Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Papa Won't Leave You, Henry Lyrics






I went out walking the other day
The wind hung wet around my neck
My head it rung with screams and groans
From the night I spent amongst her bones
I passed beside the mission house
Where that mad old buzzard, the reverend,
Shrieked and flapped about life after your dead
Well, I thought about my friend, Michel
How they rolled him in linoleum
And shot him in the neck
A bloody halo, like a think-bubble
Circling his head
And I bellowed at the firmament
Looks like the rains are hear to stay
And the rain pissed down upon me
And washed me all away
Saying

Papa won't leave you, Henry
Papa won't leave you, Boy
Papa won't leave you, Henry
Papa won't leave you, Boy
Well, the road is long
And the road is hard
And many fall by the side
But Papa won't leave you, Henry
So there ain't no need to cry

And I went on down the road
He went on down the road
And I went on down the road
He went on down the road

Well, the moon it looked exhausted
Like something you should pity
Spent an age-spotted
Above the sizzling wires of the city
Well, it reminded me of her face
Her bleached and hungry eyes
Her hair was like a curtain
Falling open with the laughter
And closing with the lies
But the ghost of her still lingers on
Though she's passed through me
And is gone
The slum dogs, they are barking
And the rain children on the streets
And the tears that we will weep today
Will all be washed away
By the tears that we will weep again tomorrow

Papa won't leave you, Henry
Papa won't leave you, Boy
Papa won't leave you, Henry
Papa won't leave you, Boy
For the road is long
And the road is hard
And many fall by the side
But Papa won't leave you, Henry
So there ain't no need to cry

And I went on down the road
He went on down the road
And I went on down the road
He went on down the road

And I came upon a little house
A little house upon a hill
And I entered through, the curtain hissed
Into the house with its blood-red bowels
Where wet-lipped women with greasy fists
Crawled the ceilings and the walls
They filled me full of drink
And led me round the rooms
Naked and cold and grinning
Until everything went black
And I came down spinning
I awoke so drunk and full of rage
That I could hardly speak
A fag in a whale-bone corset
Draping his dick across my cheek
And its into the shame
And its into a guilt
And its into the fucking fray
And the walls ran red around me
A warm arterial spray
Saying

Papa won't leave you, Henry
Papa won't leave you, Boy
Papa won't leave you, Henry
Papa won't leave you, Boy
Well, the night is dark
And the night is deep
And its jaws are open wide
But Papa won't leave you, Henry
So there ain't no need to cry

And I went on down the road
He went on down the road
And I went on down the road
He went on down the road

It's the rainy season where I'm living
Death comes leaping out of every doorway
Wasting you for money, for your clothes
And for your nothing
Entire towns being washed away
Favelas exploding on inflammable spillways
Lynch-mobs, death squads, babies being born without brains
The mad heat and the relentless rains
And if you stick your arm into that hole
It comes out shit up to the bone
And with her kisses bubbling on my lips
I swiped the rain and nearly missed
And I went on down the road
He went on down the road
Singing

Papa won't leave you, Henry
Papa won't leave you, Boy
Papa won't leave you, Henry
Papa won't leave you, Boy
Well, the road is long
And the road is hard
And many fall by the side
But Papa won't leave you, Henry
So there ain't no need to cry

And I went on down the road
He went on down the road
And I went on down the road
He went on down the road
Bent Beneath my heavy load
Under his heavy load
Yeah, I went on down the road
Yeah, he went on down the road

Woah, woah
Woah, woah
Woah, woah
Woah, woah
And I went on down that road





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Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Papa Won't Leave You, Henry Comments
  1. t.... b....

    Che bellaaaaaaaa!

  2. D.... A....

    This album is fucking amazing, every song

  3. i.... c....

    Saint Nick at his best

  4. L.... S....

    ...that mad old buzzard the reverend...

  5. S.... ....

    I'm 39 years old, been listening to Nick Cave since I was 15 or 16 (meaning, have almost all his LPs, numerous EPs, was lucky enough to have had the pleasure to watch him live once, in Budapest, in the early 2000s...), and even at this very moment, when nothing significant happens in my life, when I go to concerts like that only a few times a year, when it's already dark in 5.30pm, cold, I'm alone, drinking after finishing the work, seating in front of the PC & listening to a good music... no matter how different everything is now, the moment the very first acords of this song begin, I feel as if I'd been injected with a "super-serum" of joy, self-esteem, beauty, energy.... AND I TRULY FEEL AS IF MY BRAIN gets some kind of a massage, that makes me feel as if I'm 16 again, and preparing to go out with my mates, and a having a blast! Drinking, getting high, listening to a great music, trying to win a beautiful girl's heart (but even if you end up with 'just' a pussy for the night, it's cool), or having a great time with my GF, doing various things up until the dawn!
    Yeah... That's the power that Nick (still) gives me!

    S.... ....

    The same here, brother. Same age, same stories, same adventures with poor ol' Nick music. So, " na zdraví " or " egészségedre " then.

  6. R.... r....

    Fuck ya

  7. R.... D....

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/123352023915

  8. C.... C....

    Give me some more music like that.

  9. C.... M....

    In this album, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds both rock on...Henry 's dream!!...

  10. A.... d....

    Love your songs

  11. J.... R....

    Papa Won't Leave You Henry
    Song Summary Review (star level: star)

    Generally, the end up moving into a house and killing everyone with a knife in a drunken massacre before going down the road for the billionth time already.

    Meanwhile, dad is back at home like always, as the boy continue to develop bitter contempt of having been left to his own devices by his own devices. However, the bitter contempt that came from out of nowhere one day, sees his own devices as exact memories of his father and vows to be a bastard for the rest of his life-- so long as his father is keeping his vow to never leave him, over and over.

    This story unfolds down the road and never really ends, because does life end? Yes it does.

    But does Papa leave Henry? He does in a sense-- to the boy

    -he left him when the boy walked away too far and he couldn't see him that well without standing still and straining. Therefore, dad was no more. It raining and he got lost. And ended up in jail. Where was dad? Probably looking for him.

    But he went on down the road and his father just let him do his own things, as he was now an adult with the issues of a child who never liked having a dad that kept his promises. But what boy does?

    "It's harder to break a promise, than your father's head."

    The chilling last words of this song music review thing I wrote because my dad left me when I was young.


    Or did he? No, he didn't. In fact, I never lived with my dad. I saw him on weekends and he's a great guy. But I listen to Nick Cave and I'm a terrible person.

    So you never know what your last words will really be and--

    You'll never know who you'll finally be. When you or dad, or both of you-- Get On Down That Road.

  12. K.... C....

    AWOWWOWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  13. S.... ....

    You all sucks more than Nick Cave

    S.... ....

    No one sucks more than Nick Cave. Blasphemy.

  14. m.... ....

    My dad always played this song when i was a little kid, about 5, after i lost my mom. Great memmories.

    m.... ....

    And then you went on down the road?

  15. H.... ....

    And the walls ran red around me.
    A warm arterial spray.

  16. R.... L....

    cave is god.

  17. a.... ....

    and I went on down the road

  18. c.... ....

    and the walls ran red around me - a warm arterial spray

  19. a.... g....

    Words are cheap,lot's about,you managed to put them together and make people like me euphoric and if I ever meet you,you will know me easy to recognise,exactly the same apart from appearances which with age see more or less

    Wilde Beckett Nick Cave ,


    The dynamite man's award missed it's target as all bombs do innocently
    Hope you live as you want,thanks for the honrsty,memory? and the rest

    Woofty Woof and thanks to the people in your tales,the musiciens who gave your tales life and the person who got it all yogethe and told them that they were as big as you.

  20. g.... ....

    My first name is Henry.My dad left before I was even born.You're wrong

  21. J.... B....

    I went out walking the other day
    The wind hung wet around my neck
    My head it rung with screams and groans
    From the night I spent amongst her bones
    I passed beside the mission house
    Where that mad old buzzard, the reverend,
    Shrieked and flapped about life after your dead
    Well, I thought about my friend, Michel
    How they rolled him in linoleum
    And shot him in the neck
    A bloody halo, like a think-bubble
    Circling his head
    And I bellowed at the firmament
    Looks like the rains are hear to stay
    And the rain pissed down upon me
    And washed me all away
    Saying

    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    Well, the road is long
    And the road is hard
    And many fall by the side
    But Papa won't leave you, Henry
    So there ain't no need to cry

    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road
    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road

    Well, the moon it looked exhausted
    Like something you should pity
    Spent an age-spotted
    Above the sizzling wires of the city
    Well, it reminded me of her face
    Her bleached and hungry eyes
    Her hair was like a curtain
    Falling open with the laughter
    And closing with the lies
    But the ghost of her still lingers on
    Though she's passed through me
    And is gone
    The slum dogs, they are barking
    And the rain children on the streets
    And the tears that we will weep today
    Will all be washed away
    By the tears that we will weep again tomorrow

    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    For the road is long
    And the road is hard
    And many fall by the side
    But Papa won't leave you, Henry
    So there ain't no need to cry

    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road
    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road

    And I came upon a little house
    A little house upon a hill
    And I entered through, the curtain hissed
    Into the house with its blood-red bowels
    Where wet-lipped women with greasy fists
    Crawled the ceilings and the walls
    They filled me full of drink
    And led me round the rooms
    Naked and cold and grinning
    Until everything went black
    And I came down spinning
    I awoke so drunk and full of rage
    That I could hardly speak
    A fag in a whale-bone corset
    Draping his dick across my cheek
    And its into the shame
    And its into a guilt
    And its into the fucking fray
    And the walls ran red around me
    A warm arterial spray
    Saying

    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    Well, the night is dark
    And the night is deep
    And its jaws are open wide
    But Papa won't leave you, Henry
    So there ain't no need to cry

    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road
    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road

    It's the rainy season where I'm living
    Death comes leaping out of every doorway
    Wasting you for money, for your clothes
    And for your nothing
    Entire towns being washed away
    Favelas exploding on inflammable spillways
    Lynch-mobs, death squads, babies being born without brains
    The mad heat and the relentless rains
    And if you stick your arm into that hole
    It comes out shit up to the bone
    And with her kisses bubbling on my lips
    I swiped the rain and nearly missed
    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road
    Singing

    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    Well, the road is long
    And the road is hard
    And many fall by the side
    But Papa won't leave you, Henry
    So there ain't no need to cry

    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road
    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road
    Bent Beneath my heavy load
    Under his heavy load
    Yeah, I went on down the road
    Yeah, he went on down the road

    Woah, woah
    Woah, woah
    Woah, woah
    Woah, woah
    And I went on down that road

  22. A.... R....

    NO NO NO NICK IS IN THE CAVE ! !

  23. L.... C....

    What am I thinkin' 'bout? While tryinng to pull out a dead body of my native father from a loop (suicide), someone inside my brains wuz pounding "papa won't leave you, henry? papa won't leave you, boy"

  24. p.... ....

    It's wet season where I live
    The Lynch mobs
    Death squads

  25. b.... ....

    I've heard that this album is NCs least favorite of his works, but I think it's pure genius. Simply one of the best albums I can think of.

    b.... ....

    buzzardbeatniks man Idk there are a couple songs off here I reAlly like can you suggest to me better couple albums?

    b.... ....

    Which album shows us a different NC... all of them are good...

    b.... ....

    @Robb Young All of them! ..but probably Murder Ballads.

    b.... ....

    It's the first album I heard, and the best, I think. I found it in my brother's record collection when I got back home after hearing him play live at Cambridge Folk Festival. It was just Nick playing piano and accompanied by a cellist, and they did this song and it just blew me away.

    b.... ....

    I am torn between this album, let love in and murder ballads.

  26. G.... H....

    this whole album is based on some 4th demension frontier town. amazing journey

    G.... H....

    oh yeah those 4th demension towns - so ubiquitous...

    G.... H....

    yup, part western part blakes 7. the landscape in the album are not from this world.  familiar, do i know him? No, its nothing like you have ever experienced.

  27. Z.... ....

    This song will never cease to be amazing.

  28. M.... ....

    nick cave is on the internetz?.

  29. M.... F....

    Mama will never leave you, Nicky.x 

  30. H.... L....

    "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry"

    I went out walking the other day
    The wind hung wet around my neck
    My head it rung with screams and groans
    From the night I spent amongst her bones
    I passed beside the mission house
    Where that mad old buzzard, the reverend,
    Shrieked and flapped about life after your dead
    Well, I thought about my friend, Michel
    How they rolled him in linoleum
    And shot him in the neck
    A bloody halo, like a think-bubble
    Circling his head
    And I bellowed at the firmament
    Looks like the rains are hear to stay
    And the rain pissed down upon me
    And washed me all away
    Saying

    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    Well, the road is long
    And the road is hard
    And many fall by the side
    But Papa won't leave you, Henry
    So there ain't no need to cry

    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road
    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road

    Well, the moon it looked exhausted
    Like something you should pity
    Spent an age-spotted
    Above the sizzling wires of the city
    Well, it reminded me of her face
    Her bleached and hungry eyes
    Her hair was like a curtain
    Falling open with the laughter
    And closing with the lies
    But the ghost of her still lingers on
    Though she's passed through me
    And is gone
    The slum dogs, they are barking
    And the rain children on the streets
    And the tears that we will weep today
    Will all be washed away
    By the tears that we will weep again tomorrow

    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    For the road is long
    And the road is hard
    And many fall by the side
    But Papa won't leave you, Henry
    So there ain't no need to cry

    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road
    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road

    And I came upon a little house
    A little house upon a hill
    And I entered through, the curtain hissed
    Into the house with its blood-red bowels
    Where wet-lipped women with greasy fists
    Crawled the ceilings and the walls
    They filled me full of drink
    And led me round the rooms
    Naked and cold and grinning
    Until everything went black
    And I came down spinning
    I awoke so drunk and full of rage
    That I could hardly speak
    A fag in a whale-bone corset
    Draping his dick across my cheek
    And its into the shame
    And its into a guilt
    And its into the fucking fray
    And the walls ran red around me
    A warm arterial spray
    Saying

    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    Well, the night is dark
    And the night is deep
    And its jaws are open wide
    But Papa won't leave you, Henry
    So there ain't no need to cry

    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road
    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road

    It's the rainy season where I'm living
    Death comes leaping out of every doorway
    Wasting you for money, for your clothes
    And for your nothing
    Entire towns being washed away
    Favelas exploding on inflammable spillways
    Lynch-mobs, death squads, babies being born without brains
    The mad heat and the relentless rains
    And if you stick your arm into that hole
    It comes out shit up to the bone
    And with her kisses bubbling on my lips
    I swiped the rain and nearly missed
    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road
    Singing

    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    Papa won't leave you, Henry
    Papa won't leave you, Boy
    Well, the road is long
    And the road is hard
    And many fall by the side
    But Papa won't leave you, Henry
    So there ain't no need to cry

    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road
    And I went on down the road
    He went on down the road
    Bent Beneath my heavy load
    Under his heavy load
    Yeah, I went on down the road
    Yeah, he went on down the road

    Woah, woah
    Woah, woah
    Woah, woah
    Woah, woah
    And I went on down that road

  31. H.... L....

    this is THEE MASTER.

  32. b.... ....

    By being a moving ,evocative and talented musician If you don't like him, that's OK but you're missing out on a damn fine musician. Artists like Nick live on while pretty boys like Bibier and Chris Brown are ultimately forgotten.

  33. S.... R....

    hahaha you loser

  34. s.... g....

    very niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiice

  35. s.... g....

    nice song but i don't like that her

  36. g.... m....

    i fucking like it!

  37. E.... b....

    +1 New and exciting!

  38. n.... n....

    say the fuckin pray

  39. S.... ....

    Did papa ever leave you?

  40. H.... F....

    this album is one reason my parents named Henry

    H.... F....

    So did you get on down the road in the end or not?

  41. M.... R....

    You get used to it.

  42. D.... A....

    bit... rustic american...

  43. j.... ....

    wet lipped women with greasy fists

  44. Z.... ....

    Brings back the best worst memories.

  45. N.... G....

    Love IT!!!

  46. b.... ....

    WELL IT'S INTO THE SHAME
    AND IT'S INTO THE GUILT
    AND IT'S INTO THE FUCKEN FRAY

  47. I.... C....

    Damn. This album is so damn good!

  48. A.... P....

    @smacker717 YES

  49. G.... P....

    @smacker717
    You must come from Brisbane

  50. b.... ....

    looks like Rain is Here-to-Stay

  51. E.... R....

    i love it !!!!! este hombre y su banda me enloquecen .. música bien hecha !!!! macabra y sutil.. loca y cuerda a la vez... amo a Nick Cave.. lo amo.

  52. B.... ....

    Odlicna pesma, album Henry's Dream mi je jedan od najboljih albuma svih vremena pravi dragulj!

  53. w.... ....

    i would totally ride a horse on this song

  54. F.... H....

    I listened to this before I fired a 357 Magnum a few months ago. Thought it would add to the effect. It did, I just found the whole situation to be like something from a Hunter S Thompson story.

  55. M.... ....

    best fucking song fucking ever! yay!

  56. K.... C....

    @smacker717
    gravity is gone
    there is only you
    holding me down
    down here among the bones
    we seek a new relationship
    we seek a brighter ditch to lie in
    but beyond this poetic crap
    i want you

    desperately

  57. T.... B....

    @smacker717
    God damn, sir, that was as nearly rapturous and beautiful as the song itself.

  58. 1.... ....

    PESMA JEBE KEWU! SONYA NA SWOME JEZIKU

  59. �.... �....

    Он поет про мою жизнь.!!! Красавец!!!

  60. m.... ....

    Henry's Dream is my favourite Nick Cave album and Papa Won't Leave You Henry, my favourite song.

  61. H.... ....

    The Live seeds version is the best but this will do as well. It has some of my favorite lyrics on how things are out of your own control...

  62. b.... ....

    @TheLuckystar71 I can...a few, one's name is Kylie Minogue, and she's the co-singer in They Call Me the Wild Rose, and she gets her head smashed in with a brick:)...that's a frikking LOVE song.

  63. b.... ....

    @shakeahand1 and an actor, yes:)

  64. F.... H....

    @polaristhe2

    I've known about that movie for ages and just never bothered.. I might buy it today and watch it.

  65. s.... ....

    @trollfinger

    actually he made a western flick called "proposition". It's badass

  66. D.... N....

    smacker you beautiful crazy soothsayer you are right the fuck on it...Love ya

  67. t.... ....

    Babies being born without brains ... fcking hell
    Insane .. love it!

  68. M.... L....

    I saw him in Canadas in around 93 or so. Just awesome!! Music has stuck with me since!

  69. l.... ....

    thank god!

  70. F.... H....

    A lot of Nick Caves music sounds like cowboy music to me. Gunslingers and the likes.

  71. r.... ....

    unfortunanly he has hepititis

  72. r.... ....

    so true

  73. l.... ....

    i guess, but nobody will ever do it better than nick cave himself.

  74. l.... ....

    that's for sure. plus im was born in the late 90's and i stil like 60's-90's music better that those squeeling pigs.

  75. l.... ....

    how come nobody knows nick cave in the USA? i mean everybody is surprised that i dont like selena gomez or taylor swift. i dont like them because compared to nick cave and other 80's/90's artists, taylor swift and selena gomez SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  76. 1.... ....

    Awsome!

  77. T.... ....

    Do you know what I love about Nick Cave? He's so MASCULINE. Can you imagain a woman doing a cover of any of his songs? No.

    T.... ....

    Chelsea Wolfe did a cover of I Let Love In

    T.... ....

    Skip van der Zwaan P J Harvey does some too.

    T.... ....

    TheLuckystar71 yes i can

    T.... ....

    Well thats just a silly thing to say now isn't is?

  78. s.... b....

    papa won't leave glandly
    when i come strangly
    the ass saw the DAND - Y

  79. s.... ....

    Bad novel. Great record.

  80. e.... m....

    Well said, to me it could almost be the soundtrack to his novel And the ass saw the angel. Brutal, vivid hypnotic imagery!

  81. R.... S....

    Perfectly put; I got a feeling this is something Robert Smith would have said, should he ever comment on YouTube.

  82. b.... ....

    thanks for uploading the song! I had searched it so many times :)

  83. s.... ....

    I know it's hard to get close, and do a good cover of Nick Cave, we just gave it a try, if you are interested, you can check us out, search: trend reversal darker
    hope you like it, we look forward to critics

  84. s.... ....

    Wow, smartly said, I caught the feeling of it, when I read it - I just came back form the concert in Budapest last night - and this was one of the bloodiest blast songs.

  85. P.... E....

    said everything

  86. m.... ....

    yeah!!! thanks a lot!!for posting this