Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are back with “Long Dark Night,” the latest song from their upcoming new album Wild God.
“Long Dark Night” follows previous Wild God singles “Wild God” and “Frogs.” Rooted in stirring piano and finger-plucked acoustic guitar, “Long Dark Night” is a country ballad from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, complete with evocative harmonies in the chorus and a sense of lonesome ennui. Cave’s booming baritone mutters around the verses, landing in poignant clarity when he wonders, “Maybe a long dark night is coming down.” Stream “Long Dark Night” below.
Nick Cave was inspired by the poem “Dark Night of the Soul” by the Spanish 16th-century poet St. John of the Cross when writing “Long Dark Night.” “‘Long Dark Night’ is inspired by one of the greatest and most powerful poems of conversion ever written,” Cave said in a statement about the song. “Ultimately, though, it’s a beautiful country tune. It feels like a sweet companion to the song ‘Wild God.’”
Wild God is Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ 18th studio album, and it’s out everywhere on August 30th (pre-order here). Cave previously described it as a particularly cathartic album, saying, “Wild God… there’s no fucking around with this record. When it hits, it hits. It lifts you. It moves you. I love that about it.” Despite the emotional release, however, Nick Cave recently discussed feeling at odds with the songwriting process, calling it “a fucking nightmare.”
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