Nick Cave has touched upon the songs he’d wish to have played at his funeral in a new letter to a fan, noting he would love the gospel sounds of Elvis Presley to soundtrack his journey to the afterlife.
Cave’s choices were shared on a new letter to a fan on his Red Hand Files website after a fan named Doug recalled his recent experience of giving his father an Elvis Presley-themed funeral.
“No, we didn’t dress up in white jumpsuits, but his coffin had Elvis pictures and lyrics, and Elvis songs were played for him,” Doug explained. “I don’t know if anyone has asked you this before in The Red Hand Files, but what songs would you like played at your own funeral?”
While Cave has had his own music played at funerals over the years, and even performed at INXS frontman Michael Hutchence’s, the Australian-born musician explained that his choices would indeed be quite in line with what Doug provided his father.
“I was very moved by your letter,” Cave began. “I’m sure your dad would have been very happy with his Elvis themed funeral. Thinking about it, I would be very happy with one too — to be ushered into the next world by the voice of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll singer of them all.
“‘Kentucky Rain’, that’s what I’d like, ‘Kentucky Rain’ and ‘How Great Thou Art’ — Elvis singing gospel, with heaven and all its angels listening. It was a lovely thing to do for your dad. Sounds like you did a great job.”
Cave’s comments come just weeks after the surprise release of CARNAGE, an album recorded with longtime collaborator and bandmate Warren Ellis. In a statement describing the record, Cave noted that CARNAGE is a “brutal but very beautiful record embedded in a communal catastrophe”.
