Nick Cave stopped by The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and delivered one of the most insightful interviews seen on late-night TV in a while.
The iconic musician discussed everything from how his view of music has changed over the years, collaborating with his hero Johnny Cash, processing grief and the Bad Seeds’ new album Wild God. And towards the end of the show, Cave shared a timely, hope-filled letter he’d written in his online advice column, the Red Hand Files.
He had received a message from someone who shared they’d been feeling cynical about humanity and its future — something many young adults are feeling these days. Cave explained to Colbert that he wanted to share his response with his audience, hoping to inspire others to not give up on the future just yet.
“Much of my early life was spent holding the world and the people in it in contempt,” he said. “It was a position both seductive and indulgent. The truth is, I was young and had no idea what was coming down the line. It took a devastation to teach me the preciousness of life and the essential goodness of people. It took a devastation to reveal the precariousness of the world, of its very soul, and to understand that the world was crying out for help. It took a devastation to understand the idea of mortal value, and it took a devastation to find hope.
“Unlike cynicism, hopefulness is hard-earned, makes demands upon us, and can often feel like the most indefensible and lonely place on Earth,” he continued. “Hopefulness is not a neutral position — it is adversarial. It is the warrior emotion that can lay waste to cynicism. Each redemptive or loving act, as small as you like — such as reading to your little boy, showing him something you love, singing him a song, or putting on his shoes — keeps the devil down in the hole.”
Watch the full interview here:
