Nick Cave Captures Gutting Loss and Longing on ‘Euthanasia’

Nick Cave has released his performance of “Euthanasia,” from his upcoming live album, Idiot Prayer, out November 20th.

The Idiot Prayer release captures the livestream concert Cave performed with no audience at London’s Alexandra Palace back in June. The 22-song set featured solo piano renditions of both Bad Seeds and Grinderman songs from across Cave’s catalog, as well as one new song, “Euthanasia.”

The track is an aching piano ballad that finds Cave grappling with loss, his lyrics visceral and blunt even as he keeps his piano playing and vocals soft and tender. After several verses of longing and searching, “Euthanasia” ends with Cave singing, “ I passed through a doorway/And found you sitting at the kitchen table/And smiled/That smile that smiles, that smiles… smiles just in time.”

The Idiot Prayer release will also feature four performances that were edited out of the online-only livestream. Prior to the album’s release the Idiot Prayer concert film will be shown in movie theaters globally (where permitted) November 5th.