Which love songs actually move musicians like Nick Cave? Many people ask this question, but fans rarely get an answer.
The musician recently released a list of songs about love that have stayed with him for years – “most of them are old, sad and sentimental songs that rule my world and can always save me.”
The greatest love songs and their influence
Fans from Australia and Brazil asked Nick Cave about his website “The Red Hand Files”what songs, especially love songs, mean to him. This was his honest answer:
“Here in Los Angeles it’s the early hours and I can’t sleep. I was in the studio all night working on new songs. The melodies and words are bouncing around in my head, so please excuse me if this letter is a bit muddled. Mack, you asked me something about love and maybe that’s love – maybe songs are the language of love. Perhaps we created them to give voice to that strange, unfathomable feeling that tugs at us and our lives. I dont know. Maybe some songs are the embodiment of love and that’s why they touch us so much. They are simple, direct, inflammatory devices that tear our hearts apart – other art forms don’t do it with the same sudden and frightening precision.”
The 10 best love songs of all time – a list by Nick Cave
Bee Gees: “To Love Somebody”
Nina Simone: “My Father”
Bob Dylan: “I Threw It All Away”
Van Morrison: “Comfort You”
Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts: “Angel of the Morning”
The Moody Blues: “Nights In White Satin”
Glen Campbell: “Where’s the Playground Susie?”
Karen Dalton: “Something On Your Mind”
Elvis Presley: “Always On My Mind”
Carpenters: “Superstar”