Nick Cave has never been one to do things the traditional way, and it turns out even his own funeral won’t be an exception.
The legendary Australian musician, writer, and all-around artistic enigma has revealed the track he wants to be played when he eventually departs this world, and it’s not some haunting ballad or brooding farewell.
Nope—Cave has requested Kanye West’s “I Am A God” to blast through the speakers as he’s laid to rest.
In the latest edition of his Red Hand Files newsletter, Cave answered two fan questions: one about dealing with lifelong regret and another about which song he’d like played at his funeral. The first answer was deeply introspective, offering wisdom on the importance of moving forward in life.
The second? A curveball.
“Please, ‘I Am A God’ by Kanye West.”
And just like that, Cave turned his own funeral request into a headline-worthy moment.
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This isn’t the first time Cave has sung Kanye’s praises. In 2020, long after much of the world had grown tired of West’s headline-making antics, Cave doubled down on his support for the rapper, calling him “our greatest artist” because of his sheer commitment to his own madness.
“There is no musician on Earth that is as committed to their own derangement as Kanye, and in this respect, at this point in time, he is our greatest artist,” Cave wrote in a previous Red Hand Files post.
Even as Kanye spiralled into controversy in the following years, Cave made it clear that he still respected the music, drawing a line between the art and the artist. For those unfamiliar with “I Am A God”, it’s a track from Kanye’s 2013 industrial rap masterpiece, Yeezus. It’s brash, chaotic, and packed with ego-driven declarations, including the now-infamous lyric:
“Hurry up with my damn croissants!”
Imagining a funeral procession with that lyric playing in the background? Pure absurdity, which is exactly what makes Cave’s choice so on-brand. He’s a man who thrives on the unexpected, constantly reinventing his creative voice and refusing to be boxed into any one category.
Even in death, he seems to be ensuring his legacy remains provocative, memorable, and just a little bit weird.
Nick Cave has built a career on defying expectations. Whether it’s fronting The Bad Seeds, delivering heart-wrenching ballads about love and loss, or collaborating on left-field spoken-word projects, he has always leaned into the unexpected.
His recent works, including 2021’s Carnage with Warren Ellis and his deeply personal book Faith, Hope and Carnage, have continued to showcase his philosophical, often existential approach to life and death. And yet, despite the darkness that permeates much of his music, Cave’s sense of humour remains intact.
If Cave’s pick of “I Am A God” is anything to go by, it begs the question: what else would be on his funeral playlist? Would he throw in something classic like “Into My Arms” for good measure? Or lean into the chaos with something completely unhinged?
One thing’s for sure—when the time comes (hopefully in the very distant future), Nick Cave’s farewell won’t be a sombre, conventional affair. It’ll be dramatic, theatrical, and infused with the kind of rebellious energy that has defined his entire career.
Whenever that day arrives, we now know what will be playing as the world says goodbye to Nick Cave:
“Hurry up with my damn croissants!”
