Afraid

Album: The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight... (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song was written and originally recorded by the German singer-songwriter Nico for her 1970 album Desertshore. Neko Case explained to American Songwriter magazine why she decided to cover the tune: "I have always loved the song," she said, "and sometimes you need a reason to cover something and I thought, 'That song is just so comforting even though it's so sad.' And you know, that song has been comforting me forever. And from a technical standpoint, I thought, 'Well, I can't sound anything like Nico, I don't have her incredible low range.' So I didn't do it on a piano the way she does it, I tried to do it differently."

    "But people focus on very different parts of Nico's career," she continued, "like the Velvet Underground periods and Chelsea Girl and records like Desertshore don't get their due. Or not that they don't get their due, I just don't think people are as familiar with it, because it is odd."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Chris Tomlin

Chris TomlinSongwriter Interviews

The king of Christian worship music explains talks about writing songs for troubled times.

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About Transgenderism

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About TransgenderismSong Writing

A history of songs dealing with transgender issues, featuring Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Morrissey and Green Day.

Phone Booth Songs

Phone Booth SongsSong Writing

Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.