I understand exactly what you mean about Nick’s relationship with his Muse, at that time, and his feeling he had misused her. My sense of things is that he’s worked through it and gone beyond the need to flog himself for earning money from his art.

Personally, I think it has to do with one’s sense of self-worth and making some kind of peace with the commercial use of your art, whatever that might be. I think we all agree Nick Cave is the hardest working man in show business (James Brown’s ‘title’ for many years, rest his soul) and that he deserves all of the success he’s currently enjoying, monetary and otherwise.

I appreciate you coming back to clarify. Cheers!

RE: Sadness

That’s a very important observation he’s making. What is going on in our society where so many people are on anti-depressants? Why are sadness and anger viewed as pathological conditions? I worked as a pharmacy tech for years while going for my anthropology degree. Horrified by the number of people on psychotropic drugs and the effects of such practices.

Here’s a CNN article explaining exactly what I mean:

CDC: Antidepressants most prescribed drugs in U.S.
(CNN, Mon July 9, 2007)

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) — Dr. Ronald Dworkin tells the story of a woman who didn’t like the way her husband was handling the family finances. She wanted to start keeping the books herself but didn’t want to insult her husband. The doctor suggested she try an antidepressant to make herself feel better.

She got the antidepressant, and she did feel better, said Dr. Dworkin, a Maryland anesthesiologist and senior fellow at Washington’s Hudson Institute, who told the story in his book “Artificial Unhappiness: The Dark Side of the New Happy Class.” But in the meantime, Dworkin says, the woman’s husband led the family into financial ruin.

“Doctors are now medicating unhappiness,” said Dworkin. “Too many people take drugs when they really need to be making changes in their lives.”

For Dworkin, the proof is in the statistics. According to a government study, antidepressants have become the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. They’re prescribed more than drugs to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, or headaches…

…While [genuine depression] is driving the prescription numbers, Dr. Robert Goodman, an internist in New York City, says the real force behind skyrocketing antidepressant prescription rates is pharmaceutical marketing to doctors and to consumers. “You put those two together and you get a lot of prescriptions for antidepressants,” he said.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/07/09/antidepressants/index.html

It’s the drug company lobby, it’s Big Pharma, and prescription drugs are marketed to people like soap powder. Jesus, that pisses me off. We’re living in Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’, I tell you. Oops. I sound angry. Better than taking a Prozac or a Soma. Everyone should be outraged about it. America’s RX drug culture is very real. This country refuses to legalize medical marijuana but thinks nothing of advertising sleeping pills like Ambien as appropriate for mild-moderate sleeplessness. Whatever happened to warm milk or cocoa or hot tea? Or a lovely selection of Nick’s love songs (or Blixa’s hypnotic purrs). That works for me! TRY IT! ;D

Well, that was some rant. Great convos.
Cheers, everyone.