seat is smoking 
And I think my head is melting 
And in a way I'm helping 
To be done with all this twisted of the truth. 
A lie for a lie 
And a truth for a truth 
And I've got nothing left to lose 
And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
And the mercy seat is melting 
And I think my blood is boiling 
And in a way I'm spoiling 
All the fun with all this truth and consequence. 
An eye for an eye 
And a truth for a truth 
And anyway I told the truth 
And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
And the mercy seat is waiting 
And I think my head is burning 
And in a way I'm yearning 
To be done with all this measuring of proof. 
A life for a life 
And a truth for a truth 
And anyway there was no proof 
But I'm not afraid to tell a lie. 
 
And the mercy seat is waiting 
And I think my head is burning 
And in a way I'm yearning 
To be done with all this measuring of truth. 
An eye for an eye 
And a truth for a truth 
And anyway I told the truth 
But I'm afraid I told a lie.

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE MERCY SEAT

 It began when they come took me from my home 
And put me in Dead Row, 
Of which I am nearly wholly innocent, you know. 
And I'll say it again 
I..am..not..afraid..to..die. 
 
I began to warm and chill 
To objects and their fields, 
A ragged cup, a twisted mop 
The face of Jesus in my soup 
Those sinister dinner meals 
The meal trolley's wicked wheels 
A hooked bone rising from my food 
All things either good or ungood. 
 
And the mercy seat is waiting 
And I think my head is burning 
And in a way I'm yearning 
To be done with all this measuring of truth. 
An eye for an eye 
A tooth for a tooth 
And anyway I told the truth 
And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
Interpret signs and catalogue 
A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog. 
The walls are bad. Black. Bottom kind. 
They are sick breath at my hind 
They are sick breath at my hind 
They are sick breath at my hind 
They are sick breath gathering at my hind 
 
I hear stories from the chamber 
How Christ was born into a manger 
And like some ragged stranger 
Died upon the cross 
And might I say it seems so fitting in its way 
He was a carpenter by trade 
Or at least that's what I'm told 
 
Like my good hand I 
tatooed E.V.I.L. across it's brother's fist 
That filthy five! They did nothing to challenge or resist. 
 
In Heaven His throne is made of gold 
The ark of his Testament is stowed 
A throne from which I'm told 
All history does unfold. 
Down here it's made of wood and wire 
And my body is on fire 
And God is never far away. 
 
Into the mercy seat I climb 
My head is shaved, my head is wired 
And like a moth that tries 
To enter the bright eye 
I go shuffling out of life 
Just to hide in death awhile 
And anyway I never lied. 
 
My kill hand is called E.V.I.L. 
Wears a wedding band that's G.O.O.D. 
 Tis a long suffering shackle 
Collaring all that rebel blood. 
 
And the mercy seat is waiting 
And I think my head is burning 
And in a way I'm yearning 
To be done with all this measuring of truth. 
An eye for an eye 
And a tooth for a tooth 
And anyway I told the truth 
And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
And the mercy seat is burning 
And I think my head is glowing 
And in a way I'm hoping 
To be done with all this weighing up of truth. 
An eye for an eye 
And a tooth for a tooth 
And I've got nothing left to lose 
And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
And the mercy seat is glowing 
And I think my head is smoking 
And in a way I'm hoping 
To be done with all this looks of disbelief. 
An eye for an eye 
And a tooth for a tooth 
And anyway there was no proof 
Nor a motive why. 
 
And the mercy seat is smoking 
And I think my head is melting 
And in a way I'm helping 
To be done with all this twisted of the truth. 
A lie for a lie 
And a truth for a truth 
And I've got nothing left to lose 
And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
And the mercy seat is melting 
And I think my blood is boiling 
And in a way I'm spoiling 
All the fun with all this truth and consequence. 
An eye for an eye 
And a truth for a truth 
And anyway I told the truth 
And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
And the mercy seat is waiting 
And I think my head is burning 
And in a way I'm yearning 
To be done with all this measuring of proof. 
A life for a life 
And a truth for a truth 
And anyway there was no proof 
But I'm not afraid to tell a lie. 
 
And the mercy seat is waiting 
And I think my head is burning 
And in a way I'm yearning 
To be done with all this measuring of truth. 
An eye for an eye 
And a truth for a truth 
And anyway I told the truth 
But I'm afraid I told a lie.

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE MERCY SEAT

 It began when they come took me from my home 
And put me in Dead Row, 
Of which I am nearly wholly innocent, you know. 
And I'll say it again 
I..am..not..afraid..to..die. 
 
I began to warm and chill 
To objects and their fields, 
A ragged cup, a twisted mop 
The face of Jesus in my soup 
Those sinister dinner meals 
The meal trolley's wicked wheels 
A hooked bone rising from my food 
All things either good or ungood. 
 
And the mercy seat is waiting 
And I think my head is burning 
And in a way I'm yearning 
To be done with all this measuring of truth. 
An eye for an eye 
A tooth for a tooth 
And anyway I told the truth 
And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
Interpret signs and catalogue 
A blackened tooth, a scarlet fog. 
The walls are bad. Black. Bottom kind. 
They are sick breath at my hind 
They are sick breath at my hind 
They are sick breath at my hind 
They are sick breath gathering at my hind 
 
I hear stories from the chamber 
How Christ was born into a manger 
And like some ragged stranger 
Died upon the cross 
And might I say it seems so fitting in its way 
He was a carpenter by trade 
Or at least that's what I'm told 
 
Like my good hand I 
tatooed E.V.I.L. across it's brother's fist 
That filthy five! They did nothing to challenge or resist. 
 
In Heaven His throne is made of gold 
The ark of his Testament is stowed 
A throne from which I'm told 
All history does unfold. 
Down here it's made of wood and wire 
And my body is on fire 
And God is never far away. 
 
Into the mercy seat I climb 
My head is shaved, my head is wired 
And like a moth that tries 
To enter the bright eye 
I go shuffling out of life 
Just to hide in death awhile 
And anyway I never lied. 
 
My kill hand is called E.V.I.L. 
Wears a wedding band that's G.O.O.D. 
 Tis a long suffering shackle 
Collaring all that rebel blood. 
 
And the mercy seat is waiting 
And I think my head is burning 
And in a way I'm yearning 
To be done with all this measuring of truth. 
An eye for an eye 
And a tooth for a tooth 
And anyway I told the truth 
And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
And the mercy seat is burning 
And I think my head is glowing 
And in a way I'm hoping 
To be done with all this weighing up of truth. 
An eye for an eye 
And a tooth for a tooth 
And I've got nothing left to lose 
And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
And the mercy seat is glowing 
And I think my head is smoking 
And in a way I'm hoping 
To be done with all this looks of disbelief. 
An eye for an eye 
And a tooth for a tooth 
And anyway there was no proof 
Nor a motive why. 
 
And the mercy seat is smoking 
And I think my head is melting 
And in a way I'm helping 
To be done with all this twisted of the truth. 
A lie for a lie 
And a truth for a truth 
And I've got nothing left to lose 
And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
And the mercy seat is melting 
And I think my blood is boiling 
And in a way I'm spoiling 
All the fun with all this truth and consequence. 
An eye for an eye 
And a truth for a truth 
And anyway I told the truth 
And I'm not afraid to die. 
 
And the mercy seat is waiting 
And I think my head is burning 
And in a way I'm yearning 
To be done with all this measuring of proof. 
A life for a life 
And a truth for a truth 
And anyway there was no proof 
But I'm not afraid to tell a lie. 
 
And the mercy seat is waiting 
And I think my head is burning 
And in a way I'm yearning 
To be done with all this measuring of truth. 
An eye for an eye 
And a truth for a truth 
And anyway I told the truth 
But I'm afraid I told a lie.

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE MOON IS IN THE GUTTER

 The moon is in the gutter 
And the stars wash down the sink 
I am the king of the blues 
I scape the clay off my shoes 
And wade down the gutter and the moon 
 
The moon blinds my eye with opal cataracts 
As I cut through the saw mills and the stacks, 
Leaping over the gully where I would one day take Lucy 
Then wash up my hands in the gutter and the moon. 
 
Such a long way from home, just me and 
The moon is in the gutter 
All my plans are flushed down the drain 
I wander lonely as a cloud 
Over memories at her mound 
Then lie down in the bitter gutter moon.

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE SHIP SONG

 Come sail your ships around me 
And burn your bridges down 
We make a little history, baby 
Every time you come around 
 
Come loose your dogs upon me 
And let your hair hang down 
You are a little mystery to me 
Every time you come around 
 
We talk about it all night long 
We define our moral ground 
But when I crawl into your arms 
Everything comes tumbling down 
 
Come sail your ships around me 
And burn your bridges down 
We make a little history, baby 
Every time you come around 
 
Your face has fallen sad now 
For you know the time is nigh 
When I must remove your wings 
And you, you must try to fly 
 
Come sail your ships around me 
And burn your bridges down 
We make a little history, baby 
Every time you come around 
 
Come loose your dogs upon me 
And let your hair hang down 
You are a little mystery to me 
Every time you come around

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE SHIP SONG

 Come sail your ships around me 
And burn your bridges down 
We make a little history, baby 
Every time you come around 
 
Come loose your dogs upon me 
And let your hair hang down 
You are a little mystery to me 
Every time you come around 
 
We talk about it all night long 
We define our moral ground 
But when I crawl into your arms 
Everything comes tumbling down 
 
Come sail your ships around me 
And burn your bridges down 
We make a little history, baby 
Every time you come around 
 
Your face has fallen sad now 
For you know the time is nigh 
When I must remove your wings 
And you, you must try to fly 
 
Come sail your ships around me 
And burn your bridges down 
We make a little history, baby 
Every time you come around 
 
Come loose your dogs upon me 
And let your hair hang down 
You are a little mystery to me 
Every time you come around

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE SHIP SONG

 Come sail your ships around me 
And burn your bridges down 
We make a little history, baby 
Every time you come around 
 
Come loose your dogs upon me 
And let your hair hang down 
You are a little mystery to me 
Every time you come around 
 
We talk about it all night long 
We define our moral ground 
But when I crawl into your arms 
Everything comes tumbling down 
 
Come sail your ships around me 
And burn your bridges down 
We make a little history, baby 
Every time you come around 
 
Your face has fallen sad now 
For you know the time is nigh 
When I must remove your wings 
And you, you must try to fly 
 
Come sail your ships around me 
And burn your bridges down 
We make a little history, baby 
Every time you come around 
 
Come loose your dogs upon me 
And let your hair hang down 
You are a little mystery to me 
Every time you come around

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE SINGER

 As I walk these narrow streets 
Where a million passin feet have trod before me 
With my guitar in my hand 
Suddenly I realize nobody knows me 
 
Where yesterday the multitude 
Screamed and cried my name out for a song 
Today the streets are empty 
And the crowds have all gone home 
 
I pass a million houses 
But there is no place that I belong 
All I knew to give you 
Was song after song after song 
 
All the truths I tried to tell you 
Were as distant to you as the moon 
Born 200 years too late 
And 200 years too soon 
 
I'm a child of this age 
Locked into the pages of your book 
And when I am but dust and clay 
And all the children stop to take a look 
 
Will they marvel at the miracles I did perform 
And the heights I did aspire 
Or will they tear out the pages of the book 
To light a fire 
 
With the rain on my face 
There is no place that I belong 
Did you forget this fucking singer so soon? 
And did you forget my song?

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE SIX STRINGS THAT DREW BLOOD

 Guitar thug blew into town 
His eyes like wheels spinnin' round 
Jerkin off at every sound 
Layin' all his crosses down 
O yeah 
He got Six Strings 
The Six Strings that drew blood 
 
The bar is full of Holy Joes 
A Holy hole a whole aria 
Around the neck of our consumptive rose 
is the root of all his sorrows 
O yeah 
He got Six Strings 
Six Strings that drew blood 
A Holy hole a whole aria 
Six Strings that drew blood 
 
In the bathroom under cover 
He turns on one tap to discover 
He's smashed his teeth out on the other 
Well he look in the mirror and say 
don't fuck me brother 
Cause I got Six Strings 
Six Strings that drew blood 
 
Numbin' the runt of reputation they call rat fame 
Top E as a tourniquet 
A low tune whistles across his grave 
Forever the master and the slave of his Six Strings 
A Holy hole a whole aria 
Six Strings that drew blood

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE SORROWFUL WIFE

 I married my wife on the day of the eclipse 
Our friends awarded her courage with gifts 
Now as the nights grow longer and the season shifts 
I look to my sorrowful wife 
Who is quietly tending her flowers 
Who is quietly tending her ..... 
 
 
The water is high on the beckoning river 
I made her a promise I could not deliver 
And the cry of the birds sends a terrible shiver 
Through me and my sorrowful wife 
Who is shifting the furniture around 
Who is shifting the furniture around 
 
 
Now we sit beneath the knotted Yew 
And the bluebells bob around our shoes 
The task of remembering the telltale clues 
Goes to my lovely, my sorrowful wife 
Who is counting the days on her fingers 
 
 
Who is counting the days on her ..... 
Come on and help me babe 
Come on now 
Help me babe 
I was blind 
The grass here grows long and high 
Twists right up to the sky 
White clouds roll on by 
Come on now and help me babe 
I was blind 
I was a fool babe 
I was blind 
Come on now 
A loose wind last night blew down 
Black trees bent to the ground 
Their blossoms made such a sound 
That I could not hear myself think babe 
Come on now 
And help me babe 
Help me now 
I was blind 
I was a fool

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE WEEPING SONG

 Go son, go down to the water 
And see the women weeping there 
Then go up into the mountains 
The men, they are weeping too 
 
Father, why are all the women weeping? 
They are weeping for their men 
Then why are all the men there weeping? 
They are weeping back at them 
 
This is a weeping song 
A song in which to weep 
While all the men and women sleep 
This is a weeping song 
But I won't be weeping long 
 
Father, why are all the children weeping? 
They are merely crying son 
O, are they merely crying, father? 
Yes, true weeping is yet to come 
 
This is a weeping song 
A song in which to weep 
While all the men and women sleep 
This is a weeping song 
But I won't be weeping long 
 
O father tell me, are you weeping? 
Your face seems wet to touch 
O then I'm so sorry, father 
I never thought I hurt you so much 
 
This is a weeping song 
A song in which to weep 
While we rock ourselves to sleep 
This is a weeping song 
But I won't be weeping long 
But I won't be weeping long 
But I won't be weeping long 
But I won't be weeping long

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE WEEPING SONG

 Go son, go down to the water 
And see the women weeping there 
Then go up into the mountains 
The men, they are weeping too 
 
Father, why are all the women weeping? 
They are weeping for their men 
Then why are all the men there weeping? 
They are weeping back at them 
 
This is a weeping song 
A song in which to weep 
While all the men and women sleep 
This is a weeping song 
But I won't be weeping long 
 
Father, why are all the children weeping? 
They are merely crying son 
O, are they merely crying, father? 
Yes, true weeping is yet to come 
 
This is a weeping song 
A song in which to weep 
While all the men and women sleep 
This is a weeping song 
But I won't be weeping long 
 
O father tell me, are you weeping? 
Your face seems wet to touch 
O then I'm so sorry, father 
I never thought I hurt you so much 
 
This is a weeping song 
A song in which to weep 
While we rock ourselves to sleep 
This is a weeping song 
But I won't be weeping long 
But I won't be weeping long 
But I won't be weeping long 
But I won't be weeping long

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE WEEPING SONG

 Go son, go down to the water 
And see the women weeping there 
Then go up into the mountains 
The men, they are weeping too 
 
Father, why are all the women weeping? 
They are weeping for their men 
Then why are all the men there weeping? 
They are weeping back at them 
 
This is a weeping song 
A song in which to weep 
While all the men and women sleep 
This is a weeping song 
But I won't be weeping long 
 
Father, why are all the children weeping? 
They are merely crying son 
O, are they merely crying, father? 
Yes, true weeping is yet to come 
 
This is a weeping song 
A song in which to weep 
While all the men and women sleep 
This is a weeping song 
But I won't be weeping long 
 
O father tell me, are you weeping? 
Your face seems wet to touch 
O then I'm so sorry, father 
I never thought I hurt you so much 
 
This is a weeping song 
A song in which to weep 
While we rock ourselves to sleep 
This is a weeping song 
But I won't be weeping long 
But I won't be weeping long 
But I won't be weeping long 
But I won't be weeping long

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE WILLOW GARDEN

 Down in the willow garden, me and my love did meet 
And as we sat a courting, my love fell off to sleep 
I had a bottle of burgundy wine; my love, she did not know 
And so I poisoned that dear little girl along the banks below 
Along the banks below 
 
I drew my saber through her; it was a bloody night 
I threw her in the river, which was a dreadful sight 
My father often told me that money would set me free 
And so I murdered that dear little girl whose name was Rose Connelly 
Whose name was Rose Connelly 
 
My father sits at his cabin door wiping his tear dimmed eyes 
His only son soon should walk to yonder scaffold high 
My race is run beneath the sun; the scaffold now waits for me 
For I did murder that dear little girl whose name was Rose Connelly 
Whose name was Rose Connelly 
Whose name was Rose Connelly

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THE WITNESS SONG

 Yeah, yeah 
Well, well 
I took a walk down to the port 
Where strangers meet and do consort 
All blinkered with desire 
And a winter fog moved thickly on 
A winter fog moved thickly on 
A winter fog moved thickly on 
Now, who will be the witness 
When the fog's too thick to see 
And I saw a friend beside a wall 
Her hands were raised in supplication 
And her face I could not see at all 
And I raised my hands in rage 
And brought them down again 
And we entered through the eastern door 
And I entered through the eastern door 
And she entered through the eastern door 
Now, who will be the witness 
When you're all to blind to see 
O yes, yes, yes 
And time gets somewhat muddled here 
But no matter, no matter 
Here come the events all tumbling down 
Now, beyond the wall was a great garden 
Into which we passed 
Me and my friend 
And the place was all overgrown with weeds 
And behold from its centre there rose a great fountain 
The fountain with the healing waters 
And we knelt down by the rim 
And I dipped my hand in 
And she dipped her hand in too 
And I said Are you healed? 
And she said Well are you healed? 
And I said Yes, I'm healed 
And she said Well, yes I'm healed then too 
And I said Babe, you are a liar 
 Babe, you are a liar 
 Babe, you are a liar, too 
Now, who will be the witness 
When you're all to healed to see 
And I kissed her once, I kissed her twice 
And made my way to leave her 
And she raised her hand up to her face 
And brought it down again 
I said That gesture, it will haunt me 
 That gesture it will haunt me 
And I left there by the eastern door 
She left there by the western door 
Now, who will be the witness there 
When you're blind and you can't see 
Who will be the witness there 
When you're all so clean and you cannot see 
Who will be the witness there 
When your friends are everywhere 
Who will be the witness there 
And your enemies have ceased to care 
(Ad lib)

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THERE IS A KINGDOM

 Just like a bird that sings up the sun 
In a dawn so very dark 
Such is my faith for you 
Such is my faith 
And all the world's darkness can't swallow up 
A single spark 
Such is my love for you 
Such is my love 
 
There is a kingdom 
There is a king 
And he lives without 
And he lives within 
 
The starry heavens above me 
The moral law within 
So the world appears 
So the world appears 
This day so sweet 
It will never come again 
So the world appears 
Through this mist of tears 
 
There is a kingdom 
There is a king 
And he lives without 
And he lives within

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THERE IS A TOWN

 There is a town 
Where I was born 
Far far away 
Across the sea 
 
And in that town 
Where I was born 
I would dream 
That one day 
I would leave 
And cross the sea 
 
And so it goes 
And so it seems 
That God lives only in our dreams 
In our dreams 
 
And now I live 
In this town 
I walk these dark streets 
Up and down, up and down 
Under a dark sky 
And I dream 
That one day 
I ll go back home 
 
And so it goes 
And so it seems 
That God lives only in our dreams 
In our dreams

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
THIRSTY DOG

 I know you've heard it all before 
But I'm sorry for this three year war 
For the setting up of camps 
and wire and trenches 
I'm sorry for the other night 
I know sorry it don't make it right 
I'm sorry for things I can't even mention 
 
I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry 
I'm sitting feeling sorry in the Thirsty Dog 
I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry 
I'm feeling very sorry in the Thirsty Dog 
 
You keep nailing me back into my box 
I'm sorry I keep popping back up 
With my crazy mouth 
and jangling jester's cap 
I'm sorry I ever wrote that book 
I'm sorry for the way I look 
But there ain't a lot that 
I can do about that 
 
I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry 
I'm sitting feeling sorry in the Thirsty Dog 
I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry 
I'm feeling very sorry in the Thirsty Dog 
 
I'm sorry about the hospital 
Some things are unforgivable 
That things simply cannot be forgiven 
I was not equipped to know how to care 
And on the occassions I came up for air 
I saw my life and wondered 
what the hell I had been living 
 
I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry 
I'm sitting feeling sorry in the Thirsty Dog 
I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry 
I'm feeling very very sorry in the Thirsty Dog 
 
I'm sorry about all your friends 
I hope they'll speak to me again 
I said before I'd pay for all the damages 
I'm sorry it's just rotten luck 
I'm sorry I've forgotten how to fuck 
It's just that I think my heart 
and soul are kind of famished 
 
I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry 
I'm sitting feeling sorry in the Thirsty Dog 
I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry 
I'm feeling very sorry in the Thirsty Dog 
 
Forgive me, baby but don't worry 
Love is always having to 
say you're sorry 
And I am, from my head 
down to my shoes 
I'm sorry that I'm always pissed 
I'm sorry that I exist 
And when I look into your eyes 
I can see you're sorry too 
 
I'm sorry, sorry, sorry 
I'm sitting feeling sorry in the Thirsty Dog 
I'm sorry, sorry, sorry 
I'm feeling very sorry in the Thirsty Dog 
 
I'm sorry, sorry, sorry 
I'm feeling very thirsty in the Sorry Dog 
I'm sorry, sorry, sorry 
I'm feeling very sorry in the Thirsty Dog

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
TRAIN LONG SUFFERING

 Woo wooooooo Woo! 
In the name of pain! 
(In the name of pain and suffering) 
In the name of pain! 
(In the name of pain and suffering) 
There comes a train! 
(There comes a train) 
Yeah! 
A long black train 
(There comes a train) 
Lord, a long black train 
 
Woo woo! Woo woo! 
 
Punched from the tunnel 
(The tunnel of love is long and lonely) 
Engines steaming like a fist 
(A fistful of memories) 
Into the jolly jaw of morning 
(Yeah! O yeah!) 
O baby it gets smashed! 
(You know that it gets smashed) 
O baby it gets smashed! 
(You know that it gets smashed) 
 
I kick every goddamn splinter 
Into all the looking eyes in the world 
Into all the laughing eyes 
Of all the girls in the world 
Oooooo woooooh 
She ain't never comin back 
She ain't never comin back 
She ain't never comin back 
She ain't never comin back 
And the name of the pain is... 
And the name of the pain is... 
And the name of the pain is... 
And the name of the pain is... 
The name of the pain is 
A train long suffering 
 
On rails of pain 
(On rails of pain and suffering) 
There comes a train 
(There comes a train long suffering) 
On rails of pain 
(On rails of pain and suffering) 
O baby blow its whistle in the rain 
 
Woo oo Woo! Woo oo Woo! 
 
Who's the engine driver? 
(The engine drivers over yonder) 
His name is Memory 
(His name is Memory) 
O Memory is his name 
(Woooooo wo!) 
Destination: Misery 
(Pain and misery) 
O pain and misery 
(Pain and misery) 
O pain and misery 
Hey! Hey! 
(Pain and misery) 
Hey! That's a sad lookin sack! 
Oooh that's a sad lookin sack! 
And the name of the pain is... 
And the name of the pain is... 
Ooh the name of the pain is 
A train long suffering 
 
There is a train! 
(It's got a name) 
Yeah! It's a train long suffering 
O Lord a train! 
(A long black train) 
Lord! Of pain and suffering 
Each night so black 
(O yeah! So black) 
And in the darkness of my sack 
I'm missing you baby 
(I'm missing you) 
And I just dunno what to do 
(dunno what to do) 
(Train long suffering) 
(Train long suffering) 
(Train long suffering) 
(Train long suffering) 
O she ain't never comin back 
O she ain't never comin back 
O she ain't never comin back 
O she ain't never comin back 
And the name of the pain is... 
And the name of the pain is... 
The name of the train is... 
The name of the train is 
Pain and suffering

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
TUPELO

 Looka yonder! Looka yonder! 
Looka yonder! A big black cloud come! 
A big black cloud come! 
O comes to Tupelo. Comes to Tupelo 
 
Yonder on the horizon 
Yonder on the horizon 
Stopped at the mighty river 
Stopped at the mighty river and 
Sucked the damn thing dry 
Tupelo o o, O Tupelo 
In a valley hides a town called Tupelo 
 
Distant thunder rumble. Distant thunder rumble 
Rumble hungry like the Beast 
The Beast it cometh, cometh down 
The Beast it cometh, cometh down 
Wo wo wo o o 
Tupelo bound. Tupelo o o. Yeah Tupelo 
The Beast it cometh, Tupelo bound 
 
Why the hen won't lay no egg 
Can't get that cock to crow 
The nag is spooked and crazy 
O God help Tupelo! O God help Tupelo! 
O God help Tupelo! O God help Tupelo! 
 
Ya can say these streets are rivers 
Ya can call these rivers streets 
Ya can tell ya self ya dreaming buddy 
But no sleep runs this deep 
No! No sleep runs this deep 
No sleep runs this deep 
Women at their windows 
Rain crashing on the pane 
Writing in the frost 
Tupelos' shame. Tupelo's shame 
O God help Tupelo! O God help Tupelo! 
 
O go to sleep lil children 
The sandmans on his way 
O go to sleep lil children 
The sandmans in his way 
But the lil children know 
They listen to the beating of their blood 
listen to the beating of their blood 
listen to the beating of their blood 
listen to the beating of their blood 
They listen to the beating of their blood 
The sandman's mud! 
The sandman's mud! 
And the black rain come down 
the black rain come down 
the black rain come down 
Water water everywhere 
Where no bird can fly no fish can swim 
Where no bird can fly no fish can swim 
No fish can swim 
Until The King is born! 
Until The King is born! 
In Tupelo! Tupelo o o! 
Til The King is born in Tupelo! 
 
In a clap board shack with a roof of tin 
Where the rain came down and leaked within 
A young mother frozen on a concrete floor 
With a bottle and a box and a cradle of straw 
Tupelo o o! O Tupelo! 
With a bottle and a box and a cradle of straw 
 
Well Saturday gives what Sunday steals 
And a child is born on his brothers heels 
Come Sunday morn the first born dead 
In a shoebox tied with a ribbon of red 
Tupelo o o! Hey Tupelo! 
In a shoebox buried with a ribbon of red 
 
O ma ma rock you lil' one slow 
O ma ma rock your baby 
O ma ma rock your lil' one slow 
O God help Tupelo! O God help Tupelo! 
Mama rock your lil' one slow 
The lil one will walk on Tupelo 
The lil one will walk on Tupelo 
Black rain come down, Black rain come down 
Tupelo o o! Yeah Tupelo! 
And carry the burden of Tupelo 
Tupelo o o! O Tupelo! Yeah! 
The King will walk on Tupelo! 
Tupelo o o! O Tupelo! 
He carried the burden outa Tupelo! 
Tupelo o o! Hey Tupelo! [Repeat] 
You will reap just what you sow

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
TUPELO

 Looka yonder! Looka yonder! 
Looka yonder! A big black cloud come! 
A big black cloud come! 
O comes to Tupelo. Comes to Tupelo 
 
Yonder on the horizon 
Yonder on the horizon 
Stopped at the mighty river 
Stopped at the mighty river and 
Sucked the damn thing dry 
Tupelo o o, O Tupelo 
In a valley hides a town called Tupelo 
 
Distant thunder rumble. Distant thunder rumble 
Rumble hungry like the Beast 
The Beast it cometh, cometh down 
The Beast it cometh, cometh down 
Wo wo wo o o 
Tupelo bound. Tupelo o o. Yeah Tupelo 
The Beast it cometh, Tupelo bound 
 
Why the hen won't lay no egg 
Can't get that cock to crow 
The nag is spooked and crazy 
O God help Tupelo! O God help Tupelo! 
O God help Tupelo! O God help Tupelo! 
 
Ya can say these streets are rivers 
Ya can call these rivers streets 
Ya can tell ya self ya dreaming buddy 
But no sleep runs this deep 
No! No sleep runs this deep 
No sleep runs this deep 
Women at their windows 
Rain crashing on the pane 
Writing in the frost 
Tupelos' shame. Tupelo's shame 
O God help Tupelo! O God help Tupelo! 
 
O go to sleep lil children 
The sandmans on his way 
O go to sleep lil children 
The sandmans in his way 
But the lil children know 
They listen to the beating of their blood 
listen to the beating of their blood 
listen to the beating of their blood 
listen to the beating of their blood 
They listen to the beating of their blood 
The sandman's mud! 
The sandman's mud! 
And the black rain come down 
the black rain come down 
the black rain come down 
Water water everywhere 
Where no bird can fly no fish can swim 
Where no bird can fly no fish can swim 
No fish can swim 
Until The King is born! 
Until The King is born! 
In Tupelo! Tupelo o o! 
Til The King is born in Tupelo! 
 
In a clap board shack with a roof of tin 
Where the rain came down and leaked within 
A young mother frozen on a concrete floor 
With a bottle and a box and a cradle of straw 
Tupelo o o! O Tupelo! 
With a bottle and a box and a cradle of straw 
 
Well Saturday gives what Sunday steals 
And a child is born on his brothers heels 
Come Sunday morn the first born dead 
In a shoebox tied with a ribbon of red 
Tupelo o o! Hey Tupelo! 
In a shoebox buried with a ribbon of red 
 
O ma ma rock you lil' one slow 
O ma ma rock your baby 
O ma ma rock your lil' one slow 
O God help Tupelo! O God help Tupelo! 
Mama rock your lil' one slow 
The lil one will walk on Tupelo 
The lil one will walk on Tupelo 
Black rain come down, Black rain come down 
Tupelo o o! Yeah Tupelo! 
And carry the burden of Tupelo 
Tupelo o o! O Tupelo! Yeah! 
The King will walk on Tupelo! 
Tupelo o o! O Tupelo! 
He carried the burden outa Tupelo! 
Tupelo o o! Hey Tupelo! [Repeat] 
You will reap just what you sow

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
TUPELO

 Looka yonder! Looka yonder! 
Looka yonder! A big black cloud come! 
A big black cloud come! 
O comes to Tupelo. Comes to Tupelo 
 
Yonder on the horizon 
Yonder on the horizon 
Stopped at the mighty river 
Stopped at the mighty river and 
Sucked the damn thing dry 
Tupelo o o, O Tupelo 
In a valley hides a town called Tupelo 
 
Distant thunder rumble. Distant thunder rumble 
Rumble hungry like the Beast 
The Beast it cometh, cometh down 
The Beast it cometh, cometh down 
Wo wo wo o o 
Tupelo bound. Tupelo o o. Yeah Tupelo 
The Beast it cometh, Tupelo bound 
 
Why the hen won't lay no egg 
Can't get that cock to crow 
The nag is spooked and crazy 
O God help Tupelo! O God help Tupelo! 
O God help Tupelo! O God help Tupelo! 
 
Ya can say these streets are rivers 
Ya can call these rivers streets 
Ya can tell ya self ya dreaming buddy 
But no sleep runs this deep 
No! No sleep runs this deep 
No sleep runs this deep 
Women at their windows 
Rain crashing on the pane 
Writing in the frost 
Tupelos' shame. Tupelo's shame 
O God help Tupelo! O God help Tupelo! 
 
O go to sleep lil children 
The sandmans on his way 
O go to sleep lil children 
The sandmans in his way 
But the lil children know 
They listen to the beating of their blood 
listen to the beating of their blood 
listen to the beating of their blood 
listen to the beating of their blood 
They listen to the beating of their blood 
The sandman's mud! 
The sandman's mud! 
And the black rain come down 
the black rain come down 
the black rain come down 
Water water everywhere 
Where no bird can fly no fish can swim 
Where no bird can fly no fish can swim 
No fish can swim 
Until The King is born! 
Until The King is born! 
In Tupelo! Tupelo o o! 
Til The King is born in Tupelo! 
 
In a clap board shack with a roof of tin 
Where the rain came down and leaked within 
A young mother frozen on a concrete floor 
With a bottle and a box and a cradle of straw 
Tupelo o o! O Tupelo! 
With a bottle and a box and a cradle of straw 
 
Well Saturday gives what Sunday steals 
And a child is born on his brothers heels 
Come Sunday morn the first born dead 
In a shoebox tied with a ribbon of red 
Tupelo o o! Hey Tupelo! 
In a shoebox buried with a ribbon of red 
 
O ma ma rock you lil' one slow 
O ma ma rock your baby 
O ma ma rock your lil' one slow 
O God help Tupelo! O God help Tupelo! 
Mama rock your lil' one slow 
The lil one will walk on Tupelo 
The lil one will walk on Tupelo 
Black rain come down, Black rain come down 
Tupelo o o! Yeah Tupelo! 
And carry the burden of Tupelo 
Tupelo o o! O Tupelo! Yeah! 
The King will walk on Tupelo! 
Tupelo o o! O Tupelo! 
He carried the burden outa Tupelo! 
Tupelo o o! Hey Tupelo! [Repeat] 
You will reap just what you sow

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
UP JUMPED THE DEVIL

 O My O My 
What a wretched life 
I was born on the day 
That my poor mother died 
I was cut from her belly 
With a stanley knife 
My daddy did a jig 
With the drunk midwife 
 
Who's that younder all in flames 
Dragging behind him a sack of chains 
Who's that younder all in flames 
Up jumped the Devil and he staked his claim 
 
O poor heart 
I was doomed from the start 
Doomed to play 
The villians part 
I was the baddest Johnny 
In the apple cart 
My blood was blacker 
Than the of a dead nun's heart 
 
Who's that milling on the courthouse steps 
Nailing my face to the hitching fence 
Who's that milling on the courthouse steps 
Up jumped the Devil and off he crept 
 
O no O no 
Where could I go 
With my hump of trouble 
And my sack of woe 
To the digs and deserts of Mexico 
Where my neck was safe from the lynching rope 
 
Who's that younder laughing at me 
Like I was the brunt of some hilarity 
Who's that younder laughing at me 
Up jumped the Devil 1, 2, 3 
 
Ha Ha Ha Ha 
How lucky we were 
We hit the cathouse 
And sampled their whares 
We got as drunk 
As a couple of Czars 
One night I spat out 
My lucky stars 
 
Who's that dancing on the jailhouse roof 
Stamping on the ramping with a cloven hoof 
Who's that dancing on the jailhouse roof 
Up jumped the Devil and said Here is your man and I got a proof 
 
O no don't go O no 
O slow down Joe 
The righteous part 
I straight as an arrow 
Take a walk 
And you'll find it too narrow 
Too narrow for the likes of me 
 
Who's that hanging from the gallow tree 
His eyes are hollow but he looks like me 
Who's that swinging from the gallow tree 
Up jumped the Devil and took my soul from me 
 
Down we go Down we go Down we go 
The Devil and me Down we go down down down 
Hell fire and flames Down we go Down we go 
To Eternity Down we go We go down down down 
Down we go we go down down down 
Down we go the Devil and me to Eternity 
We go down down down down down ad inferno

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
WANTED MAN

 I'm a wanted man, wanted man... 
I'm wanted, I'm a wanted man... 
Oh yeah... 
yeah... 
ah honey, I'm a wanted man 
 
I'm a wanted man in California, I'm a wanted man in Buffalo 
I'm a wanted man in Kansas City, I'm a wanted man in Ohio 
I'm a wanted man in Mississippi, they want me in old Cheyenne 
Wherever you may look tonight, you will see this wanted man 
 
I might be in Colorado or Georgia by the sea, 
Working for some man who may not know at all who I might be 
If you ever see me comin' and you know justa who I am, 
Don't breathe a word to no one buddy, 'cause I'm a wanted man 
 
Wanted man in Albuquerque, wanted man in Syracuse, 
Wanted man in Tallahassee, wanted man in Baton Rouge, 
Wanted man in Arizona, wanted man in Galveston, 
Wanted man in El Dorado, this wanted man's in great demand 
 
If you ever catch me sleepin', 
just see the price flashin' 'bove my head, 
Well take look again my friend, 
that's a gun pointed at your head 
 
Wanted man by Lucy Watson, wanted man by Jesse Brown, 
Wanted man by Nellie Johnson, wanted man in this next town 
 
Wanted man by the Boller(?) Sisters, 
wanted man by Kid Galahad 
Hey Darlin' don't you tell me you don't want me, 
cause I'm a wanted man 
 
A wanted man who's lost his will to live, 
a wanted man who won't lay down, 
There's a woman kneelin' on my grave, 
pushin' daisies in the ground 
 
Wanted man in the Windy City, wanted man in Tennessee, 
Wanted man in Broken Arrow, wanted man in Wounded Knee 
Wanted man in Jackson Town, Wanted man in El Passo, 
I got bounties on my head in towns I wouldn't ever think to go 
 
Wanted Man in Arizona, wanted man in Louisville, 
Wanted man deep in Death Valley, 
wanted man up in the Hollywood Hill 
 
If the Devil comes collectin', 
cause he doesn't know I'm a wanted man, 
he'd better wear a six gun on his hip 
and hold another in his hand 
 
If you love the wanted man, 
you best hold him while you can, 
cause you're gonna wake up one mornin' 
and find the man you wanted, he is gone 
 
Wanted man in New York City, wanted man in San Anton' 
Wanted man down in Lorado, wanted man in Tupelo 
Wanted man in the state of Texas, wanted man in the state of Maine 
This wanted man's in the state of leavin' ya baby, 
jumpin' on a midnight train 
 
Wanted man in every courthouse, wanted man in a many saloons, 
Wanted man is a ghost in hundred homes, a shadow in a thousand rooms 
 
Wanted man down in St. Louis, wanted man in New Orleans 
Wanted man in Mussel(?) Bay, wanted man in Cripple Creek 
Wanted man in Detroit City, wanted man in San Anton' 
But there's one place I'm not wanted lord, 
it's the place that I call home 
 
Wanted man... 
Wanted man... 
If the devil comes collectin' 
he better hold a six gun in his hand

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
WATCHING ALICE

 Alice wakes 
It is morning 
She is yawning 
As she walks about the room 
Her hair falls down her breast 
She is naked and it is June 
 
Standing at the window 
I wonder if she knows that I can see 
 
Watching Alice rise year after year 
Up in her palace, she's captive there 
 
Alice's body 
Is golden brown 
Her hair hangs down 
As she stoops to conquer me 
First she pulls her stocking on 
And then the church bell chimes 
Alice climbes into her uniform 
The zippers on the side 
Watching Alice dressing in her room 
It's so depressing, it's cruel 
 
Watching Alice dressing in her room 
It's so depressing, it's true

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
WE CAME ALONG THIS ROAD

 I left by the back door 
With my wife's lover's smoking gun 
I don't know what I was hoping for 
I hit the road at a run 
I was your lover 
I was your man 
There never was no other 
I was your friend 
Till we came along this road 
Till we came along this road 
Till we came along this road 
 
I ain't sent you no letters, Ma 
But I'm looking quite a trip 
The world spinning beneath me, Ma 
Guns blazing at my hip 
You were my lover 
You were my friend 
There never was no other 
On whom I could depend 
Then we came along this road 
We came along this road 
We came along this road

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
WELL OF MISERY

 Along crags and sunless cracks I go 
Up rib of rock, donw spine of stone 
I dare not slumber where the night winds whistle 
Lest her creeping soul clutch this heart of thistle 
 
O the same God that abandon'd her 
Has in turn abandon'd me 
And softenin' the turf with my tears 
I dug a Well of Misery 
 
And, in that Well of Misery 
Hangs a bucket fulla Sorrow 
It swings slow an' achin' like a bell 
Its toll is dead and hollow 
 
Down that well lies the long lost dress 
of my lil floatin girl 
That muffles a tear that you let fall 
All down that Well of Misery 
 
Put ya shoulder to the handle, if ya dare 
and hoist that bucket, hither 
Lord, crank'n'hoist'n'hoist'n'crank 
Till ya muscles waste'n'wither 
 
O the same God that abandon'd her 
Has in turn abandon'd me 
Deep in the Desert of Despair 
I wait at the Well of Misery

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
WEST COUNTRY GIRL

 With a crooked smile and a heart shaped face 
Comes from the West country where the birds sing bass 
She's got a house big heart where we all live 
And plead and council and forgive 
Her widow's peak, her lips I've kissed 
Her glove of bones at her wrist 
That I have held in my hand 
Her Spanish fly and her monkey gland 
Her Godly body and its fourteen stations 
That I have embraced, her palpitations 
Her unborn baby crying, Mummy 
Amongst the rubble of her body 
Her lovely lidded eyes I've sipped 
Her fingernails, all pink and chipped 
Her accent which I'm told is broad 
That I have heard and has been poured 
Into my human heart and filled me 
With love, up to the brim, and killed me 
And rebuilt me back anew 
With something to look forward to 
Well, who could ask much more than that? 
A West country girl with a big fat cat 
That looks into her eyes of green 
And meows, He loves you , then meows again

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
WHEN I FIRST CAME TO TOWN

 When I first came to town 
All the people gathered round 
They bought me drinks 
Lord, how they quickly changed their tune 
 
When I first came to town 
People took me round from end to end 
Like someone may take round a friend 
O how quickly they changed their tune 
 
Suspicion and dark murmurs surround me 
Everywhere I go they confound me 
As though the blood on my hands 
Is there for every citizen to see 
 
O sweet Jesus 
There is no turning back 
There is always one more town 
A little further down the track 
 
And from my window, across the tracks 
I watch the juicers burn their fires 
And in that light 
Their faces leer at me 
How I wish they'd just let me be 
 
When I first came to town 
Their favours were for free 
Now even the doors of the whores of this town 
Are closed to me 
 
I search the mirror 
And I try to see 
Why the people of this town 
Have washed their hands of me 
 
O sweet Jesus 
There is no turning back 
There is always one more town 
A little further down the track 
 
O lord, every god damn turn I take 
I fear the noose, I fear the stake 
For there is no bone 
They did not break 
In all the towns I've been before 
 
Well those that sin against me are snuffed out 
I know from every day that I live 
God damn the day that I was born 
The night that forced me from the womb 
And god damn this town 
For I am leaving now 
But one day I will return 
And the people of this town will surely see 
Just how quickly the tables turn 
 
O sweet Jesus 
This really is the end 
There is always one more town 
A little further round the end

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
WHERE DO WE GO NOW BUT NOWHERE

 I remember a girl so very well 
The carnival drums all mad in the air 
Grim reapers and skeletons and a missionary bell 
O where do we go now but nowhere 
 
In a colonial hotel we fucked up the sun 
And then we fucked it down again 
Well the sun comes up and the sun goes down 
Going round and round to nowhere 
 
The kitten that padded and purred on my lap 
Now swipes at my face with the paw of a bear 
I turn the other cheek and you lay into that 
O where do we go now but nowhere 
 
O wake up, my love, my lover wake up 
O wake up, my love, my lover wake up 
 
Across clinical benches with nothing to talk 
Breathing tea and biscuits and the Serenity Prayer 
While the bones of our child crumble like chalk 
O where do we go now but nowhere 
 
I remember a girl so bold and so bright 
Loose limbed and laughing and brazen and bare 
Sits gnawing her knuckles in the chemical light 
O where do we go now but nowhere 
 
You come for me now with a cake that you've made 
Ravaged avenger with a clip in your hair 
Full of glass and bleach and my old razorblades 
O where do we go now but nowhere 
 
O wake up, my love, my lover wake up 
O wake up, my love, my lover wake up 
 
If they'd give me my clothes back then I could go home 
From this fresh, this clean, antiseptic air 
Behind the locked gates an old donkey moans 
O where do we go now but nowhere 
 
Around the duck pond we grimly mope 
Gloomily and mournfully we go rounds again 
And one more doomed time and without much hope 
Going round and around to nowhere 
 
From the balcony we watched the carnival band 
The crack of the drum a little child did scare 
I can still feel his tiny fingers pressed in my hand 
O where do we go now but nowhere 
 
If I could relive one day of my life 
If I could relive just a single one 
You on the balcony, my future wife 
O who could have known, but no one 
 
O wake up, my love, my lover make up 
O wake up, my love, my lover make up

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
WHERE THE WILD ROSES GROW

 They call me The Wild Rose 
But my name was Elisa Day 
Why they call me it I do not know 
For my name was Elisa Day 
From the first day I saw her I knew she was the one 
She stared in my eyes and smiled 
For her lips were the colour of the roses 
That grew down the river, all bloody and wild 
When he knocked on my door and entered the room 
My trembling subsided in his sure embrace 
He would be my first man, and with a careful hand 
He wiped at the tears that ran down my face 
Chorus 
On the second day I brought her a flower 
She was more beautiful than any woman I'd seen 
I said, Do you know where the wild roses grow 
So sweet and scarlet and free? 
On the second day he came with a single red rose 
Said: Will you give me your loss and your sorrow 
I nodded my head, as I lay on the bed 
He said, If I show you the roses, will you follow? 
Chorus 
On the third day he took me to the river 
He showed me the roses and we kissed 
And the last thing I heard was a muttered word 
As he knelt (stood smiling) above me with a rock in his fist 
On the last day I took her where the wild roses grow 
And she lay on the bank, the wind light as a thief 
And I kissed her goodbye, said, All beauty must die 
And lent down and planted a rose between her teeth 
Chorus

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
WHERE THE WILD ROSES GROW

 They call me The Wild Rose 
But my name was Elisa Day 
Why they call me it I do not know 
For my name was Elisa Day 
From the first day I saw her I knew she was the one 
She stared in my eyes and smiled 
For her lips were the colour of the roses 
That grew down the river, all bloody and wild 
When he knocked on my door and entered the room 
My trembling subsided in his sure embrace 
He would be my first man, and with a careful hand 
He wiped at the tears that ran down my face 
Chorus 
On the second day I brought her a flower 
She was more beautiful than any woman I'd seen 
I said, Do you know where the wild roses grow 
So sweet and scarlet and free? 
On the second day he came with a single red rose 
Said: Will you give me your loss and your sorrow 
I nodded my head, as I lay on the bed 
He said, If I show you the roses, will you follow? 
Chorus 
On the third day he took me to the river 
He showed me the roses and we kissed 
And the last thing I heard was a muttered word 
As he knelt (stood smiling) above me with a rock in his fist 
On the last day I took her where the wild roses grow 
And she lay on the bank, the wind light as a thief 
And I kissed her goodbye, said, All beauty must die 
And lent down and planted a rose between her teeth 
Chorus

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
WINGS OFF FLIES

 She loves me, she loves me not 
She loves me, she loves me not 
She loves me, she loves me not 
We e ll, ah've spent seven days and seven nights 
tryin to get sunk in this brine 
Don't turn on ya water works 
'cause ah got me a pair of water wings, right?! 
 
Insects suicide against the window, 
and my heart goes out to those lil flies 
There's a buzzin in my ear 
but it's more of her black mail, ham shakespeare lies 
Wings off Flies, She loves me, she loves me not. 
O o o o oh she loves me not!! 
 
Lord, Ah've discovered the recipe of Heaven 
ya git solitude and ya mix with sanctuary and silence, 
then bake it! 
Listen, I plead guilty to misanthropy 
so hang me! Ah'd appreciate it!! 
Witness her gate crash my tiny hell 
with some obscene tete a tete, 
If ya wanna talk to me about Love'n'Pain 
consult my ulcer, it'd be happy to co operate 
Wings off Flies, she loves me, loves me not 
Uh hey, Joe! Another outa do the job. 
 
Time to drown our lil fire, ya can keep the ashes, 
Now bye bye, bye, bye, see ya in a pigs eye! 
Ah will be one, in need of no one 
In this, my deepest dive... 
Fill'er up, Joe... 
 
Hey! Ah am obliged! Ah am olbiged! 
Wings off Flies, She loves me, she loves me not 
Wings off Flies etc... ad infinitum 
 
Welcome the solitary flyer ya 
see it land on the rim of my glass 
it's going around and around and around 
look I just don't have the heart to hurt a fly 
I grabbed it in my paw 
snatched it up 
and then I held it to my ear could hear it scream 
could hear it scream and scream and scream 
till it screamed not... 
Hey Joe, ya know anything about this scream?

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
WONDERFUL LIFE

 Come in, babe 
Across these purple fields 
The sun has sunk behind you 
Across these purple fields 
That idiot boy in the corner 
Is speaking deviated truths 
Come on, admit it, babe 
It s a wonderful life 
If you can find it 
If you can find it 
If you can find it 
It s a wonderful life that you bring 
Ooh it s a wonderful thing 
 
Speak our secret into your hands 
And hold it in between 
Plunge your hands into the water 
And drown it in the sea 
There will be nothing between us, baby 
But the air that we breathe 
Don t cry 
It s a wonderful, wonderful life 
If you can find it 
If you can find it 
If you can find it 
It s a wonderful life that you bring 
It s a wonderful, wonderful thing 
 
We can build our dungeons in the air 
And sit and cry the blues 
We can stomp across this world 
With nails hammered through our shoes 
We can join that troubled chorus 
Who criticise and accuse 
It don t matter much 
We got nothing much to lose 
But this wonderful life 
If you can find it 
And when you find it 
And when you find it 
It s a wonderful life that you bring 
It s a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful thing 
 
Sometimes our secrets are all we ve got 
With our lives we must defend 
Sometimes the air between us, babe 
Is unbearably thin 
Sometimes it s wise to lay down your gloves 
And just give in 
Come in, come in 
Come in, come in 
To this wonderful life 
If you can find it 
And if you find it 
It s a wonderful life that you bring 
It s a wonderful, wonderful thing 
It s a wonderful life 
It s a wonderful life

 

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS
YOUR FUNERAL... MY TRIAL

 I am a crooked man 
And I've walked a crooked mile 
Night, the shameless widow 
Doffed her weeds, in a pile 
The stars all winked at me 
They shamed a child 
Your funeral, my trial 
 
A thousand Marys lured me 
To feathered beds and fields of glover 
Bird with crooked wing cast 
It's wicked shadow over 
A bauble moon did mock 
And trinket stars did smile 
Your funeral, my trial 
 
Here I am, little lamb... 
Let all the bells in whoredom ring 
All the crooked bitches that she was 
(Mongers of pain) 
Saw the moon 
Become a fang 
Your funeral, my trial