"The Ship Song" is a song written by Nick Cave

Nick Cave

Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...

 (lyrics and music), originally performed by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian alternative rock band, formed in Melbourne in 1983. The band is fronted by Nick Cave and has featured international personnel throughout their career.-Formation and early releases :...

 on their 1990 The Good Son

The Good Son (album)

The Good Son is the sixth album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 1990 . It was preceded by the release of "The Ship Song/The Train Song" single. "The Weeping Song/Cock's 'n' Asses" was later also released as a single. After an album as dark and intense as Tender Prey, some fans were...

album. It was released by Mute Records

Mute Records

Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...

 as the first single from the album on 12 March 1990, as a CD single

CD single

A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...

, 7" vinyl and a 12" vinyl release. The song reached #84 on the UK Singles Charts.

The video for the song was directed by John Hillcoat

John Hillcoat

John Hillcoat is an Australian screenwriter and film director.Hillcoat was born in Queensland, Australia, and was raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. As a child, his paintings were featured in the Art Gallery of Hamilton. He has repeatedly worked with Nick Cave and also the band Depeche Mode...

.

In May 2001 "The Ship Song" was selected by Australasian Performing Right Association

Australasian Performing Right Association

The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...

 (APRA) as one of the Top 30 Australian songs

APRA Top 30 Australian songs

APRA's Top 30 Australian songs between 1926 and 2001 was a list created by the Australasian Performing Right Association to celebrate its 75th anniversary...

 of all time.

There have been numerous cover versions of the song performed by artists, including Camille O'Sullivan

Camille O'Sullivan

Camille O'Sullivan is a Irish singer, actress, and entertainer. -Background:...

, Leatherface

Leatherface (band)

Leatherface is a British punk rock band from Sunderland fronted by Frankie Stubbs. The band is known for an eclectic style spanning American folk music, hardcore punk and post-hardcore.-History and background:...

, Frankie Stubbs

Frankie Stubbs

Frankie NW Stubbs is a British singer-songwriter best known for his work with punk-band Leatherface, who has also produced records for many noted underground groups....

 (performed acoustically), Gene

Gene

A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...

, Swirl

Swirl

Swirl may refer to:* Swirl , an Australian indie rock band* Swirl , a multi-ethnic organization* Swirl 360, an American pop-rock band* Sega Swirl, a puzzle game for the Sega Dreamcast* Swirl , a quantity in fluid dynamics...

, Boo Hewerdine

Boo Hewerdine

Boo Hewerdine is an English singer-songwriter. His work includes lead singer and creative force behind The Bible, formed in the 1980s, and reformed in 1994, as well as solo recordings and work for film. He lives in Ely....

, Concrete Blonde

Concrete Blonde

Concrete Blonde is an alternative rock band based in the United States. They were initially active from 1982 to 1995, and again from 2001 to 2004, and once again in 2010.-Biography:...

, Denis Walter

Denis Walter

Denis Walter is an Australian media personality and singer.Throughout his music career Walter has recorded 14 albums. For many years until his resignation in November 2008 to join Melbourne radio 3AW full-time, Walter was the host of the evening news in the regional areas of Victoria for WIN TV...

, Immaculate Fools

Immaculate Fools

Immaculate Fools were a pop group formed in 1984, who had their biggest success in 1985 with the single "Immaculate Fools", and continued until 1997, releasing six studio albums before splitting up.-History:...

, A Subtle Plague, Polar and Heather Nova

Heather Nova

Heather Nova, is a Bermudian singer-songwriter and poet. She has released eight full-length albums and has found lasting success in Germany where two of her albums South and Storm have made their way into the Top-5 of German official album chart.-Biography:Heather Nova was born in Bermuda...

, with live only versions by Crowded House

Crowded House

Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...

, Ed Kuepper

Ed Kuepper

Ed Kuepper is an Australian guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He co-founded the seminal punk band The Saints, the experimental post-punk group Laughing Clowns and later the grunge-like The Aints...

, Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...

, Amanda Palmer

Amanda Palmer

Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer , sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer, is an American performer who first rose to prominence as the lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls...

, and Martha Wainwright

Martha Wainwright

Martha Wainwright is a Canadian-American folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of American folk singer and actor Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle...

.

The Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...

, with agency The Monkeys (Creative Agency)

The Monkeys (Creative Agency)

The Monkeys is an independent creative business based in Sydney. Founded in 2006 by Justin Drape, Scott Nowell and Mark Green, they now employ over 70 full-time staff including Writers, Art Directors, Designers, Filmmakers, Musicians, Photographers, Strategic Planners and Artists.In 2007 The...

, achieved the collaboration of Neil Finn

Neil Finn

Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...

, Kev Carmody

Kev Carmody

Kevin Daniel "Kev" Carmody is an Indigenous Australian singer-songwriter. His song "From Little Things Big Things Grow" was recorded with co-writer Paul Kelly for their 1993 single; it was covered by the Get Up Mob in 2008 and peaked at #4 on the Australian Recording Industry Association singles...

, Sarah Blasko

Sarah Blasko

Sarah Elizabeth Blaskow , is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. After fronting Sydney-based band Acquiesce from the mid-1990s, Blasko developed her solo career from 2002. In 2007, she won the 'Best Pop Release' for What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have at the ARIA Music Awards, which...

, John Bell

John Bell (actor)

John Anthony Bell, AO, OBE is an Australian actor and theatre director.Bell was born 1 November 1940 in the town of Maitland, New South Wales where he was educated at the Marist Brothers....

, Martha Wainwright, Katie Noonan

Katie Noonan

Katie Anne Noonan is an Australian singer-songwriter. In addition to a successful solo career encompassing opera, jazz, pop, rock and dance, she sings in the groups george and Elixir, duets with her mother, Maggie Noonan and is currently playing with support from the group The...

, Paul Kelly

Paul Kelly (musician)

Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...

, Teddy Tahu Rhodes

Teddy Tahu Rhodes

-Early life:Teddy Tahu Rhodes was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 30 August 1966, to a British mother and a New Zealand father. The Maori word "Tahu", which means "to set on fire", was added to the family name soon after they settled in New Zealand...

, The Temper Trap

The Temper Trap

The Temper Trap is an Australian indie rock band which formed in 2005. The core members are Jonathon Aherne on bass guitar and vocals, Toby Dundas on drums and programming, Dougy Mandagi on vocals and guitar, and Lorenzo Sillitto on guitar, keyboards and vocals. They are supplemented on tours with...

, and Daniel Johns

Daniel Johns

Daniel Paul Johns is an Australian musician, vocalist, composer, guitarist, and pianist, best known as the frontman of the rock band Silverchair. He is also part of The Dissociatives...

, with Opera Australia

Opera Australia

Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House runs for approximately eight months of the year, with the remainder of its time spent in the The Arts Centre in Melbourne...

, the Australian Ballet, Bangarra Dance Theatre

Bangarra Dance Theatre

Bangarra Dance Theatre is an Indigenous Australian contemporary dance company founded in 1989 by Carole Johnson, an African-American and founding director of National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association . Bangarra is the Wiradjuri word meaning "to make fire".Stephen Page has been the...

, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Sydney Symphony Orchestra

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra , commonly known as the Sydney Symphony, is an Australian symphony orchestra based in Sydney...

, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra

Australian Chamber Orchestra

The Australian Chamber Orchestra was founded by cellist John Painter in 1975. Richard Tognetti was appointed Lead Violin in 1989 and subsequently appointed Artistic Director....

, to perform and record a reinterpretation of "The Ship Song" over some months in 2010-2011. Titled "The Ship Song Project", the recording was to promote the Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...

.

Track listing

The track listing for the single is:

1. "The Ship Song" (Nick Cave) - 5:14
2. "The Train Song" (Nick Cave) - 3:27

Personnel

• Blixa Bargeld
  Blixa Bargeld
  Blixa Bargeld is a composer, author, actor, singer, musician, performer and lecturer in a number of artistic fields...
  
   — guitar, backing vocals
• Nick Cave
  Nick Cave
  Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
  
   — vocals, piano, hammond organ
• Kid Congo Powers
  Kid Congo Powers
  Kid Congo Powers is the stage name of Brian Tristan , an American rock guitarist and singer, best known as a member of The Gun Club, The Cramps and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.-Biography:...
  
   — guitar
• Mick Harvey
  Mick Harvey
  Michael John Harvey , is an Australian rock musician, composer, arranger and record producer. He is best known for his long-time collaboration with the singer and songwriter Nick Cave...
  
   — bass, guitar, vibraphone, backing vocals
• Thomas Wydler
  Thomas Wydler
  Thomas Wydler , is a Swiss musician best known for being a core member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, of which he has been a drummer since 1985. Prior to joining them, he was a member of the experimental German band Die Haut. Wydler has been present on almost every Bad Seeds album, making his...
  
   — drums

Credits

• Bill McGee — string arrangement
• Designlayout — artwork
• Polly Borland — photography
• Victor Van Vugt
  Victor Van Vugt
  Victor Van Vugt is an award-winning music producer, mixer and engineer. An Australian based in New York, he has had a long association with the careers of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Beth Orton. He has also worked with the likes of P.J...
  
   — engineer
• The Bad seeds — producer

Releases

Format	Country	Label	Catalogue No.	Year
CD single	UK	Mute Mute Records Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...	CD MUTE 108	12 March 1990
7" single	UK	Mute	MUTE 108	12 March 1990
12" single	UK	Mute	12 MUTE 108	12 March 1990
12" single (promotional)	UK	Mute	P12 MUTE 108	12 March 1990
CD single	Germany	Mute International	INT 826.930	March 1990