Nick Cave says he declined Morrissey's request to sing ‘silly anti-woke screed' on new song

Nick Cave has said that he turned down Morrissey's request to appear on a new song in 2024, claiming that the former Smiths frontman wanted him to sing 'an unnecessarily provocative and slightly silly anti-woke screed he had written'.
In response to a fan question on his Red Hand Files site about his relationship with the singer, Cave said that 'although I suppose I agreed with the sentiment on some level, it just wasn't my thing. I try to keep politics, cultural or otherwise, out of the music I am involved with. I find that it has a diminishing effect and is antithetical to whatever it is I am trying to achieve.'
The Guardian has contacted representatives for Morrissey for comment.
In 2019, Cave said: 'Regardless of the virtuous intentions of many woke issues, it is its lack of humility and the paternalistic and doctrinal sureness of its claims that repel me.' A year later, he called cancel culture 'bad religion run amuck'.
In 2024, he clarified in an interview with the Observer that he was 'totally down' with social justice but didn't 'agree with the methods that are used in order to reach this goal – shutting down people, cancelling people.
'There's a lack of mercy, a lack of forgiveness. These go against what I fundamentally believe on a spiritual level, as much as anything. So it's a tricky one. The problem with the right taking hold of this word is that it's made the discussion impossible to have without having to join a whole load of nutjobs who have their problem with it.'
In addition to the lyrical content of Morrissey's proposed collaboration, he said, 'while the song he sent was quite lovely, it began with a lengthy and entirely irrelevant Greek bouzouki intro'.
Cave said that the two of them had never met, 'which is probably why I like him. He is undeniably a complex and divisive figure, someone who takes more than a little pleasure in pissing people off. As enjoyable as some may find this, it holds little interest for me, but for the fact that Morrissey is probably the best lyricist of his generation – certainly the strangest, funniest, most sophisticated, and most subtle.'
Answering a further question about the state of yearning, Cave said that 'certain music' can fill the void that he described as 'the essence of being human … a sense of incompleteness, of abandonment, a feeling of something lacking'.
'We feel complete when we listen to music we love, while being guided towards the goodness of things,' Cave wrote. 'I find that Morrissey's music, regardless of how jaundiced and disaffected the songs may sometimes seem, does precisely that – ushers us toward what is true.'
Answering one final fan question about what he was currently listening to, Cave namechecked the New York punk-funk noise band YHWH Nailgun, whose debut album 45 Pounds has been hailed as one of the year's best, and who, Cave wrote, 'in their own purifying way, do all of the above, pointing us to the heavens by going all the way down. Completely awesome.'
Cave has used his Red Hand Files site to communicate directly with fans since 2018. 'Over the years, the Red Hand Files has burst the boundaries of its original concept to become a strange exercise in communal vulnerability and transparency,' he wrote on the site.
Cave is currently on a solo tour of Europe that concludes in Luxembourg in September. His most recent album with the Bad Seeds, Wild God, was released in March 2024.
Morrissey has not released an album since 2020's I Am Not a Dog on a Chain. He has claimed that a follow-up album, Bonfire of Teenagers, was 'gagged' and prevented from release as a result of 'idiot culture' after he left his US label, Capitol, in 2022. He has called it 'the best album of my life'.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Telegraph

33 minutes ago

• Telegraph

Badenoch: BBC should not show ‘extremist' Kneecap at Glastonbury

Kemi Badenoch said the BBC should not broadcast Kneecap 'propaganda' at Glastonbury Festival next week. The Tory leader said on X that the BBC 'should not be rewarding extremism' by showing the Irish republican rap group's set. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, a Kneecap member, appeared in court accused of displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at a gig in November last year. Reacting to a story in The Times that claimed the BBC had not banned the group from its Glastonbury coverage, Mrs Badenoch tweeted: 'The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda. 'One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act. 'As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.' Mrs Badenoch has previously called for the group to be banned from Glastonbury. And last year, Kneecap won a discrimination case against the Government in Belfast High Court after Mrs Badenoch tried to refuse them a £14,250 funding award when she was a minister. Kneecap took aim at Mrs Badenoch in their latest single, The Recap, released just before their headline set at London's Wide Awake festival in May. The song mocked her attempts to block their arts funding and the Conservative Party's general election loss. On Wednesday, Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise Ó Cairealláin and J Ó Dochartaigh at Westminster magistrates' court in 'Free Mo Chara' T-shirts. During the proceedings, the court heard the 27-year-old is 'well within his rights' to voice his opinions on Israel and Palestine, but the alleged incident at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, is a 'wholly different thing'. Ó hAnnaidh was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on Aug 20. Following the hearing, the rapper said: 'For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on the Saturday. 'If you can't be there we'll be on the BBC, if anybody watches the BBC. We'll be at Wembley in September. 'But most importantly: free, free Palestine.' The charge came after a counter-terrorism police investigation after the historical gig footage came to light, which also allegedly shows the group calling for the deaths of MPs. In April, Kneecap apologised last month to the families of murdered MPs but said footage of the incident had been 'exploited and weaponised'. In an initial post in response to the charge, Kneecap said: '14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us. 'We deny this 'offence' and will vehemently defend ourselves, this is political policing, this is a carnival of distraction. 'We are not the story, genocide is, as they profit from genocide, they use an 'anti-terror law' against us for displaying a flag thrown on stage. A charge not serious enough to even warrant their crown court, instead a court that doesn't have a jury. What's the objective? 'To restrict our ability to travel. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare speak out. 'Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries. Then, like now, they claim justification. 'The IDF units they arm and fly spy plane missions for are the real terrorists, the whole world can see it.' A BBC spokesman said: 'As the broadcast partner, the BBC will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers. 'While the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines. Decisions about our output will be made in the lead-up to the festival.'

Telegraph

an hour ago

• Telegraph

King's sketch to go on display alongside works by David Hockney

A pencil sketch by the King is to be displayed alongside works by renowned artists including David Hockney and Quentin Blake. The drawing, called Highgrove from the Thyme Walk, will form part of an exhibition celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Royal Drawing School, co-founded by the King in 2000. The monarch's contribution is a preliminary sketch for a watercolour, covered in scribbled notes about light and shade. The exhibition, called The Power of Drawing, will feature works by 50 eminent artists, from Tracey Emin to Norman Foster and Antony Gormley, as well as pieces by the school's alumni. The King, a keen artist, said in the introduction to the catalogue that his aim when founding the school was to create a space that would allow artists to 'observe and understand the world with greater clarity and sensitivity'. He said: ' Drawing is one of the most direct ways of engaging with the world and provides a foundational route to human creativity. 'The school remains one of the few institutions worldwide dedicated to high-quality, observational drawing. I am immensely proud of its significant contribution to making drawing accessible to all, regardless of background and circumstance.' The King expressed hope that the school would 'continue to go from strength to strength in making an enduring impact on art education and the practice of drawing'. Catherine Goodman, the school's founding artistic director, hailed the monarch's 'belief in the power of drawing'. She said: 'His support over the past 25 years continues the living tradition of drawing so it remains central to contemporary creative practice, and has a place where everyone, aged from ten to 100, can come to learn and practice.' The monarch has long enjoyed painting and drawing, and his watercolour landscapes have earned high praise from critics. A series of his framed lithograph prints is on sale at the Highgrove shop for up to £7,500, raising money for the King's Foundation. On Tuesday, both the King and Queen will join artists, creative figures and alumni at a special St James's Palace reception to celebrate the school's anniversary. Rufus Wainwright, who has also contributed a drawing, will perform on the piano and the royal couple will view the exhibition before it goes on display at the Royal Drawing School in Shoreditch from July 1-26. The free exhibition will highlight the central role of drawing across creative disciplines such as fine art, performance, film, architecture, illustration, and design. Hockney said drawing allowed you to see the world more clearly, describing it as 'the thing you do to understand something, to make it more present in your mind'. Emin said that drawing was how she channelled what she saw and felt. 'It gave me my own ability to create my own language,' she said. Meanwhile, Blake said that drawing was especially important to him as the mode of expression that came most naturally. 'My drawings tend to be either of situations (not necessarily with obvious explanations, and probably more interestingly so) or relationships, and drawing enables me to convey the necessary expression, movement and gesture,' he said. 'It has the great virtue of being agile, and its fluidity means unconscious feelings can go directly onto the page.'

The Sun

an hour ago

• The Sun

Love Island star Casey O'Gorman reveals what he's spent his £25k All Stars winnings on

LOVE Island star Casey O'Gorman has revealed what he's spent his £25k All Stars winnings on. The Lothario, 28, rose to fame on Love Island, and has since returned to the show twice. 4 4 4 Casey first appeared on Love Island in the 2023 winter series but was dumped just days after coupling up with Rosie Seabrook. The following year, he returned to the villa for the show's first All Stars series, and then again this year, where he ended up winning with then-girlfriend Gabby Allen. The couple, who have since split, managed to bag £50k - £25k each - after becoming victorious on the popular dating series in February. Now, speaking to Heart Bingo, Casey revealed what he'd spent his £25k winnings on, four months later. He said: 'Nothing in particular, I know that's really boring. 'I took my parents out for a lovely meal and I treated my mum to something nice, but not myself. 'Me and Gabby went on holiday to Dubai, which was really nice too.' Last month, Casey, who is single again after splitting with his girlfriend Gabby Allen, has dropped a big hint that he is going back in. He was the first to 'like' Love Island 's official 2025 trailer when it dropped onto Instagram. Love Island's Kaz takes savage swipe at Casey after his ex Gabby is grilled about their split by Maya Jama And once he had shown his approval, Casey's Love Island pal Ronnie Vint stirred the pot further. The ad features a letter from host Maya Jama announcing the brand new series. Viewers of the ITV show are told Love Island is "coming soon" and that "attendance is mandatory". Casey didn't miss a beat when the trailer dropped and immediately liked it. Love Island winners - where they are now EVERY year Love Island opens its doors to more sexy Islanders who are hoping for a holiday romance that could turn into more. Here we take you through all of the Love Island winners so far and what their relationship statuses are now: 2025 - The second series of All Stars saw Gabby Allen and Case O'Gorman scoop the crown. STATUS: Still together. 2024 - The summer Love Island saw Mimii Ngulube and Josh Oyinsan were crowned the winners. STATUS: Broken up. 2024 - The first ever All stars spin off show was won by Molly Smith and Tom Clare. STATUS: Still together. 2023 - Jess Harding and Sammy Root took home the 50k, and won the summer 2023 Love Island. STATUS: Broken up. 2023 - The first series of 2023 saw Sanam Harrinanan and Kai Fagan crowned Love Island winners in South Africa. STATUS: Still together. 2022 - Davide Sanclimenti and Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu's time in the villa was anything but a smooth ride, but they managed to win the public's hearts - and the ITV2 reality show. STATUS: Broken up. 2021 - Liam Reardon and Millie Court were announced winners of Love Island 2021. STATUS: Still together. 2020 - The first ever winter Love Island saw Paige Turley and Finn Tapp crowned winners after falling in love on the show. STATUS: Broken up. 2019 - Series 5 saw Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague runners up to winners Greg O'Shea and Amber Gill, who met in the last few days of the series. STATUS: Broken up. 2018 - It wasn't surprising fan favourites Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer won the show, as they were strong throughout. But sadly things didn't last. STATUS: Broken up. 2017 - Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies had lots of ups and downs in the villa but went on to win. STATUS: Broken up. 2016 - Nathan Massey and Cara De La Hoyde were together from the start of the series, and since they won the show they've had two kids and are married. STATUS: Still together. 2015 - Despite poor Jess Hayes being Max Morley's second choice on the show, they did win - but they didn't last as a couple. STATUS: Broken up. Ronnie, who starred in the All Stars villa with Casey earlier this year, then tagged him in and wrote: "@caseyogorman HERE WE GO!!!!!!!." Fans immediately spotted the interaction and were quick to comment. "No way 🤣😭😭😭😭😭!" one replied. But Casey tells us that his pals are actually just teasing Love Island fans. He said: 'I think Tom, Ronnie, Chuggs all the boys comment on pretty much every single Love Island post being like 'when's Casey going back,' but it's all just banter and to be honest.' He's also since opened up on his split from co-star Gabby, after fan speculation as to why they went their separate ways. Casey told us: 'It just wasn't working from either side unfortunately - but we are still friends, we ended very, very amicably.' On Sunday night, Maya Jama quizzed Gabby on their split, during her appearance on Love Island After Sun. And it was Kaz Crossley who seemed to hint at the real reason behind their split. Maya chatted to the girls, turned to Gabby and said: "Gabby, what happened with you and Casey?" "How long have we got?" Gabby joked. She then said: "You know what, not really that much to report." Gabby noted how she and Casey were at "very different stages in our lives". Kaz then interjected when she said: "Casey he's a lovely boy, but emphasis on boy," seemingly throwing shade at her pal's ex. "I love Gabby, but a relationship, you just need a bit more depth. "We're looking for our husbands," she concluded.