Everything You Do Today, Tomorrow Is Obsolete

Nick Cave turned 60 on Friday. I don't know how the dark lord of gothic rock celebrates that sort of milestone but I think we should even if it's a day or three late. Back in July I got a bit obsessed with this song, his 28th single, released back in 2008 (on the Dig, Lazarus Dig!!! album). The Bad Seeds set up a louche lounge bar groove, a fluid guitar part, some brushed drums and handclaps after the chorus, strumming and drumming away for nearly ten minutes. Over this Nick Cave has fun with the lyrics, a series of characters turning up- Janet, Betty X, Miss Polly, a hundred foot tall man, Alina, Deanna, and a nubian princess (who sparks off the following line 'just then a black girl with no clothes on danced across the room, we charted the progress of the planets around that boogie-woogie moon'). This being Nick Cave there are literary references. The song title is borrowed from a William Morris novel and the lyrics borrow from the Odyssey. The video was similarly stuffed full of guests- Will Self, Peaches Geldof, Beth Orton, Tim Noble, Sue Webster and Martin McCarthy, the bassist from The Wonder Stuff. Plus some dancers from the Raymond Revue Bar. Happy birthday Mr Cave.

More News From Nowhere