I see Nick Drake, I instantly click! What a criminally underrated genius of his time, also a gentle but poor soul. I relate to the solitude and loneliness Drake had felt during his lifetime, depression is no joke and can be harmful. I feel deeply sorry he had to end his own chapters tragically, but his invaluable lifetime works will forever be remembered and appreciated dearly by all of his fans posthumously 🙏🙏
Thankyou for covering Nick’s beautiful music. I first heard his music in 1992 after a night out clubbing at ministry of sound in London, and going back to a near stranger’s house in Richmond upon Thames, he pulled out a worn copy of Five Leaves Left in the early morning hours before we slept and asked if I’d ever heard of Nick Drake? The song he played me as the dawn rose was River Man and it has stayed with me as one of the most magical moments in my life. I visit Nick’s grave in the midlands to pay my respects and give thanks for his music in the sleepy village of Tamworth in Arden when I can. His gravestone is etched with the word ‘and now we rise and we are everywhere.’ Wonderful, timeless music.
“You’re a rare, rare find A troubled cure For a troubled mind” These lines from “Time has told me” make me cry everytime I hear them. Nick Drake was a phenomenal lyricist aside from the great music. There is an interesting version of “River Man” from the Nigel Kennedy Quintet with Boy George (!) on vocals. Thank you for the content you do not fail to produce in such fantastic quality. Listening to and learning from you is a great experience. Thank you very much, again!
The lyrics to Cello Song are unreal, for example. "Strange face with your eyes, so pale and sincere. Underneath in a world, for you have nothing to fear. For the dreams that came to you, when so young.........told of a light where spring is sprung". And the closing lines.........."And if one day you should see me in a crowd, lend a hand and lift me to your place in the cloud". Written in 1969 on the album Five Leaves Left..........he died in 1974. Five. Leaves. Left. Analyse that last line again and again. I LOVE Nick Drake.
So glad a real musician has discovered Nick Drake and chose to breakdown one of many of his iconic songs ❤ His whole catalog is like finding a pirate’s chest of gold and jewel bootie 🌟 Much respect to your choice and channel ~
I remember while stationed in Germany and getting stuck on rearguard this old retired GI had the radio on in the breakroom at the mailroom on some unknown public English language station. While eating lunch one day a 15 minute spot played on the genius of Nick Drake with excerpts from his songs and a musical breakdown for each one. I went straight to a local German music shop (great for finding music hard to find in the States-lots of British music) and got 'Bryter Layter'. Even the names of his albums had a melancholy touch-'Bryter Layter' being a play on weather forecasts in the paper, 'rain and clouds early, brighter later' and 'Five Leaves Left' being what was written on cigarette rolling papers to tell you that you were about to run out. As Jerry Cantrell stated, the best music usually comes from the darkest places.
This is the best analysis of a Nick Drake song that I've ever heard. Thank you for this. I wish every scholarly musician could speak as clearly as this. One more tidbit about Drake...those who worked with him say he usually recorded his guitar in one take no matter how downtrodden he was physically and mentally. Just showed up and laid down a perfect track right out of the gate. Prodigious talent in every way.
I just read Richard Morton Jack's biography of Nick Drake and was stunned that almost all of his songs were recorded live (aside from what @andyj482 correctly brings up about Pink Moon). I mean, River Man, Day is Done, Three Hours, Fruit Tree, Time of No Reply, Hazey Jane I, all the instrumentals. All those songs are pretty hard to play on their own, but his vocal melodies are distinctly different from those in the guitar parts. And he played them perfectly in time, without missing a note, every time. He was unbelievably good.
@@johnnyCheeseburgerPink Moon was actually recorded over the course of two nights, with most of the songs being done live in one take (playing and singing at the same time). The last songs he recorded shortly before his passing (Hanging On A Star, Black Eyed Dog, Rider On The Wheel, Voice From The Mountain, and Tow The Line) were the ones in which he recorded his playing and vocals separately. There are some instrumental only versions of most of those songs on RUclips as well.
Been listening to this song for almost 40 years now, that string section gives me goosebumps every time. The ebb and flow, the trills, the swirling undercurrents, and that strange 'magic chord' at the end, which evokes a feeling of things left unresolved. A young man peering into his own depths.
Drake's music is a sad, deep and beautiful mystery, from which you have lifted a veil, revealing a deeper mystery. You ask the question: "Where does this music come from?" It's a resonance of creation, both nothing and everything. If you know, you know, as Drake did. As you do. Well done.
‘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?’ I love Northern Sky and we had this played as our exit music at our wedding. I got through the ceremony without needing a hanky but the opening bars of this as we left made me tear up. Nick was a genius. Thanks for this video, great insight. I’m so happy you got to discover his music.
Thank you. I love this track (and literally all tracks on five Leaves left) so much. Nick was too beautiful and talented for this world, but I wish we could have had him longer.
@@joeldcanfield_spinhead yes. I can remember the songs on the album well, and the album cover, and I can remember when the NPR “listening room” host introduced me to Nick in the nineties, buying the album on CD at the now long-defunct record store, but I still got the name wrong. Human minds are weird
@@safetinspector2 Kathryn Schulz, author of "Being Wrong", asks audiences what it feels like to be wrong. Answers are always "embarrassing, frustrating" etc. and she says, "No, that's what it feels like to *realize* you were wrong. Being wrong feels *exactly* like being right, because you don't know any different." "weird" is a stupendous understatement ;)
The tremolo bit always gets me, the build of anticipation right before the strings hit that that tense chords with that broken texture feels so eerie and just good every time
I'm struck by what you said about familiarity. I finally found Nick Drake recently and remember distinctly thinking 'I know you' when I heard Riverman, like I'd always known it. Except it was the first time i'd heard it.
This guy never fails to drop the most excellent musical analyses. Just fantastic. Great song, great analysis of the song, great way to break it down and show it off.
thanks so much for puting so much work in honoring Nick Drake's River Man and explaining in such precise and lovely way what and why it's so beautifull ... the string arangement by Harry Robertson is a marvel
I've been fascinated with this man's music since I first discovered it in the late 90s. All three of his albums are excellent and it's so sad that his work didn't receive much love when he was still here.
It is so, so beautiful. Also, for me, so evocative. My parents played this around me when I was a kid in the 80s. It takes me back there. Thank you for this video.
strangely enough it comes from the music his mother would play on the piano - there is a documentary with a snippet of her playing - it all clicks as to his inspiration
I discovered Nick Drake’s music recently and I’m searching for everything about him on RUclips. This is one of the best videos about a truly brilliant song. Thank you, I’ve now subscribed to your channel.
This is awesome. When I found the music of Nick Drake in my '20s, it was courtesy of a CD attached to a Q Magazine music edition from England called "Q Essential Chill Out" (yes, that's how old I am). There was Groove Armada, Moloko, Goldfrapp, Grandaddy, and Nick Drake - "The River Man". We played that CD on repeat. And occasionally still do! While I worked out how to play The River Man on acoustic, you just can't play it without hearing the strings, production and Nick's unique voice and enunciation. A singular talent lost to his demons before we could see how far he could take his talent. Thank you for this!
Thank you for this excellent summary. Was intially overwhelmed by the beauty of the song when recently heard. Have always been drawn to chiaroscuro in music and art.
This was THE album that made me want to learn double bass when I was a teenager. Nick Drake is incredibly brilliant on his own (see Pink Moon) but Danny Thompson takes it to a whole nother level. Check out "Three Hours" for some of the most exhilarating bass you'll ever hear
I know I've said this many times but when I first heard this song I literally cried. I find it so beautiful. And I am very happy to see you talking about it. I had seen your content before, but I'll subscribe now.
I can't think of any music that relaxes me better than Nick Drakes music. It signals the start to beautiful rest or pulls the world back into a state of quiet self-contemplation. Rest his soul, he made incredible music and never knew it.🎶
Brilliant breakdown.. Thank you. It's always nice to know the nuts and bolts beneath a song and man I have been listening to for over 50 years... (Yes, I am that old).. The best bit for me was the breakdown of the string parts.... and what a stunning understanding of Nick's song that composer had. And as for Danny Thompson... been lucky enough to have see him a couple of times... especially with John Martyn (Nick's great friend and confidant).. and Richard Thompson.. yet more great British music.... (Sorry for being a bit partiotic there.... LOL). Keep on Rocking)
The first time I heard Nick Drake's music was in a kitchen at work. A co-worker had put a disk in the music box and I asked him: "Who are we listening to? He told me then I asked if I could borrow the disk and take it home for a better and closer listen. I smoked some cannabis flower and put on The Cello Song. Blew my mind. Everything said in this video. River Man literally brought me to tears. I still love Nicks music.
No problem listening to the riverman on a loop seven, eight nine times I'll give it a rest for a month maybe, back again, cannot live without it. A stunning masterpiece. Great analysis, thanks.
the arrangement around the core of the song is incredibly good, you see that everyone envolved in the recording makes the song greater, moments like that can't be planed, there's a magic to it.
Excellent analysis and a huge thanks for shedding light on how the bass supports Nick’s guitar. This song is a masterclass in balancing tension and release. The first time I played the Five Leaves Left album I also sat in awe and replayed River Man at least five times before moving to the next song.
Love this man. Miss him, yet I wasn’t alive while he was… his music just touches me man. His entire discography is near flawless in my eyes. Thank you for this!
Oh my god, thank you for reconnecting me to this beautiful moving song. Hearing it again, even cut up, it goes right through me. I can’t explain how deep it goes. And thank you for the insight. I think I might be picking up my guitar to learn it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I discovered Nick Drake by accident in 1979. I had never heard anything like him. His music still haunts me to this day. So little is really known about him other than through stories told by his friends and family. Typically, this would add to an artists's mystique, but in Nick's case, his music is so profound that I don't feel one could ever really understand him. I had a chance to meet Dave Pegg and Dave Mattacks who played on Bryter Layter and asked them questions about the experience of working with Nick and they were equally mystified by him and did not have much insight due to his extreme introversion. Such a tragic loss but what a wealth of art he left for all of us in his short years.
I'm so pleased for you,that you've found Nick Drake, one of UK music's hidden gems. Unfortunately, advertisers here turned his classics into clichés, so it's difficult for some of us to listen to these jewels without wincing. On the plus side, I think you're right - the sheer quality will outlast the jingles and the music will be listened to for generations to come. Lucky you, to hear it all fresh and un-hijacked!
So glad you discovered this song and Nick's music! Another song by Nick that has a similar timeless and yet contemporary feel is "Clothes of Sand," which has these lyrics: Does it now seem worth all the colour of skies To see the earth through painted eyes? To look through panes of shaded glass See the stains of winter's grass Can you now return to from where you came? Try to burn your changing name Or with silver spoons and coloured light Will you worship moons in winter's night? Clothes of sand have covered your face Given you meaning but taken my place So make your way on down to the sea Something has taken you so far from me I love in both songs -- and in many of Nick's lyrics overall -- how he makes the listener feel at the same time like you don't really know what the song is about and that you somehow understand it completely anyway.
Clothes of Sand was about himself, written from the point of view of his parents. Unbelievable to me having that kind of maturity and perspective in one's early 20's
Beautiful breakdown of an utterly GORGEOUS song...probably my second favorite Nick Drake tune (Place To Be is my favorite). I love how you gave us the musical notation and meaning behind the structure of the song, but in a way that wasn't too complicated. I'm also very happy Nick Drake's music is being found and adored by new fans all the time. He was an absolute genius. Thank you for the video!!
That C7#11 chord, I believe, appears in a moment of comedy on the soundtrack album of Fritz The Cat. The song "The Only Girl I Ever Really Loved" ends with a quick crossfade to a different version, and the vibes player hits (I think) this exact chord. If you listen, you can hear him say "hear that chord? Quick! Save this chord I hit!" like he didn't know what he did. There is laughter. It's a great moment :)
Thanks so much for this ! Discovered Nick and his music last year. Listened to and bought all his albums. Tragic genius. My 2nd favourite is From the Morning. Cried the first time I heard it.
Fabulous, I also remember the first time I heard Nick Drake, well it was only 52 years ago… still play is songs regularly their beauty and emotional power continue to grow.
I first heard this song in the late 90's several times from a jazz radio station (in France), I didn't know Nick Drake but the song stuck in my mind. Then in the 2000's I got offered this album, (still not knowing anything about Nick Drake), and I immediately recognised the song River Man that I heard years before. I was surprised as the song didn't sound like it would come from the type of artist that Nick Drake appeared to be, a guitar playing folk singer,, but then I quickly realised that there are many different sides to Nick Drake, and they all blend together. River Man is still my favourite song by Nick Drake.
So glad you've found nick drake! A mate bought me five leaves left on vinyl a few years back. Never had such an immediate and deep reaction to music in my life! There's a few good documentaries on RUclips. Brad Pitt has done one!
Thank you for this. Nick Drake’s music has always captivated me, and it’s great to see you break down some of the intricacies of it. Always love hearing you play the upright also
I found Nick Drake's music after watching a TV show that had a song of his playing in the background. I bought three CD's with his musik and just love the tonality of every song. A bit melancholy, yet so beautiful. He would have gone soo much further I'm sure. A couple of my favs..."At The Chime of A City Clock", and "Northern Sky"..."Hazey Jane I" is yet another beautiful composition of his. I love the string arrangements of his songs. Glad that you discovered his musik pdbass...It was a newly discovered gem for me as well.
This is why you’re one of my favorite music RUclipsrs. I’ve known Nick Drake’s music (and this song) since I was a kid, and its influence has definitely found its way into my own songwriting, but I deeply enjoyed your deconstruction of this tune from a first-time-encounter perspective - particularly because in this case it’s easily proven that analyzing a song doesn’t make it any less magical. If anything, maybe moreso. ❤
Riverman stunned me when I first heard it. I had to listen a second time which moved me to tears because I began to work out that this was a piece about suicide. "Betty came by, on her way, Said she had a word to say, 'Bout things today, And fallen leaves." She's attempted telling people how it is, and that there's nothing she can do & feels powerless. "Said she hadn't heard the news, Hadn't had the time to choose, A way to lose, But she believes." She doesn't how, but she may have a mistake in her darkest hour, not entirely unbeknown to her, but she regrets it & believes there may still be time to call for help. "Gonna see the river man, Gonna tell him all I can, About the plan, For lilac time." The Riverman, is of course referring to limbo. The River Styx. She has a sudden change of heart, & wants to cling on to life so she can find love and build a family. "If he tells me all he knows, 'Bout the way his river flows, And all night shows, In summertime." She believes that he can tell her which way is death and life for her to reconsider her affirmation. She introspects and reminisces about her happier times in summer and going out enjoying life. "Betty said she prayed today, For the sky to blow away, Or maybe stay, She wasn't sure." Whilst she does her best to reconcile, Betty is tentative, & admits she has nihilistic tenancies & considers it maybe better if she just wasn't alive. The line you singled out eludes to how uncertain Betty is about ending it all. What's even more heart rending is how he explains in the line "For when she thought of summer rain, Calling for her mind again, She lost the pain, And stayed for more" that dejection, self-loathing and indeed depression feels more natural to her now & she begins not to care as the life seeps out of her. "About the Ban on feeling Free" means that she really never felt that she had a choice - that society, family, and the world as it is; may have robbed her of this want or even a need to stay alive. However, just when you think it couldn't get any more heart-breaking, Nick suddenly reveals that _he_ is indeed Betty. "I don't suppose it's meant for me." He spares not a tear nor a care for both himself and those who followed or those who were taken prior. "Oh how they come and go". He reiterates it, so that the listener knows how wrong everything in reality is. Nick lived and died by his words, which is why I think it is so overwhelmingly poignant. And far too many of us have heard this calling in the depths of our own despondency and struggle. It becomes more relevant every day that passes as we all flow towards this river; as individuals and as a species too. Such is the piquancy of life and the unfounded ramifications of entropy.
I can never forget the first time I’ve heard that song - It was in the late 80’s, I was a teenager at my parent’s house, had my headphones on listening to a foreign radio station I recently discovered: The British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) that was located in Cyprus (I live in Israel). They had this special program every Friday night with two hosts that used to play non-mainstream music. They’ve put on “River man” and it was so unique and enchanting that I had to explore more about Nick Drake. I’ve managed to get a hold of the “Five Leaves Left” Vinyl which I found in the second-hand section of a record shop and later on as a Photographer I’ve created an art work that was dedicated to Drake which I named “Fruit Tree” - The song that sadly predicted his future and the popularity and recognition he got after his death. Thanks so much for this detailed analysis!
Thanks for this. So great to hear some details on why this song is such MAGIC. Nick's tragic life is so sad. "One of These Things First" is my favorite but "River Man" is a VERY close second. Please keep doing what you do! So great to be able to gain insight and appreciation from your prodigious musical knowledge. (Subscribed!)
That was awesome. Thank you. Nick Drake has long been a favorite of mine. His depth, melancholy, and genuine expression always yanks at my heartstrings. You present such an eloquent breakdown of what is actually taking place on a musical level while at the same time acknowledging the emotional, intuitive and spontaneous aspects of the creative process. Well done!!
I recently discovered his music as well. Bought all three of his studio albums within one month. Incredibly talented guy, I think his music needed time to sink in. With music so sophisticated, many of the public had to sort out what they were actually hearing and sadly, for many, maybe it was just too much!
I see Nick Drake, I instantly click! What a criminally underrated genius of his time, also a gentle but poor soul. I relate to the solitude and loneliness Drake had felt during his lifetime, depression is no joke and can be harmful. I feel deeply sorry he had to end his own chapters tragically, but his invaluable lifetime works will forever be remembered and appreciated dearly by all of his fans posthumously 🙏🙏
Not only of his time. 🙂
Perfectly put. I agree wholeheartedly
@@Peter-pg8qnStrangely, River Man has become a jazz standard.
😊@@gillesserrigny6324 .
"Now we rise / And we are everywhere" : the epitaph on Nick's grave stone in Tanworth-in-Arden church yard.
Thankyou for covering Nick’s beautiful music. I first heard his music in 1992 after a night out clubbing at ministry of sound in London, and going back to a near stranger’s house in Richmond upon Thames, he pulled out a worn copy of Five Leaves Left in the early morning hours before we slept and asked if I’d ever heard of Nick Drake? The song he played me as the dawn rose was River Man and it has stayed with me as one of the most magical moments in my life. I visit Nick’s grave in the midlands to pay my respects and give thanks for his music in the sleepy village of Tamworth in Arden when I can. His gravestone is etched with the word ‘and now we rise and we are everywhere.’ Wonderful, timeless music.
“You’re a rare, rare find
A troubled cure
For a troubled mind”
These lines from “Time has told me” make me cry everytime I hear them. Nick Drake was a phenomenal lyricist aside from the great music.
There is an interesting version of “River Man” from the Nigel Kennedy Quintet with Boy George (!) on vocals.
Thank you for the content you do not fail to produce in such fantastic quality. Listening to and learning from you is a great experience. Thank you very much, again!
Nice to see someone else recognising NK & Boy George's version. BG's more mature voice is so good, and fits perfectly.
Thank you for leading me to this wonderful rendition of a beautiful song!
The Cure got their band name from these lyrics
@@justinlinusotto1222 Oh, I did not know that. Thank you, now I like it even more 🙂
@@justinlinusotto1222: I love The Cure. I did not know they got their name from Nick Drake.
The lyrics to Cello Song are unreal, for example. "Strange face with your eyes, so pale and sincere. Underneath in a world, for you have nothing to fear. For the dreams that came to you, when so young.........told of a light where spring is sprung".
And the closing lines.........."And if one day you should see me in a crowd, lend a hand and lift me to your place in the cloud". Written in 1969 on the album Five Leaves Left..........he died in 1974. Five. Leaves. Left. Analyse that last line again and again. I LOVE Nick Drake.
So glad a real musician has discovered Nick Drake and chose to breakdown one of many of his iconic songs ❤
His whole catalog is like finding a pirate’s chest of gold and jewel bootie 🌟
Much respect to your choice and channel ~
Nick Drake is to music what Fernando Pessoa is to poetry.
I remember while stationed in Germany and getting stuck on rearguard this old retired GI had the radio on in the breakroom at the mailroom on some unknown public English language station. While eating lunch one day a 15 minute spot played on the genius of Nick Drake with excerpts from his songs and a musical breakdown for each one. I went straight to a local German music shop (great for finding music hard to find in the States-lots of British music) and got 'Bryter Layter'. Even the names of his albums had a melancholy touch-'Bryter Layter' being a play on weather forecasts in the paper, 'rain and clouds early, brighter later' and 'Five Leaves Left' being what was written on cigarette rolling papers to tell you that you were about to run out. As Jerry Cantrell stated, the best music usually comes from the darkest places.
When I first discovered Drake, I listened to RIVER MAN on loop for 3 days.
Oh yes, that's how I felt too, it goes straight to the mind...❤
This is the best analysis of a Nick Drake song that I've ever heard. Thank you for this. I wish every scholarly musician could speak as clearly as this.
One more tidbit about Drake...those who worked with him say he usually recorded his guitar in one take no matter how downtrodden he was physically and mentally. Just showed up and laid down a perfect track right out of the gate. Prodigious talent in every way.
I read that the Pink Moon album was an exception to that - a lot of the vocals were separate because he couldn’t hold it together very well.
@@andyj482 I'm sure he eventually reached a breaking point give how profoundly ill he was.
I just read Richard Morton Jack's biography of Nick Drake and was stunned that almost all of his songs were recorded live (aside from what @andyj482 correctly brings up about Pink Moon). I mean, River Man, Day is Done, Three Hours, Fruit Tree, Time of No Reply, Hazey Jane I, all the instrumentals. All those songs are pretty hard to play on their own, but his vocal melodies are distinctly different from those in the guitar parts. And he played them perfectly in time, without missing a note, every time. He was unbelievably good.
@@johnnyCheeseburgerPink Moon was actually recorded over the course of two nights, with most of the songs being done live in one take (playing and singing at the same time). The last songs he recorded shortly before his passing (Hanging On A Star, Black Eyed Dog, Rider On The Wheel, Voice From The Mountain, and Tow The Line) were the ones in which he recorded his playing and vocals separately. There are some instrumental only versions of most of those songs on RUclips as well.
@@bmxmyth166 Even more impressive honestly. Thank you for the correction!
I just discovered this miracle of a song today. And then I found your wonderful breakdown. Thank you so much for that.
Been listening to this song for almost 40 years now, that string section gives me goosebumps every time. The ebb and flow, the trills, the swirling undercurrents, and that strange 'magic chord' at the end, which evokes a feeling of things left unresolved. A young man peering into his own depths.
Love Drake to bits. I can hardly listen to River Man without bursting into tears...
Drake's music is a sad, deep and beautiful mystery, from which you have lifted a veil, revealing a deeper mystery. You ask the question: "Where does this music come from?" It's a resonance of creation, both nothing and everything. If you know, you know, as Drake did. As you do. Well done.
I still cry every time I hear it
‘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?’
I love Northern Sky and we had this played as our exit music at our wedding. I got through the ceremony without needing a hanky but the opening bars of this as we left made me tear up. Nick was a genius. Thanks for this video, great insight. I’m so happy you got to discover his music.
Awesome!! Came to comment this same verse. What an incredible moment that must have been for you.
Thank you. I love this track (and literally all tracks on five Leaves left) so much.
Nick was too beautiful and talented for this world, but I wish we could have had him longer.
Five Leaves Left? If that's the one you mean, agreed entirely. Worth binging.
@@joeldcanfield_spinhead yes, lol! My stupid memory tells me things and they always seem correct
@@safetinspector2 ah, the old "don't believe everything you think" challenge.
@@joeldcanfield_spinhead yes. I can remember the songs on the album well, and the album cover, and I can remember when the NPR “listening room” host introduced me to Nick in the nineties, buying the album on CD at the now long-defunct record store, but I still got the name wrong. Human minds are weird
@@safetinspector2 Kathryn Schulz, author of "Being Wrong", asks audiences what it feels like to be wrong. Answers are always "embarrassing, frustrating" etc. and she says, "No, that's what it feels like to *realize* you were wrong. Being wrong feels *exactly* like being right, because you don't know any different."
"weird" is a stupendous understatement ;)
love Nick Drake. Reminds me of Scott Walker compositions. Love that you're on a Nick Drake journey. Thank you for sharing.
He was such a technically brilliant player too. Such difficult chord shapes yet every note rings beautifully.
The tremolo bit always gets me, the build of anticipation right before the strings hit that that tense chords with that broken texture feels so eerie and just good every time
I bought this album when it came out, I was in love with this song in particular, and I still am. It is perfect, in every way....
My favorite lyric is from "From the Morning": "And now we rise, and we are everywhere." It's carved on Nick Drake's tombstone.
I'm struck by what you said about familiarity. I finally found Nick Drake recently and remember distinctly thinking 'I know you' when I heard Riverman, like I'd always known it. Except it was the first time i'd heard it.
Your channel doesn't give me what I want; it gives me what I didn't know I need!
🎼
This guy never fails to drop the most excellent musical analyses. Just fantastic. Great song, great analysis of the song, great way to break it down and show it off.
thanks so much for puting so much work in honoring Nick Drake's River Man and explaining in such precise and lovely way what and why it's so beautifull ... the string arangement by Harry Robertson is a marvel
Beautiful song and perfect analysis. He reminds me of David Sylvian.
Sylvian is influenced by Drake big time...he even has his own "River Man"
I've been fascinated with this man's music since I first discovered it in the late 90s. All three of his albums are excellent and it's so sad that his work didn't receive much love when he was still here.
It is so, so beautiful. Also, for me, so evocative. My parents played this around me when I was a kid in the 80s. It takes me back there. Thank you for this video.
This is and always will be my all time favorite song. There's never been one like at and there never will. Absolute masterpiece.
"you can take the road that'll take you to the stars now
I can take the road that'll see me through..."
A very humbling artist that was gone too soon.
I came by this song yesterday and can't stop listening and analysing it...
More stuff on Nick Drake would be so helpful. The way he approaches harmony on the Pink Moon album has always blown me away, but eludes me....
strangely enough it comes from the music his mother would play on the piano - there is a documentary with a snippet of her playing - it all clicks as to his inspiration
possibly in part because Nick used his own tunings so it's not easy to parse just by ear
@@benleydon once upon a time i downloaded NIck's mom's songs -- back in kazaa days. eerie songs but magical
Wonderful song, Nik was one of the greatest artists ever. Fantastic analysis.
I discovered Nick Drake’s music recently and I’m searching for everything about him on RUclips. This is one of the best videos about a truly brilliant song. Thank you, I’ve now subscribed to your channel.
This is awesome. When I found the music of Nick Drake in my '20s, it was courtesy of a CD attached to a Q Magazine music edition from England called "Q Essential Chill Out" (yes, that's how old I am). There was Groove Armada, Moloko, Goldfrapp, Grandaddy, and Nick Drake - "The River Man". We played that CD on repeat. And occasionally still do! While I worked out how to play The River Man on acoustic, you just can't play it without hearing the strings, production and Nick's unique voice and enunciation.
A singular talent lost to his demons before we could see how far he could take his talent. Thank you for this!
I discovered ND about 20 years ago. His music takes you somewhere else. He's in a category by himself.
wow i have chills because i had the same experience earlier this year--"discovering" the music and story of Nick Drake...just speechless
Thank you for this excellent summary. Was intially overwhelmed by the beauty of the song when recently heard. Have always been drawn to chiaroscuro in music and art.
It's my favorite song from "Five leaves left"; I wish, Nick had had the recognition during his short life...🥺
I'm totally in love with this song! ❤
Nick's music is incredible. His mother, Molly, was also an unreal good musician.
PDBass - the new Beato of breakdowns. Superb analysis of a sublime song. Can't ask for anymore than that.
Thank you for analysing this beautiful song. Now I know why it’s fantastic!
This was THE album that made me want to learn double bass when I was a teenager. Nick Drake is incredibly brilliant on his own (see Pink Moon) but Danny Thompson takes it to a whole nother level. Check out "Three Hours" for some of the most exhilarating bass you'll ever hear
He's wonderful playing with Richard Thompson.
@@RaymondPeckIII He’s wonderful playing with ANYBODY…recordings of Pentangle and John Martyn really show off his jazz roots.
I discovered it today and the surprise and emotions it aroused in me, were not normal. I was going to study it. Thank you for your analysis.
I know I've said this many times but when I first heard this song I literally cried. I find it so beautiful. And I am very happy to see you talking about it. I had seen your content before, but I'll subscribe now.
I can't think of any music that relaxes me better than Nick Drakes music. It signals the start to beautiful rest or pulls the world back into a state of quiet self-contemplation. Rest his soul, he made incredible music and never knew it.🎶
Been a Nick Drake fan since high school, great to see an in depth analysis!
I would have never expected a Nick Drake analysis video from this channel, but boy am I chuffed.
I want to thank you for showing the beauty of Drake....it was mindboggling when I discovered him around 2001.
This song, and that verse!!! Nick is just gorgeous. This song has magical powers. Thank you.
Brilliant breakdown.. Thank you. It's always nice to know the nuts and bolts beneath a song and man I have been listening to for over 50 years... (Yes, I am that old)..
The best bit for me was the breakdown of the string parts.... and what a stunning understanding of Nick's song that composer had.
And as for Danny Thompson... been lucky enough to have see him a couple of times... especially with John Martyn (Nick's great friend and confidant).. and Richard Thompson.. yet more great British music.... (Sorry for being a bit partiotic there.... LOL). Keep on Rocking)
There is something very special about River Man and this video qualifies why, thank you
The first time I heard Nick Drake's music was in a kitchen at work. A co-worker had put a disk in the music box and I asked him: "Who are we listening to? He told me then I asked if I could borrow the disk and take it home for a better and closer listen.
I smoked some cannabis flower and put on The Cello Song. Blew my mind. Everything said in this video. River Man literally brought me to tears.
I still love Nicks music.
Such a beautiful song! One of my favorites by Nick Drake.
Salute!
I'm not a regular viewer of this channel (have watched before, selectively), but I have to watch this one. River man is my favorite Nick Drake song.
No problem listening to the riverman on a loop seven, eight nine times I'll give it a rest for a month maybe, back again, cannot live without it. A stunning masterpiece. Great analysis, thanks.
Timeless!!
the arrangement around the core of the song is incredibly good, you see that everyone envolved in the recording makes the song greater, moments like that can't be planed, there's a magic to it.
Excellent analysis and a huge thanks for shedding light on how the bass supports Nick’s guitar. This song is a masterclass in balancing tension and release. The first time I played the Five Leaves Left album I also sat in awe and replayed River Man at least five times before moving to the next song.
Love this man. Miss him, yet I wasn’t alive while he was… his music just touches me man. His entire discography is near flawless in my eyes. Thank you for this!
Oh my god, thank you for reconnecting me to this beautiful moving song. Hearing it again, even cut up, it goes right through me. I can’t explain how deep it goes. And thank you for the insight. I think I might be picking up my guitar to learn it.
This came on my feed at just the right time. Thanks.
Absolutely stunning, sympathetic analysis........
Hauntingly beautiful!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I discovered Nick Drake by accident in 1979. I had never heard anything like him. His music still haunts me to this day. So little is really known about him other than through stories told by his friends and family. Typically, this would add to an artists's mystique, but in Nick's case, his music is so profound that I don't feel one could ever really understand him. I had a chance to meet Dave Pegg and Dave Mattacks who played on Bryter Layter and asked them questions about the experience of working with Nick and they were equally mystified by him and did not have much insight due to his extreme introversion. Such a tragic loss but what a wealth of art he left for all of us in his short years.
The first time I heard this song I was floored. The harmony, the orchestration, everything. I'm so happy that you covered this!
I'm so pleased for you,that you've found Nick Drake, one of UK music's hidden gems. Unfortunately, advertisers here turned his classics into clichés, so it's difficult for some of us to listen to these jewels without wincing. On the plus side, I think you're right - the sheer quality will outlast the jingles and the music will be listened to for generations to come. Lucky you, to hear it all fresh and un-hijacked!
So glad you discovered this song and Nick's music! Another song by Nick that has a similar timeless and yet contemporary feel is "Clothes of Sand," which has these lyrics:
Does it now seem worth all the colour of skies
To see the earth through painted eyes?
To look through panes of shaded glass
See the stains of winter's grass
Can you now return to from where you came?
Try to burn your changing name
Or with silver spoons and coloured light
Will you worship moons in winter's night?
Clothes of sand have covered your face
Given you meaning but taken my place
So make your way on down to the sea
Something has taken you so far from me
I love in both songs -- and in many of Nick's lyrics overall -- how he makes the listener feel at the same time like you don't really know what the song is about and that you somehow understand it completely anyway.
Clothes of Sand was about himself, written from the point of view of his parents. Unbelievable to me having that kind of maturity and perspective in one's early 20's
Beautiful breakdown of an utterly GORGEOUS song...probably my second favorite Nick Drake tune (Place To Be is my favorite). I love how you gave us the musical notation and meaning behind the structure of the song, but in a way that wasn't too complicated. I'm also very happy Nick Drake's music is being found and adored by new fans all the time. He was an absolute genius. Thank you for the video!!
Love Nick Drake! Glad you discovered him.
That C7#11 chord, I believe, appears in a moment of comedy on the soundtrack album of Fritz The Cat. The song "The Only Girl I Ever Really Loved" ends with a quick crossfade to a different version, and the vibes player hits (I think) this exact chord. If you listen, you can hear him say "hear that chord? Quick! Save this chord I hit!" like he didn't know what he did. There is laughter. It's a great moment :)
Thanks so much for this ! Discovered Nick and his music last year. Listened to and bought all his albums. Tragic genius. My 2nd favourite is From the Morning. Cried the first time I heard it.
Fabulous, I also remember the first time I heard Nick Drake, well it was only 52 years ago… still play is songs regularly their beauty and emotional power continue to grow.
Thanks for explaining some of the magic behind this incredible piece of art
A great artist, I love his music!
Superb exploration into one of Nick's Masterpieces!.👍☕👍
Love that song. The arrangement is beautiful.
I first heard this song in the late 90's several times from a jazz radio station (in France), I didn't know Nick Drake but the song stuck in my mind. Then in the 2000's I got offered this album, (still not knowing anything about Nick Drake), and I immediately recognised the song River Man that I heard years before. I was surprised as the song didn't sound like it would come from the type of artist that Nick Drake appeared to be, a guitar playing folk singer,, but then I quickly realised that there are many different sides to Nick Drake, and they all blend together. River Man is still my favourite song by Nick Drake.
Agree, always loved this mystical, dreamy, magical song. Thanks for the great breakdown 👍🎶
So so great. I remember discovering Nick Drake maybe 20 years ago and being blown away that I hadn’t heard anything about his music.
So glad you've found nick drake! A mate bought me five leaves left on vinyl a few years back. Never had such an immediate and deep reaction to music in my life! There's a few good documentaries on RUclips. Brad Pitt has done one!
Thank you for this. Nick Drake’s music has always captivated me, and it’s great to see you break down some of the intricacies of it. Always love hearing you play the upright also
What a wonderful tribute Paul! Thank you!!!
My favourite musician. I am hypnotised by his music.
I found Nick Drake's music after watching a TV show that had a song of his playing in the background. I bought three CD's with his musik and just love the tonality of every song. A bit melancholy, yet so beautiful. He would have gone soo much further I'm sure. A couple of my favs..."At The Chime of A City Clock", and "Northern Sky"..."Hazey Jane I" is yet another beautiful composition of his. I love the string arrangements of his songs. Glad that you discovered his musik pdbass...It was a newly discovered gem for me as well.
Fantastic insights into one of my favourite musician/composers. Thank you.
This is why you’re one of my favorite music RUclipsrs. I’ve known Nick Drake’s music (and this song) since I was a kid, and its influence has definitely found its way into my own songwriting, but I deeply enjoyed your deconstruction of this tune from a first-time-encounter perspective - particularly because in this case it’s easily proven that analyzing a song doesn’t make it any less magical. If anything, maybe moreso. ❤
🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Thanks for your analysis - what a beautiful, floating song
Riverman stunned me when I first heard it. I had to listen a second time which moved me to tears because I began to work out that this was a piece about suicide.
"Betty came by, on her way, Said she had a word to say, 'Bout things today, And fallen leaves." She's attempted telling people how it is, and that there's nothing she can do & feels powerless.
"Said she hadn't heard the news, Hadn't had the time to choose, A way to lose, But she believes." She doesn't how, but she may have a mistake in her darkest hour, not entirely unbeknown to her, but she regrets it & believes there may still be time to call for help.
"Gonna see the river man, Gonna tell him all I can, About the plan, For lilac time." The Riverman, is of course referring to limbo. The River Styx. She has a sudden change of heart, & wants to cling on to life so she can find love and build a family.
"If he tells me all he knows, 'Bout the way his river flows, And all night shows, In summertime." She believes that he can tell her which way is death and life for her to reconsider her affirmation. She introspects and reminisces about her happier times in summer and going out enjoying life.
"Betty said she prayed today, For the sky to blow away, Or maybe stay, She wasn't sure." Whilst she does her best to reconcile, Betty is tentative, & admits she has nihilistic tenancies & considers it maybe better if she just wasn't alive.
The line you singled out eludes to how uncertain Betty is about ending it all. What's even more heart rending is how he explains in the line "For when she thought of summer rain, Calling for her mind again, She lost the pain, And stayed for more" that dejection, self-loathing and indeed depression feels more natural to her now & she begins not to care as the life seeps out of her. "About the Ban on feeling Free" means that she really never felt that she had a choice - that society, family, and the world as it is; may have robbed her of this want or even a need to stay alive.
However, just when you think it couldn't get any more heart-breaking, Nick suddenly reveals that _he_ is indeed Betty. "I don't suppose it's meant for me."
He spares not a tear nor a care for both himself and those who followed or those who were taken prior. "Oh how they come and go". He reiterates it, so that the listener knows how wrong everything in reality is.
Nick lived and died by his words, which is why I think it is so overwhelmingly poignant. And far too many of us have heard this calling in the depths of our own despondency and struggle. It becomes more relevant every day that passes as we all flow towards this river; as individuals and as a species too. Such is the piquancy of life and the unfounded ramifications of entropy.
great comment, especially the last line, thank you
I can never forget the first time I’ve heard that song - It was in the late 80’s, I was a teenager at my parent’s house, had my headphones on listening to a foreign radio station I recently discovered: The British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) that was located in Cyprus (I live in Israel). They had this special program every Friday night with two hosts that used to play non-mainstream music. They’ve put on “River man” and it was so unique and enchanting that I had to explore more about Nick Drake. I’ve managed to get a hold of the “Five Leaves Left” Vinyl which I found in the second-hand section of a record shop and later on as a Photographer I’ve created an art work that was dedicated to Drake which I named “Fruit Tree” - The song that sadly predicted his future and the popularity and recognition he got after his death.
Thanks so much for this detailed analysis!
Wonderful.
Thanks for this. So great to hear some details on why this song is such MAGIC. Nick's tragic life is so sad. "One of These Things First" is my favorite but "River Man" is a VERY close second. Please keep doing what you do! So great to be able to gain insight and appreciation from your prodigious musical knowledge. (Subscribed!)
One of my all time favorites.
Thank you for this wonderful analysis!
That was awesome. Thank you. Nick Drake has long been a favorite of mine. His depth, melancholy, and genuine expression always yanks at my heartstrings. You present such an eloquent breakdown of what is actually taking place on a musical level while at the same time acknowledging the emotional, intuitive and spontaneous aspects of the creative process. Well done!!
Great video!!! Favourite lyrics? All. 🤩🤩🤩
Thanks for doing this song. I had the same reaction to Nick Drake. For me it was Pink Moon.
A better rainy day set of songs is hard to find.
Thank you for this! I love Nick Drake and I absolutely love this song! I am late to the party as well.
My favourite artist and song. Just wonderful.
I recently discovered his music as well. Bought all three of his studio albums within one month. Incredibly talented guy, I think his music needed time to sink in. With music so sophisticated, many of the public had to sort out what they were actually hearing and sadly, for many, maybe it was just too much!