Nick Cave reveals how losing his two sons made him feel 'more connected to people'
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Musician and writer Nick Cave talked about the grief he experienced after the sudden deaths of his two sons in 2015 and 2022. He said that the grief somehow made him "more connected" to people.
Cave lost his younger son Arthur in 2015, at the age of 15, after he fell from a cliff near the family’s home in Brighton, while his elder son Jethro died in 2022 at the age of 31, according to Independent.
Nick Cave talks about life after losing his two sons
Nick Cave was a part of ABC’s 'Australian Story' where he said that he no longer values art above everything after the death of his two sons.
He said during the interview, "For most of my life, I was just sort of in awe of my own genius, you know, and I had an office and would sit there and write every day and whatever else happened in my life was peripheral."
He continued, "This just collapsed completely and I just saw the folly of that, the kind of disgraceful self-indulgence of the whole thing."
He added that the grief after losing his sons somehow made him more connected to people. "Rather than making me bitter, it did the opposite in some way. It made me much more connected to people in general."
He said, "There is the initial cataclysmic event where we eventually rearrange ourselves so that we become creatures of loss as we get older, and this is part of our fundamental fabric of what we are as human beings. We are things of loss. This is not a tragic element to our lives but rather a deepening that brings incredible meaning."
He also spoke about his relationship with the public. "It was also a kind of lifeline for me that reached out and collected up these people. It’s something that’s just allowed me to remain open to the world rather than shut down," Cave said.
When Nick Cave had to confront his grief publicly
During a 2024 interview with The Guardian, Nick Cave said that he had to confront his grief on a public stage.
He said, "I was forced to grieve publicly, and that was helpful, weirdly enough. It stopped me completely shutting the windows and bolting the doors and just living in this dark world."
He added that he was overwhelmed by the love and support he received after his son Arthur’s death. He said, "I had letter after letter addressed to ‘Nick Cave, Brighton’. It was a really extraordinary thing. And that attention, and sense of community, was extremely helpful to me."
"I think people are usually just on their own with these sorts of things. Susie met somebody whose son had died seven years previously and she still hadn’t spoken to her husband about it. These people are utterly alone and maybe full of rage. So I can’t overstate that I’ve been in an extraordinarily privileged position in that respect," Cave further added.
Internet sends love to Nick Cave as he opens up about losing his sons
Many internet users showered their support and love to Nick Cave as he talked about the grief he experienced after the sudden deaths of his two sons in 2015 and 2022.
On YouTube, one social media user wrote, "This man means SO MUCH to so many people, for so many things.. We keep our candles burning," while another commented, "I truly love this man. What a gift he is to us all, even when he carries such pain."
One netizen remarked, "Nick cave got me through life as a teen. I'm 44 now and I'm forever thankful for his music," whereas another said, "Can't hold myself not to cry."
One person wrote, "Please know how much all of us felt your loss."
Another commented, "I owe so much to this man and his art, and I'm so thankful for him surviving and living through this terrible loss."
One individual added, "An unspeakable tragedy. It speaks volumes to his emotional intelligence and character that he was able to continue with his life in any form."
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
