The song Nick Cave performed at Michael Hutchence’s funeral
When choosing songs to soundtrack one’s entombment or cremation, there appear to be two routes available: ironically happy or fittingly sad. For those with a wicked sense of humour in life, it’s undoubtedly rather comical and fitting to have a lively, ironic track like Simple Minds’ ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ or Queen’s ‘Another One Bites the Dust’. However, when going for the classic tear-jerker, plucking something from the morose oeuvre of Nick Cave seems to be a fashionable option.
Indeed, Mr. Cave has given us a fina platter to choose from, especially with his melancholic masterpiece of 1997, The Boatman’s Call. But what do you choose for your funeral song if you’re Nick Cave? It would be a little creepy and somewhat vain for him to choose one of his own songs. Fortunately, we have our answer thanks to Cave’s fan interaction webpage, The Red Hand Files.
“No, we didn’t dress up in white jumpsuits, but his coffin had Elvis pictures and lyrics, and Elvis songs were played for him,” a fan called Doug wrote on the site, detailing his father’s funeral. “I don’t know if anyone has asked you this before in The Red Hand Files, but what songs would you like played at your own funeral?”
“I was very moved by your letter,” Cave wrote in reply. “I’m sure your dad would have been very happy with his Elvis-themed funeral. Thinking about it, I would be very happy with one, too — to be ushered into the next world by the voice of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll singer of them all.
“‘Kentucky Rain’, that’s what I’d like, ‘Kentucky Rain’ and ‘How Great Thou Art’ — Elvis singing gospel, with heaven and all its angels listening,” Cave added, landing on his choice. “It was a lovely thing to do for your dad. Sounds like you did a great job.”
Of Cave’s prolific and varied catalogue, ‘Into My Arms’ from The Boatman’s Call receives the most airtime at funerals. In Richard Curtis’ 2013 rom-com About Time, Bill NIghy’s elderly character, who sadly dies, requests the song for his funeral. Since the film’s arrival, the song seems to have become a funeral staple thanks to its deeply moving atmosphere and poetic lyrics.
Even Nighy himself fancies the song for his big send-off. “Can I have two? I’ve already been buried to ‘Into My Arms’ by Nick Cave in a film called About Time, which is hard to beat,” Nighy said in response to the funeral song question in an interview with the NME. “I hope Richard [Curtis, the director] won’t mind me saying, but there were other options for that slot.
“One of them was ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)’ by Stevie Wonder, which just made me laugh. The coffin was supposed to be coming in, and Stevie would be singing ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’, which was quite funny. But I wanted Richard to go with Nick Cave. And he did. I did meet Nick backstage at something once, and he was very charming. I’m a huge, huge fan.”
About Time certainly seems to have inspired a few funerals over the past decade, but it turns out, ‘Into My Arms’ was a funeral song from the off. In November 1997, just ten months after its release as a single, Cave performed ‘Into My Arms’ at the funeral of his friend and fellow Aussie, Michael Hutchence. The INXS singer tragically passed away on November 22nd after a suspected suicide attempt.
Watch footage from Michael Hutchence’s funeral below.
