Nick Cave: 10 Dark Masterpieces

2. Red Right Hand

http://youtu.be/dxkUK3SQlWI I've seen Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds three times; and on each occasion, as the roadies were setting up the equipment, there's always been a fantastic moment when they've tested the tubular bell that ushers in this song. That resonant clang is unmistakable. It not only informs the audience that he's going to play this song; it also acts as a foreboding reminder that we're about to watch Nick Cave! I feel like I've listened to this song thousands of times, but I still find it stunning how effectively he sets the scene with little more than his peerless lyrics, a bass guitar, a haunted organ and, of course, that mournful bell. Red Right Hand takes inspiration from Milton's Paradise Lost to tell a sinister story of a mysterious figure who'll make all your dreams come true €“ but at a cost. He could be Randall Flagg; Satan or David Cameron. But in any case, he's seriously bad news. The organ breakdown is the sound of your soul being stripped forcibly from your body. You'll never see it again, but you won't need it where you're going.