Wow o Wow (How Wonderful She Is)

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' song 'Wow o Wow (How Wonderful She Is)' is a poetic and surreal exploration of admiration, love, and the passage of time. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a woman who is almost divine in her beauty and presence. The opening lines, 'She rises in advance of her panties / I can confirm that God actually exists,' suggest a reverence for her that borders on the spiritual. This woman is not just physically beautiful but also exudes a sense of wonder and awe that affects everything around her, from animals to inanimate objects.

The song's imagery is whimsical and dreamlike, with lines like 'the horses, they have kicked down the stable / And the rabbits have put carrots in their ears.' These surreal elements create a fantastical world where the woman's presence brings life and color. The repeated exclamation 'O wow! O wow! How wonderful she is!' serves as a refrain that emphasizes her extraordinary nature. The song also touches on nostalgia and the bittersweet nature of memories, as seen in the lines about her friends who are now dead but still nodding their spectral chins.

In the latter part of the song, the lyrics shift to a more personal and introspective tone. The narrator reminisces about simpler times spent together, 'Do you remember we used to really, really have fun?' This section adds a layer of intimacy and vulnerability, revealing that the relationship was not just about admiration but also about shared experiences and deep emotional connections. The mention of trying to write a 'contract of love' but only getting as far as the border suggests that their love was more about the unspoken and the intangible than any formal agreement. This adds a poignant touch to the song, highlighting the complexities and imperfections of love.