In the midst of protests and discussions surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement, news of this nature has led to a spike in the charts of protest songs both old and new.
With classic anti-racism and police brutality anthems beginning to resurface, the spotlight has been thrust onto musicians to discuss their views on such topics, with fans taking a deep-dive into Nick Cave‘s catalogue of albums to explore his politics.
“I guess I could write a protest song, but I think I would, in the end, feel compromised in doing so,” Nick Cave recently wrote on his blog.
Recently, the Australian musician took to his blog The Red Hand Files to answer a pertinent question posed by a fan.
“Do you ever look back at your anthology and wish you had been more overtly politically outspoken- referring to activism rather than politics per se- in your art?” asked JP from Aukland, NZ.
Offering his two cents, Nick Cave responded: “Perhaps the thing you enjoy about my songs is that they are conflicted, and often deal in uncertainties and ambiguities….Songs with political agendas inhabit a different space. They have little patience for nuance, neutrality or impartiality. Their aim is to get the message across in as clear and persuasive a manner as possible.”
Speaking on his songs, Cave states: “They are not in the business of saving the world; rather they are in the business of saving the soul of the world.”
“I guess I could write a protest song,” he continued. “But I think I would, in the end, feel compromised in doing so, not because there aren’t things I am fundamentally opposed to — there are — but because I would be using my particular talents to deal with something I consider to be morally obvious. Personally, I have little inclination to do that. It’s just not what I do.”
To read the entire response, head to The Red Hand Files.
