The 1988 album 'Tender Prey' was Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' first masterpiece that set the standard thereafter... although it was hard to emulate, I think he managed to do it at least a couple of times. This was the template for his dark humour and powerful but somewhat melodic material to follow. None more powerful than "The Mercy seat" which is the rant or thoughts of a man just before he is executed by the electric chair. But that may be a blog for another day. The song that may have fallen through the cracks of such an essential album was "Watching Alice." A perverse but melancholic ballad that is as depressing as it is beautiful.
(Lyrics)
Alice wakes
It is morning
She is yawning
As she walks about the room
Her hair falls down her breast
She is naked and it is June
Standing at the window
I wonder if she knows that I can see
Watching Alice rise year after year
Up in her palace, she's captive there
Alice's body
Is golden brown
Her hair hangs down
As she stoops to conquer me
First she pulls her stocking on
And then the church bell chimes
Alice climbes into her uniform
The zippers on the side
Watching Alice dressing in her room
It's so depressing, it's cruel
Watching Alice dressing in her room
It's so depressing, it's true
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