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Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Wild God Meaning and Review

Updated: Mar 21


Wild God Is A Shift in Direction for Nick Cave

"Wild God" marks a noticeable change in tone for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. In contrast to the introspective themes of their previous album, "Ghosteen," this single bursts with an infectious joy and optimism that has taken many by surprise. This energy is reflected in the song's upbeat, organic instrumentation punctuated by a triumphant orchestral climax.


Wild Gods Themes of Faith and the Divine

Lyrically, "Wild God" seems to continue Cave's exploration of faith and belief. The song appears to grapple with the idea of a 'wild', possibly flawed, deity. With Cave's well-known talent for metaphor and powerful imagery, listeners can expect layers of meaning and interpretation within the lyrics.


Find Your Own Perspective Of A Wild God

Reviews of "Wild God" are still emerging, and personal interpretations of the song will naturally vary. To get the best understanding, experience the song for yourself



Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Wild God Lyrics Meaning

The meaning of the lyrics of "Wild God" offer a complex and evocative meditation on the human spirit, freedom, and the relentless search for meaning. Here's a possible analysis:


The Wild God Within Nick Cave

The repeated chant of "Oh, we're wild Gods, baby, we're wild Gods" asserts a sense of inherent power and divinity within every person. This 'wild god' isn't a traditional deity, but perhaps the untamed potential and boundless spirit within.

The wild god is linked to forces of change: "flames of anarchy," "winds of tyranny," and the "tears of liberty." It suggests this spirit exists not in a peaceful world, but is forged within struggle and conflict.


Spirituality in a Chaotic World

There's a seeking quality throughout; the wild god moves restlessly ("moving through...", "moving 'round the world"). This reflects both a physical journey and perhaps a spiritual one.

The mention of "a prehistoric bird" ties to ideas of ancient wisdom and an instinctual power within humanity.


Specific destinations (Africa, Russia, China, USA) may not be literal, but represent a global journey facing varied cultures and challenges.

The lines about feeling lonely and blue suggest a solution is found within, not in the external world. Calling your spirit down implies focusing on inner strength.


Contradictions and Complexity

The 'wild god' is both powerful and vulnerable. It moves across the world with strength, yet also "swims to the end of the rotting pier" and ultimately his "rotting idea". This shows a spirit that, even when bold, may not always find clear answers.

There is a possible religious undertone with "hymn" and "prayer," hinting at a clash between traditional faith and the inner 'wild god.'


Nick Cave Wild God Meaning

"Wild God" offers no neat answers. Instead, it paints a picture of the human spirit as untamed, ever-evolving, and searching for its own meaning amidst chaos. It might be a call to embrace our inner complexities and to find resilience not in a fixed belief, but in the boundless potential within ourselves.



Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Wild God Lyrics

[Instrumental Intro]


[Verse 1]

Once upon a time, a wild God zoomed

All through his memory in which he was entombed

It was rape and pillage in the retirement village

But in his mind he was a man of great virtue and courage

And he flew out the window with his long, trailing hair

And the smoke from the bodies went straight up in the air

He was a wild God searching for what all wild Gods are searching for

And he flew through the dying city like a prehistoric bird

He went searching for the girl down on Jubilee Street

But she'd died in a bedsit in 1993

So he flew to the top of the world and looked around

And said, "Where are my people? Where are my people to bring your spirit down?"


[Instrumental Break]


[Verse 2]

A wild God searching for a faraway girl

Who was basically a mirage but nevertheless loomed large

She would hang under the rail as he blew 'round the room

And make love with a kind of efficient gloom

And the people on the ground cried, "When does it start?"

And the wild God says, "It starts with a heart, with a heart, with a heart, with a heart"

And the people on the ground cried, "When does it end?"

And the wild God says, "Well, it depends, but it mostly never ends

'Cause I'm a wild God flying and a wild God swimming

And I'm an old, sick God dying and crying and singing"


[Outro]

Bring your spirit down

Oh, we're wild Gods, baby, we're wild Gods

Yeah, bring your spirit down

Oh, well, he's moving through the flames of anarchy

And he's moving through the winds of tyranny

And the sweet, sweet tears of liberty, yeah, moving 'round the world

He's moving through your body like a prehistoric bird

He's moving 'round the world

Oh Lord, well, if you're feeling lonely and if you're feeling blue

And if you just don't know what to do

Bring your spirit down

Oh, we're wild Gods, baby, we're wild Gods

I'm a wild God, baby, I'm a wild God

Oh, here we go, we're going to the cradle of Africa

We're going to Russia, we're going to China

To the United States of America

Yeah, moving 'round the world, yeah, moving like a great, big, beautiful bird

We're moving 'round the world

Yeah, and he's swimming at the end of the rotting pier

He swims to the end of his rotting idea

Swim to the hymn, swim to the prayer

And bring your spirit down

I'm a wild God, baby, I'm a wild God

Well, here we go, yeah, here we go



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