# Prad Pitt on Nick Drake **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 22, 2004, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prad-pitt-on-nick-drake/246517 "2004-05-22T13:37:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prad-pitt-on-nick-drake/246517/1 "2004-05-22T13:37:20Z")
A heads-up that, somewhat bizarrely, the Hollywood heartthrob is presenting a [documentary](http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/documentaries/nickdrake/index.shtml) about the haunting singer Nick Drake today 9pm BST (4pm EST) on BBC Radio 2. It will be streamed on RealAudio from the BBC website. I have no idea how good it’s going to be, but it could be quite interesting. Nick Drake was a young English singer/songwriter who recorded three albums then topped himself in 1974. He never achieved success during his lifetime, though he had several champions (for example, Solid Air by John Martyn was written for Nick after he died). However, his influence on subsequent musicians has been immense. His songs go from kitsch-but-good (mainly down to the occasionally trite arrangements), to astonishingly beautiful. There’s something otherworldly and special about his songwriting, playing and performing that’s difficult to explain, but once his music gets into your brain, it won’t go away. If you don’t know Nick Drake’s music yet, this would probably be a good introduction; if you do know his music, then you will already know why I’m so intrigued. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prad-pitt-on-nick-drake/246517/2 "2004-05-22T13:53:37Z")
Actually, **Jjimm** , most Americans know at least one song of Drake’s, “Pink Moon” from a Volkswagen commercial, although I’m sure they don’t know the name of the guy who sang it. I have that CD, and yeah, it’s great. To my fellow Septics: It’s the song used in the VW commerical where a bunch of people in a VW are driving to a party and then they decide to keep driving and looking at the stars. The song in the background is just a vocal and an acoustic guitar, and the lyrics start with > [@](#): > > I saw it written and I saw it say > Pink moon is on its way ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prad-pitt-on-nick-drake/246517/3 "2004-05-22T14:03:32Z")
\>Prad Pitt on Nick Drake Hmm. I thought this was going to be some slash. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prad-pitt-on-nick-drake/246517/4 "2004-05-22T14:07:23Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s the song used in the VW commerical where a bunch of people in a VW are driving to a party and then they decide to keep driving and looking at the stars. The song in the background is just a vocal and an acoustic guitar… I drive a Cabrio, and I put that song on a CD especially for when I’m driving around with the top down on beautiful nights. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prad-pitt-on-nick-drake/246517/5 "2004-05-22T14:08:57Z")
I have all of Nick Drake’s stuff and was introduced to him years ago by a documentary I saw on SBS - I believe it was made in Europe. Recently I bought the Virgin Encyclopedia of 60s Music. On getting it home the first person I looked up was Nick Drake - ther was no entry even though far more obscure acts were mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prad-pitt-on-nick-drake/246517/6 "2004-05-22T14:24:39Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Hmm. I thought this was going to be some slash. :dubious: You sick puppy. He’s been dead 30 years! I think it’s a testament to the power of his music that a 30-second clip on a commercial can make people go out and buy the album. Brad’s apparently a great fan. I can just imagine him and Jen chilling by the pool with a huge doobie, listening to Five Leaves Left. Jen’s wearing a tiny little bikini… Mmm. Sorry, what was I talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prad-pitt-on-nick-drake/246517/7 "2004-05-22T14:50:15Z")
I first heard “Pink Moon” in that Volkswagen commercial and fell in love with it. After that, I sought out some more Nick Drake, but I still only know a few songs by him. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prad-pitt-on-nick-drake/246517/8 "2004-05-22T15:02:16Z")
[The Nick Drake Files](http://www.algonet.se/~iguana/DRAKE/DRAKE.html) [Nick Drake.com](http://nickdrake.com/) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2004, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prad-pitt-on-nick-drake/246517/9 "2004-05-22T16:30:04Z")
By the way, a few years ago my brother made a pilgrimage to Tanworth-in-Arden, walked past Fair Leys, Nick’s parents’ house, and found his grave in the local churchyard. Scratched on the back of his headstone were the words: **Now we rise And we are everywhere.** I found that very moving.