Like most of the boatman's call album, this one is very sparse - it's essentially the piano and Nick's voice. The lyrics are Nicks best ever effort though I reckon - it's him trying to decide if someone really is the love of his life: "well we would know, won't we?/ stars would explode in the sky/ But they don't, do they?/ Stars have their moment, and then they die."
It really does repay listening to about a hundred times - very moving.
Seriously, this one is brilliant. Nick's love song to both his new-born child and the chaotic city he was living in at the time (Sao Paulo) is an utter feast for those who love language: Nick rolls off such lines as
I thought about my friend Michel
How they rolled him in linoleum
And then shot him in the head
A bloody halo like a think bubble
Was circling his head
And I bellowed at the firmament
It looks like the rains are here to stay...
I mean - can you imagine The Strokes or Kula Shaker coming up with something like that?
Meanwhile, the music - well, Nick apparently had to say to his band - 'can't you just stay on E minor?', but such is the genius of the bad seeds that they layer it expertly and it sounds absolutely fantastic.
This was the first bad seeds song I ever got into - I remember putting it on, doing something else and having to stop as I realised I was listening to something quite out of the ordinary. If you are interested, the whole album is really really good - in my top 5 ever. I know Nick hates it, but he is quite wrong to do so.
from Henry's Dream (Mute) available on CD - Live Seeds (Mute)
05 Feb 02 ·delicado: I agree, this is a wonderful track. I'm amused to find that I had misheard the lyric. I remember being corrected several years ago (by you) on 'firmament' (I thought it was vermin). My latest mistake was to hear 'pink' where it is actually 'think'. 'Think' makes more sense I guess, but 'pink' is more disgusting. 18 Aug 03 ·Cyninglich: I have to admit it took me quite a while to straighten out some of the lyrics myself... especially the magnificent last lines: "And with her kisses bubblin' on my lips/I swiped the rain and nearly missed..."
Really, this song is just brilliant. I'm listening to it now, and I don't want to think about it much - just to say that it is hypnotic, fantastic, trebly, preposterous, tuneless rock, detailing how huckleberry finn went to the big city and fell of the rails - 'you know the story! You wake up one morning and find YOU'RE A THUG!'
21 Jun 04 ·feeling eternal: indeed it is a good song. the only copy i have is on the god is in the house dvd. i havent been able to find from her to eternity anywhere. and nowhere seems to have saint huck available for download, so im asking, does anyone know where i can get me a copy? rock on. 24 Jun 04 ·phil: I don't know where you are from feeling eternal, but FHTE is definitely available from amazon.co.uk and from mutebank.co.uk. Good luck!
Recommend your favorite
tracks by nick cave and the bad seeds
