The Rider Song

I can't help seeing the connection with the film. The nature itself knows there is something to happen. Something bad. The wind, that followed them all knows it's going to be soon. Who? wonders the cloud. And the Rider responds: ,,me'' for he knows the upcoming fratricide is inevitable. The violence must end. The rider is not at all eager to do it, but he just has to. The river stops running, the thunder keeps silent. Everyone waits for the moment. And even when IT's finally done, noone can believe it. Neither the trees that started to moan nor the planet as it started to weep, because everything is just so fucked up. A man forced to kill his own brother who saved his life before. Twice. The Rider is white as a bone. Everything fucked up. He lays down his gun.

My take is that a man rides to the wilderness to kill himself. While he's gathering strength, the nature itself begs him not to do it (or at least he imagines so). But I'm not sure about the ending: if he decides not to do it after all (laid down his gun), why does he still say "yes"?

You could play this song 50 times in a row, and I will bawl my eyes out each and every time. To my ears, this is one of those most beautiful songs ever written. Nick Cave is simply the most amazing songwriter of the 20th century. Dylan, Gilmour, Joplin... All great without a doubt but none can come close to Cave. He reaches into the depths of the human soul without compromise or "prettying" up his lyrics for the masses. You either feel it down to your marrow, or you just don't comprehend. Unabashed beauty.

The song is from the soundtrack to The Proposition, a film also written by Nick Cave, and is almost a leitmotif for one of the protagonists, violent criminal Charlie Burns.

The film starts with Charlie and his simple minded younger brother Mike being captured by a lawman - Captain Stanley - and being given an ultimatum: find and kill your older brother Arthur, a rapist and murderer, or be hanged in five days along with Mike.

Charlie, although reluctant and conflicted, agrees to the deal riding off into the Australian outback towards where he believes his brother is hiding. This I think is “here says the rider, and took up his gun”. The previous lines reflect Charlie’s indecision.

Through various plot turns, Charlie, the psychotic poetry quoting Arthur, and another even more deranged accomplice return to town to rescue Mike and kill Captain Stanley planning to rape and beat his wife in front of him first. By this point it is clear that Charlie is terrified of Arthur and disgusted by his behaviour. Rather than let the rape and murder continue he shoots Arthur and the rest of gang dead. At this point he also has the option to kill Captain Stanley but, instead, walks away. This I think is “yes said the rider, and put down his gun”. The previous lines are him coming to a decision about what is right and wrong with the last “yes” against all the “noes” possibly being an expression of relief: “yes, I get it now”.

Or it could mean something completely different, it’s Nick Cave after all. It’s a great film, you should definitely watch it to hear the music in context.

The Rider Song is from the ending of the movie The Proposition (2005). This song leads into the end credits after a cry-your-eyes-out climax.

The Rider is Charlie Burns. The sheriff gives him a proposition to kill his violent older brother to save himself and his younger brother. The movie has you wondering "When?" and you know the time is "Soon." "Who" will commit this violent act? "Me" said The Rider who is dry as a bone because this is the 1880s Australia outback, dry and dusty which is emphasized from the opening scene.

Nature asks "How?" "Why?" and "Where?" and The Rider (Charlie) says "Here." In the movie in that moment he takes up his gun and says to his brother Arthur "No more." No more of your violence.

All the elements of nature plead with him not to violate nature and kill his brother. "No" say the stars. How utterly against nature to kill one's very brother. The very trees moan. Even the ever-present dust that blinds his eyes pleads "No."

"Yes" says The Rider as he did decide that he would kill his brother. He is white as a bone because this moment is climactic yet utterly tragic at the same time. The moon rises from its sleep and feels that emotion and sadness, saying "No." The entire planet weeps as brother kills brother.

If you want another movie with a Nick Cave soundtrack that will make you cry your eyes out, highly recommend the work of art that is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) with Brad Pitt, and Ridley Scott is one of the producers.

I don't get it. :-(

Another idea based on infinityontrialon's interpretation is, that he is not about to kill himself, but other people. Moon, wind, clouds, etc. are aliases for hostages he has taken which he kills. In the end everyone is dead but him and so he lays down his gun after that.

I think the song is about nature being elemental and violent, and waiting for an act of violence to erupt. The Rider is the vessel for this violence. In the end he lays down his gun and resists nature, which I think think Cave thinks is elementally hostile (certainly The Proposition, which this song is from, suggests that). So in the end, the moon, the sun, the trees, etc. all howl "No" because he is resisting. It's a very beautiful song.