Rahul Sharma (Editor)

The Ship Song

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A-side
  
"The Ship Song"

Released
  
12 March 1990

Genre
  
Alternative rock

B-side
  
"The Train Song"

Format
  
CD single, 7", 12"

Recorded
  
Cardan Studios, Sao Paulo 8 October – 28 October 1989

"The Ship Song" is a song written by Nick Cave (lyrics and music), originally performed by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on their 1990 The Good Son album. It was released by Mute Records as the first single from the album on 12 March 1990, as a CD single, 7" vinyl and a 12" vinyl release. The song reached #84 on the UK Singles Charts.

Contents

The video for the song was directed by John Hillcoat.

In May 2001 "The Ship Song" was selected by Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time.

Cover Versions

There have been numerous cover versions of the song performed by artists, including Camille O'Sullivan, Leatherface, Frankie Stubbs (performed acoustically), Gene, Swirl, Boo Hewerdine, Concrete Blonde, Denis Walter, Immaculate Fools, A Subtle Plague, Polar and Heather Nova, Lissie, with live only versions by Crowded House, Ed Kuepper, Pearl Jam, Amanda Palmer, and Martha Wainwright.

The Sydney Opera House, with agency The Monkeys (Creative Agency), achieved the collaboration of Neil Finn, Kev Carmody, Sarah Blasko, John Bell, Martha Wainwright, Katie Noonan, Paul Kelly, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, The Temper Trap, and Daniel Johns, with Opera Australia, the Australian Ballet, Bangarra Dance Theatre, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, to perform and record a reinterpretation of "The Ship Song" over some months in 2010-2011. Titled "The Ship Song Project", the recording was to promote the Sydney Opera House.

Track listing

The track listing for the single is:

  1. "The Ship Song" (Nick Cave) - 5:14
  2. "The Train Song" (Nick Cave) - 3:27

Personnel

  • Blixa Bargeld — guitar, backing vocals
  • Nick Cave — vocals, piano, hammond organ
  • Kid Congo Powers — guitar
  • Mick Harvey — bass, guitar, vibraphone, backing vocals
  • Thomas Wydler — drums
  • Credits

  • Bill McGee — string arrangement
  • Designlayout — artwork
  • Polly Borland — photography
  • Victor Van Vugt — engineer
  • The Bad seeds — producer
  • References

    The Ship Song Wikipedia