☝️ Key Points
- The dark ballad is about passion, betrayal, and murder, where a woman named Henry Lee is urged to stay with her.
- Despite her constant pleas, Henry refuses as he loves another woman in a 'merry green land'.
- The rejected woman cannot accept his decision and stabs him in a fit of anger and despair with a pocket knife.
- An image of the murder is painted in the third verse, where she throws Henry's body into a deep well, symbolizing the darkness and depth of her act.
- The refrain 'And the wind howled and the wind blew' is repeated to create an atmosphere of unrest and threat, and a little bird perched on Henry Lee acts as a symbol of death and misfortune.
Interpretation
"Henry Lee" by
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds is a dark ballad that deals with passion, deceit, and murder. The first verse introduces a woman who urges Henry Lee to stay with her and claims that no other woman can compare to her. However, Henry declines because he loves another woman in a 'merry green land'.
In the second verse, the woman continues to press Henry to stay with her. However, she cannot accept his rejection and stabs him with a small pocket knife in an act of desperation and anger.
In the third verse, a picture of the murder is painted. The woman throws Henry's body into a deep well, symbolizing the darkness and depth of her deed.
The final verse is a macabre farewell to Henry. The woman tells him to lie there until his flesh falls from his bones and claims that the woman he loves in the 'merry green land' can wait for him - an ironic statement as he obviously will never return to her.
Throughout the song, the repetition of the refrain 'And the wind did howl and the wind did blow' is used to create an atmosphere of unease and menace. Additionally, a little bird repeatedly perches on Henry Lee, a symbol of death and possibly an omen of the impending doom."