The Fragile Beauty of Nick Drake

Darkness and light in his music

Nick Drake’s music has steadily gained more listeners since his passing 51 years ago, yet he remains underappreciated.

His music remains a magical, hidden treasure that can still be stumbled upon by accident.

Drake was an English singer-songwriter who released three albums between 1969 and 1972. He was a virtuoso fingerpicking guitar player with a calm, warm voice.

He carried dark clouds within him, and this resulted in music of deep gravitas.

His albums did not sell well at the time, in part due to his aversion to touring, and this lack of success exacerbated his depression.

But some of his music is quite joyful, and I will highlight one of those songs in this post.

I’d like to tell his story by way of two of his best songs -

“River Man”

I first heard this song in the 90s on a college radio station, and I was transfixed. To this day, I can’t think of anything else quite like it.

It’s in 5/4 time, for starters, and there’s a good possibility this was influenced by jazz pianist Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five”, which had been a hit in 1959 (and yes, I must admit - I would love to live in an era where a jazz single could be a hit).

For those non-musicians, I recorded a bit of River Man with me counting over it, in case you’re not sure what I mean by 5/4 time -

And then there is the “River Man” string arrangement, which Harry Robinson created. Drake had asked him to create something in the vein of Frederick Delius.

Whatever the inspiration, this string arrangement is mesmerizing. Much more bold and dissonant than that of your average folk or pop song.

It perfectly complements and amplifies the solemn atmosphere of Drake’s song. It takes you on a journey down his river. It constantly surprises.

Drake was a sad, shy individual. We don’t know exactly what was going on, but he struggled tremendously and had a nervous breakdown in 1972.

And like his music, he was otherworldly. His producer, Joe Boyd, in his excellent book, “White Bicycles”, describes how Drake would answer the phone - “‘Uh, hello?’ The voice on the other end of the line was low and soft, almost embarrassed. In the years to come, I would get used to Nick Drake’s way of answering the telephone as if it had never rung before.”

Drake overdosed on antidepressants in 1974. It seems that he most likely took his own life, but we can’t be sure.

Upon his passing, some of his lyrics took on new weight for those who knew him. For example, “Black Eyed Dog”, one of the last songs he recorded, includes the lines -

Black eyed dog, he called at my door
The black eyed dog, he called for more
A black eyed dog, he knew my name
A black eyed dog, he knew my name

“Black Eyed Dog” is cloaked in dread and reminiscent of Robert Johnson’s similarly unsettling “Hellhound on My Trail”.

A scene from “The Seventh Seal” by Ingmar Bergman. A knight plays chess with Death.

After learning more about Nick Drake’s life, River Man started to feel to me as though it portends his death. It feels to me like a song about suicide.

However, I did not know him, of course, and the lyrics are abstract, so these are all just my opinions, which I offer with respect.

There are spiritual traditions, such as Buddhism, where meditating on death is considered a wise, healthy pursuit. It is, in part, about facing our greatest fear. And it’s also about, of course, cultivating gratitude for life.

Nick Drake likely had no choice but to face the prospect of his death.

To me, “River Man” feels like a solemn prayer. It is a bit dark and disturbing, but mainly it leaves me feeling peaceful and grounded.

Here is “River Man” -

“River Man”

Betty came by on her way
Said she had a word to say
About things today
And fallen leaves

Said she hadn't heard the news
Hadn't had the time to choose
A way to lose
But she believes

Gonna see the river man
Gonna tell him all I can
About the plan
For lilac time

If he tells me all he knows
About the way his river flows
And all night shows
In summertime

Betty said she prayed today
For the sky to blow away
Or maybe stay
She wasn't sure

For when she thought of summer rain
Callin' for her mind again
She lost the pain
And stayed for more

Gonna see the river man
Gonna tell him all I can
About the ban
On feelin' free

If he tells me all he knows
About the way his river flows
I don't suppose
It's meant for me

Oh, how they come and go?
Oh, how they come and go?

“Northern Sky”

On a brighter note, we have “Northern Sky”. If I were asked to name my favorite love song of all time, I would choose “Northern Sky”.

It’s a gorgeously uplifting paean to joy.

And we need to give a lot of credit to John Cale for that.

Cale is best known for his work with the Velvet Underground, but he’s had a long and varied career as a producer, composer, and musician. On “Northern Sky,” he plays celeste (sounds kind of like a xylophone), piano, and organ.

As related by Joe Boyd in “White Bicycles”, it seems that Cale was recording at the same studio as Nick Drake, and when he heard some of what Drake had recorded, “Cale was amazed. ‘Who the fuck is this guy? I have to meet him, where is he? I mean, where is he right now!’... John grabbed [Nick’s address] and ran down the stairs.”

“They arrived together [the next morning], John with a wild look in his eyes and Nick trailing behind. Despite his domineering manner, Cale was very solicitous towards Nick, who seemed to be guardedly enjoying himself.” Apparently, a bit of an odd couple.

Cale’s celeste is, well, celestial. Draped in a vast, cathedral-like reverb, it lifts the song into the heavens. And his piano dances jubilantly.

The form of this song is unique. I’ll call it an A-B-bridge-B-A form. It’s a musical palindrome.

The A and B sections use the same chords, but different melodies. These sections mainly consist of only two chords, which gives the song a modern, minimalistic feel, not unlike some of the Velvet Underground’s songs.

And then the bridge. This is truly one of the most beautiful bridges in history. And when the song climbs out of the bridge back into the B section at 2:15, well, that is an inspiring musical moment.

This song was mostly recorded live in one room, and you can feel that electricity and cohesion. The musicians could all see and hear each other, and they breathed, ascended, and fell together in perfect harmony.

Here is “Northern Sky” -

“Northern Sky”

I never felt magic crazy as this
I never saw moons, knew the meaning of the sea
I never held emotion in the palm of my hand
Or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree

But now you're here
Brighten my northern sky

I've been a long time that I'm waiting
Been a long that I'm blown
I've been a long time that I've wandered
Through the people I have known

Oh, if you would and you could
Straighten my new mind's eye

Would you love me for my money?
Would you love me for my head?
Would you love me through the winter?
Would you love me 'til I'm dead?

Oh, if you would and you could
Come blow your horn on high

I never felt magic crazy as this
I never saw moons, knew the meaning of the sea
I never held emotion in the palm of my hand
Or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree

But now you're here
Brighten my northern sky