Nature Boy Lyrics
To watch the news on TV
I saw some ordinary slaughter
I saw some routine atrocity
My father said, "don't look away!
"You got to be strong, you got to be bold now"
He said that in the end it is beauty
That is going to save the world now
And she floats upon the breeze
She moves among the flowers
She moves something deep inside of me
Coming down with some kind of nervous hysteria
When I saw you standing there, green eyes, black hair
Up against the pink and purple wisteria
You said, "Hey, nature boy, are you looking at me
With some unrighteous intention?"
My knees went weak, I couldn't speak
I was having thoughts that were not in my best interests to mention
And she floats upon the smoke
She moves among the shadows
She moves me with just one little look
And dressed me up in a deep sea diver's suit
You played the patriot, you raised the flag
And I stood at full salute
Later on we smoked a pipe that struck me dumb
And made it impossible to speak
As you closed in, in slow motion
Quoting Sappho in the original Greek
And she floats upon the breeze
And she moves among the candles
And we moved through the days and through the years
We were walking by the sea half delirious
You smiled at me and said
"Babe I think this thing is getting kind of serious"
You pointed at something and said
"Have you ever seen such a beautiful thing?"
It was then that I broke down
It was then that you lifted me up again
And she walks across the sea
She moves among the flowers
And she moves something deep inside of me
And she floats upon the breeze
She moves among the flowers
And she moves right up close to me
What an idiot thing to say. Nick can write whatever music he feels like writing as far as it shows his normal level of emotion and humour. This song is wonderful and such a contrast to the more melancholy songs, I can't think of many songs that make me want to jump around so much.
I agree with you xdyr. I love all Nick's work...including this! It's hardly what I'd call 'pop music' anyway. Just a wonderful song.
He rhymes hysteria with wisteria. so contrived it makes me laugh every time i hear it, and cringe a little too. Another humorous moment "I was having thoughts that were not in my best interests to mention" as regards his "unrighteous intention". No-one writes 'em like Nick.
"It was then that I broke down It was then that you lifted me up again"
No one writes them like Cave.
This song moves me!
Cracking song. Meaning? No clue. Is 'narrator's' father in 1st verse referring to nature with:
"He said, that in the end it is beauty That is going to save the world, now"?
Certainly the beginning strikes me as encouragement to not get too down from civilisation's evils and enjoy the natural wonder.
Nick has stated that this is a biographical song. Dealing with everything in his life from his father’s advise (‘it is beauty that is gonna save the world now’) to meeting his love Susie (‘You said, hey, nature boy, are you looking at me With some unrighteous intention?/My knees went weak,I couldn't speak, I was having thoughts That were not in my best interests to mention’). Pop or no pop, This is a great leap into a different realm of music ambiguity for Cave and he rises to the occasion. He himself has said he wishes he could right a top charting pop song and that there is an art to it. But alas the general public is not ready to hear such warranted righteous lyrics/songs.
This is an amazing, and for Nick Cave, lighter-hearted song . I like it, it's like, an uplifting love song. The piano in it is great. I really wish he'd write another album like Abattoir.
It's a pretty good song but I hope mr. Cave moves away from this kind of pop music.