Nick Cave has revealed he turned down a recent request from Morrissey to appear on a new track, describing the song as a “silly anti-woke screed.” The Bad Seeds frontman shared the story in the latest post on his personal blog, The Red Hand Files.
Since its inception in 2018, following the tragic death of his son, Cave has used The Red Hand Files as a direct line of communication with fans. Each edition features Cave’s thoughtful replies to questions on topics ranging from grief and spirituality to art and the human condition.
In the 328th edition, published in June 2025, a fan named Hadiyah from New Jersey asked, “How’s your relationship with Morrissey?” Cave’s response was candid. He disclosed that the former Smiths frontman had approached him in 2024 with a song, inviting him to contribute vocals. While Cave initially found the piece “quite lovely,” he ultimately declined after realising Morrissey’s intention was for him to deliver what Cave described as “an unnecessarily provocative and slightly silly anti-woke screed” over “an irrelevant Greek bouzouki intro.”
Though he admitted to sharing aspects of Morrissey’s perspective, Cave explained that he prefers to keep his personal or political views separate from his music: “I try to keep politics, cultural or otherwise, out of the music I am involved with. I find that it has a diminishing effect and is antithetical to whatever it is I am trying to achieve.”
Addressing Morrissey more broadly, Cave offered a nuanced take: “I like him. He is undeniably a complex and divisive figure, someone who takes more than a little pleasure in pissing people off. As enjoyable as some may find this, it holds little interest for me, but for the fact that Morrissey is probably the best lyricist of his generation – certainly the strangest, funniest, most sophisticated, and most subtle.”
Despite declining the collaboration, Cave still spoke admiringly of Morrissey’s artistry: “We feel complete when we listen to music we love, while being guided towards the goodness of things. I find that Morrissey’s music, regardless of how jaundiced and disaffected the songs may sometimes seem, does precisely that – ushers us toward what is true.”
Cave’s decision to distance himself from Morrissey’s latest work underscores his ongoing commitment to artistic integrity and emotional depth over provocation or ideology. While the collaboration never came to be, his thoughtful reflections highlight the mutual respect between two of music’s most distinctive voices – even as their creative paths continue to diverge.
Nick Cave recently released his latest album ‘Wild God’ with the Bad Seeds ahead of their upcoming worldwide tour. Morrissey has not released a new record since 2020’s ‘I Am Not a Dog on a Chain’, which he described as “the best album of his life.” The former Smith’s frontman has recently completed UK and Ireland tour dates which MXDWN’s recent coverage of can be read about here. Cave is currently on a solo tour across Europe, which is set to conclude in Luxembourg this September. For more on his solo performances, check out MXDWN’s recent coverage of the Bad Seeds frontman’s European tour here.
