FeaturedChartsVideosPromote Your Music
Cover art for Helpless by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Helpless

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Track 14 on B-Sides & Rarities (Part I) 

Producers

Nick Cave & Mick Harvey
A cover of the classic Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song, this rendition was originally released on The Bridge – A Tribute to Neil Young, a charity album in support of the… Read More 
19891 viewer

Helpless Lyrics

[Verse 1]
There is a town in north Ontario
And I take comfort from memories there
And in my mind I still need a place to go
All my best changes were there
Blue, blue windows behind the stars
Yellow moon on the rise
Big birds flying across the sky
Throwing shadows on our eyes

[Chorus]
Leave us helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
Baby, heal me now
The chains are locked and tied across the door
They seem to help me somehow

[Verse 2]
Blue, blue windows behind the stars
Yellow moon on the rise
Those big birds flying across the sky
Throwing shadows on our eyes

[Chorus]
Leave us helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
Leave us helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
Leave us helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
Leave us helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless
See Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Live
Get tickets as low as $104

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

Genius Annotation

A cover of the classic Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song, this rendition was originally released on The Bridge – A Tribute to Neil Young, a charity album in support of the Bridge School, where it was originally attributed to Nick Cave without mention of the Bad Seeds. The song would also be included on the CD version of their 1990 single “The Weeping Song” and on the compilation B-Sides & Rarities.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Who produced “Helpless” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds?
When did Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds release “Helpless”?
Who wrote “Helpless” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds?
B-Sides & Rarities (Part I) (2005)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
  1. 1.
    Deanna (Acoustic Version)
  2. 2.
    The Mercy Seat (Acoustic Version)
  3. 3.
    City of Refuge (Acoustic Version)
  4. 4.
    The Moon Is in the Gutter
  5. 5.
    The Six Strings That Drew Blood
  6. 6.
    Rye Whiskey
  7. 7.
    Running Scared
  8. 8.
    Black Betty
  9. 9.
    Scum
  10. 10.
    The Girl at the Bottom of My Glass
  11. 11.
    The Train Song
  12. 12.
    Cocks N’ Asses
  13. 13.
    Blue Bird
  14. 14.
    Helpless
  15. 15.
    God’s Hotel
  16. 16.
    (I’ll Love You) Till the End of the World
  17. 17.
    Cassiel’s Song
  18. 18.
    Tower of Song
  19. 19.
    What Can I Give You?
  20. 20.
    What a Wonderful World
  21. 21.
    Rainy Night in Soho
  22. 22.
    Lucy (Version #2)
  23. 23.
    Jack the Ripper (Acoustic Version)
  24. 24.
    Sail Away
  25. 25.
    There’s No Night Out in the Jail
  26. 26.
    That’s What Jazz Is to Me
  27. 27.
    The Willow Garden
  28. 28.
    The Ballad of Robert Moore and Betty Coltrane
  29. 29.
    King Kong Kitchee Ki-Mi-O
  30. 30.
    Knoxville Girl
  31. 31.
    Where the Wild Roses Grow (Original Guide Vocal Version)
  32. 32.
    O’Malley’s Bar (Part 1)
  33. 33.
    O’Malley’s Bar (Part 2)
  34. 34.
    O’Malley’s Bar (Part 3)
  35. 35.
    O’Malley’s Bar (Reprise)
  36. 36.
    Time Jesum Transeuntum Et Non Riverentum
  37. 37.
    Red Right Hand (Scream 3 Version)
  38. 38.
    Little Empty Boat
  39. 39.
    Right Now I’m A-Roaming
  40. 40.
    Come Into My Sleep
  41. 41.
    Black Hair (Band Version)
  42. 42.
    Babe, I Got You Bad
  43. 43.
    Sheep May Safely Graze
  44. 44.
    Opium Tea
  45. 45.
    Grief Came Riding
  46. 46.
    Bless His Ever Loving Heart
  47. 47.
    Good Good Day
  48. 48.
    Little Janey’s Gone
  49. 49.
    I Feel So Good
  50. 50.
    Shoot Me Down
  51. 51.
    Swing Low
  52. 52.
    Little Ghost Song
  53. 53.
    Everything Must Converge
  54. 54.
    Nocturama
  55. 55.
    She’s Leaving You
  56. 56.
    Under This Moon
Credits
Producers
Writer
Keyboards
Organ
Acoustic Guitar
Slide Guitar
Drums
Bass
Backing Vocals
Vocals
Release Date
1989
Helpless Is A Cover Of
Tags
RockPost-PunkFolk RockCover
Comments
Sign Up And Drop Knowledge 🤓
Genius is the ultimate source of music knowledge, created by scholars like you who share facts and insight about the songs and artists they love.

Genius is the world’s biggest collection of song lyrics and musical knowledge

About GeniusContributor GuidelinesPressShopAdvertisePrivacy Policy
LicensingJobsDevelopersCopyright PolicyContact UsSign InDo Not Sell My Personal Information
© 2024 ML Genius Holdings, LLC
Terms of Use
Verified Artists
All Artists:
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz#
Hot Songs:
Not Like UsCHIHIROLUNCHBIRDS OF A FEATHERBLUEView All