What is Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue song ‘Where the Wild Roses Grow’ about?
A collaboration between the vampiric-looking Nick Cave, known for his wild stage antics and preoccupation with violence and darkness, and pop icon Kylie Minogue always seemed unlikely. Yet, in 1995, the pair recorded a song together that ended up on his album Murder Ballads, accompanied by his faithful Bad Seeds.
Cave rose to prominence as a member of The Birthday Party, one of Australia’s most important post-punk bands. Cave appeared with his striking black hair, often painting his body with illustrations or wearing ripped clothing as he performed his erratic songs.
However, as the leader of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, he began working towards a more refined style that culminated in a penchant for ballads, something he has now become a master of.
In 1995, the band released their ninth album, Murder Ballads, which featured several collaborations, including ‘Where the Wild Roses Grow’ with Minogue, ‘Henry Lee’ with PJ Harvey and ‘Death Is Not the End’, which featured the previous artists alongside Anita Lane and Shane MacGowan.
What is a murder ballad?
Murder ballads are a popular form of song which have existed for as long as people began singing. For centuries, people have performed folk tracks featuring stories of murder and violence, and the murder ballad form became quite popular in the American country genre during the early 20th century.
Their popularity has often been associated with their connection to promoting traditional values of womanhood, with many murder ballads punishing women for not adhering to gender roles and expectations. While this isn’t always the case, it is fascinating to examine how many murder ballads end with a woman being killed at the hands of a man.
Cave decided to make a whole album of murder ballads in 1995, which included one of his most unforgettable songs, ‘Stagger Lee’. The album is one of his darkest, often weaving romance into these violent tales.
What is ‘Where the Wild Roses Grow’ about?
The musician adapted the classic tale of Elisa Day for the piece, which follows a woman who is so beautiful that a man feels as though he has no choice but to murder her. After seeing her for the first time, “I knew she was the one,” sings Cave. Minogue plays the part of Elisa, who is also called “The Wild Rose” within the song.
She sings about her meeting with her future killer, “My trembling subsided in his sure embrace,” before getting murdered a few verses later. “He showed me the roses and we kissed/ And the last thing I heard was a muttered word/ As he knelt above me with a rock in his fist.”
From Cave’s perspective, he sings, “And I kissed her goodbye, said, ‘All beauty must die’/ And lent down and planted a rose between her teeth.” The classic tale of Elisa Day reveals that many people have reported witnessing her ghost carrying a rose, a symbol of her beauty that was violently destroyed.
It is a haunting tale that examines themes of male-on-female violence and the meaning and power of beauty, which the band and Minogue transform into a beautiful, albeit violent, ballad.
Were Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue a couple?
While there have long been rumours that Cave and Miogue might have enjoyed a brief romance while recording the song, there has never been confirmation that the pair were in a relationship. In an interview with The Guardian, she revealed that her then-boyfriend Michael Hutchence told her that Cave wanted to record with her, but she was pretty dismissive of the idea.
However, she eventually agreed, stating, “The first time I met Nick was at the recording studio in Melbourne. I speed-read a biography to understand him a little bit. And there was some interesting stuff in there. But everything I did with him was just so tender and epic and close. He’s so amazing and loving, and it’s one of my favourite things I’ve ever done.”
Cave was obsessed with Minogue at the time, as he once recalled, and wrote the track with the singer in mind. He explained, somewhat concerningly (via Molly Meldrum presents 50 Years of Rock in Australia), “I had a quiet obsession with her for about six years. I wrote several songs for her, none of which I felt was appropriate to give her. It was only when I wrote this song, which is a dialogue between a killer and his victim, that I thought finally I’d written the right song for Kylie to sing. I sent the song to her, and she replied the next day.”
Revisit the track below.
