Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – “The Ship Song”

“The Ship Song” was released in 1990 by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. One way to describe it is to say it is an emotional and poetic ballad that explores themes of love, longing, and commitment. A unique aspect of the song is its maritime imagery and metaphors.

Nick Cave is a singer-songwriter and author, perhaps best known as the lead singer and frontman of the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Born on September 22, 1957, in Warracknabeal, Victoria, Australia. Cave’s music is emotional, intense, with a unique and distinct lyrical style. His songs often include a heavy mix of love, death, and religion. His distinctive baritone voice and storytelling ability as a performer have earned him a dedicated global following.

Cave has tragically lost two of his (five) children. His son Arthur Cave died in 2015 at the age of 15 after falling from a cliff in Brighton, England. In 2022, Cave’s eldest son Jethro Lazenby, passed away at the age of 31. Both losses profoundly affected Cave and have influenced his work and his thoughts on grief and loss.

The Song…

Featuring lyrics such as… “Come sail your ships around me, And burn your bridges down”… “We talk about it all night long, We define our moral ground”… and “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”… this song is as clear as it is a mystery.

It’s a vivid description of what love and relationships often are, an up and down roller coaster of feelings and emotions, of joys and sorrows. When you add to the mix Cave’s delivery of the song, which expresses hurt and pain without even trying to, it draws empathy from the listener. What you then end up with is a recipe for a classic and timeless song.

Here is a ‘live’ performance of The Ship Song, from a concert in Copenhagen, Denmark.