True connoisseurs of alternative music frown with displeasure every time a rock musician enters the same stage with someone from the “pop”. And even if he records a song with such a performer, a stream of righteous anger falls upon him, accusations of betraying ideals, and so on.
At the same time, no one remembers that rock arose as a protest against everything that fetters a person, including such conventions.
The history of creation and the meaning of the song Where the Wild Roses Grow
Australian rocker Nick Cave is not bothered by such nonsense. Despite his sinister image, sullen manner of performance and gloomy lyrics, he did not consider it shameful to invite the famous pop diva Kylie Minogue to sing Where the Wild Roses Grow with him. Even more surprising is that Kylie dared to accept the offer, although the producer called the idea crazy.
But neither Cave nor Minogue failed. Where the Wild Roses Grow turned out to be a very beautiful song, which is still a success with listeners in many countries.
Nick said that he wrote it under the influence of the folk ballad Rose Connolly, also known as Down in the Willow Garden.
Cave also admitted that even while working on the song he was going to invite Kylie to sing it as a duet. He drew attention to the singer when he saw the Better the Devil You Know video, but he always thought that “it would be better if she performed something sad and slow.”
The song Where the Wild Roses Grow tells about a man who fell in love with a young and beautiful girl and killed her so as not to see her beauty fade. Naturally, Nick sings on behalf of a maniac, and Kylie performs the part of the victim (that is, her ghost).
Release and achievements
They first performed Where the Wild Roses Grows in August 1995 during a performance in Ireland. A year later, the song was released on Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ album “Murder Ballads” (the most successful in the band’s history). It was included in NME magazine’s “100 Best Songs of the 1990s” list.
Music video Where the Wild Roses Grows
A spectacular video was shot for the song, directed by Rocky Schenk. If you haven’t seen it, be sure to check it out.
Interesting Facts
- Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue only met while working on a music video.
- They say that on the set Kylie lay in champagne, which Nick filled the pool.
- Nick was nominated for an MTV award, but he publicly turned it down, saying that his band’s music is unique, so they simply have no one to compete with.
- The album Murder Ballads describes the deaths of over sixty people.
- At the band’s concerts, Blix’s guitarist Bargeld sings the part of Kylie, who defiantly reads the lyrics from a piece of paper. Nick Cave finds his performance to be “really creepy”.
Where The Wild Roses Grow Lyrics Nick Cave
chorus:
They call me the Wild Rose
But my name was Elisa Day
Why they call me it I don’t 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 color 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
On the second day I brought her a flower
She was more beautiful than any woman I’ve 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
He said “Give me your loss and your sorrow?”
I nodded my head, as I lay on the bed
If I show you the roses will you follow alone
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 above me with a rock in his fist
On the last day I took her where the wild roses grow
She lay on the bank, the wind light as a thief
And I kissed her goodbye, said “All beauty must die”
And I knelt down and planted a rose between her teeth
Where the Wild Roses Grows Lyrics – Nick Cave
Chorus:
They call me Wild Rose
But my name was Eliza Day
I don’t know why they call me that
‘Cause my name was Eliza Day
From the day I first saw her I knew there was no other like her
She looked into my eyes and smiled
Her lips were the color of roses
That grow down the river, blood red and wild
When he knocked on the door and entered the room,
My trembling subsided in his confident embrace
He was destined to be my first man, and with a gentle hand
He wiped away the tears that were running down my face
On the second day I brought her a flower
She was more beautiful than all the women I saw
And I said, “You know where the wild roses grow
So fragrant, scarlet and free?
On the second day he came with one wild rose,
He asked: “Will you give me your loss and sorrow?”
I nodded as I lay down on the bed.
“If I show you roses, will you follow me?”
On the third day he took me to the river
He showed me roses and we kissed
The last thing I heard were vague words
As he rose above me on his knees with a stone in his hand
On the last day I took her to where the wild roses grow
She lay on the shore, and a barely noticeable breeze blew
Kissing her goodbye, I said, “All beauty must die”
Leaned down to her and put a rose between her teeth
Song quote
Where the Wild Roses Grow was written with Kylie in mind.
Nick Cave
