Where The Wild Roses Grow

"Where the Wild Roses Grow" is an alternative-rock song written by Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave[1] for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' ninth album Murder Ballads (1996), with guest vocals by Australian pop-singer Kylie Minogue. The song was produced by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Tony Cohen and Victor Van Vugt and received a positive reception from music critics. The song was released as the album's first single in October 1995 and became the band's most successful single worldwide reaching #3 in Norway, the top five in Australia, and the top twenty in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and New Zealand. It also received a limited promotional release in the United States. The song was certified Gold in 1996 in Germany, despite never reaching the top ten in that country.[2] It charted again at the bottom of the German Top 100 in 2008 because of digital downloads. "Where the Wild Roses Grow" was also certified Gold in Australia where it sold 50,000 copies. Cave was inspired to write "Where the Wild Roses Grow" after listening to the traditional song, "Down in the Willow Garden", a tale of a man courting a woman and killing her while they are out together. Cave arranged this tale as second of two B-sides, "The Ballad of Robert Moore & Betty Coltrane" / "The Willow Garden", released on the CD-Maxi single version. Although the song does not feature on a Minogue studio album, it can be found on her compilations Hits+, Greatest Hits 1987-1999 and Ultimate Kylie. Minogue performed a chorus of the song during her Showgirl and Homecoming tours. It reached number 8 in Triple J's Hottest 100 1995. Background Cave described writing the song: Where The Wild Roses Grow was written very much with Kylie in mind. I'd wanted to write a song for Kylie for many years. 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.[3] —Nick Cave, quoted in Molly Meldrum presents 50 years of rock in Australia (2007) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Kylie Minogue first performed the song publicly on 4 August 1995 in Cork, Ireland.[4] [edit] Music video Minogue, as Elisa Day, is admired, then murdered by Nick Cave's character. The chorus of the song suggests she's come to be known as the "Wild Rose" rather than as Elisa Day by people who recall her murder (e.g., "Why they call me that, I do not know; for my name was Elisa Day"). Cave's character is entranced by Elisa's beauty and hates the idea of its fading, so he kills her in order to preserve the memory of her beauty forever. He visits her home, and becomes obsessed with her. The next day, he brings her a beautiful red rose, then asks her if she'd like to see where such beauty could come from. On the final day, he takes Elisa to the river, where he gives her a farewell kiss, then kills her with a rock. A small rabbit comes to visit her body. He then places her in the river where the wild roses grow, in the pose of Millais' painting Ophelia. A large python courses over her body, symbolizing her death. He puts a rose in her mouth, and closes her eyes. The video was shot by director Rocky Shenck. B-side: "The Ballad of Robert Moore & Betty Coltrane" / "The Willow Garden" Released: October 1995: Worldwide Format CD single: Worldwide Cassette single: Australia Vinyl single: United Kingdom Recorded: 1995 Genre: Rock – Alternative Length: 3:57 Label: Mute Writer: Nick Cave Producer: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Tony Cohen, Victor Van Vugt

[Chorus: Kylie Minogue & Nick Cave] They call me The Wild Rose But my name was Elisa Day Why they call me it, I do not know For my name was Elisa Day [Verse 1: Nick Cave] From the first day I saw her, I knew she was the one She stared in my eyes and smiled For her lips were the colour of the roses That grew down the river, all bloody and wild [Verse 2: Kylie Minogue] When he knocked on my door and entered the room My trembling subsided in his sure embrace He would be my first man, and with a careful hand He wiped at the tears that ran down my face [Chorus: Kylie Minogue & Nick Cave] They call me The Wild Rose But my name was Elisa Day Why they call me it, I do not know For my name was Elisa Day [Verse 3: Nick Cave] On the second day, I brought her a flower She was more beautiful than any woman I've seen I said, "Do you know where the wild roses grow So sweet and scarlet and free?" [Verse 4: Kylie Minogue] On the second day, he came with a single red rose He said, "Give me your loss and your sorrow" I nodded my head as I lay on the bed If I show you the roses, will you follow? [Chorus: Kylie Minogue & Nick Cave] They call me The Wild Rose But my name was Elisa Day Why they call me it, I do not know For my name was Elisa Day [Verse 5: Kylie Minogue] On the third day, he took me to the river 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 [Verse 6: Nick Cave] On the last day I took her where the wild roses grow She lay on the bank, the wind light as a thief And I kissed her goodbye, said, "All beauty must die" And lent down and planted a rose between her teeth [Chorus: Kylie Minogue & Nick Cave] They call me The Wild Rose But my name was Elisa Day Why they call me it, I do not know For my name was Elisa Day My name was Elisa Day For my name was Elisa Day