Synopsis

Nick Cave performs this stark reworking of Elvis Presley's "In the Ghetto" inside a deliberately shabby, funeral-parlor-like setting. Framed by red curtains and surrounded by vaguely kitsch decor, Cave sings directly to camera with theatrical intensity, clutching a cigarette and repeatedly lunging toward the lens. The lighting periodically plunges the image into darkness, giving the performance an unstable, almost confrontational quality. Rather than dramatizing the song's narrative, the video turns its social lament into a portrait of Cave's emerging gothic rock persona.

Factoids & Trivia

• Released in 1984, the clip was the first music video made for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

• The song is a cover of Mac Davis' composition, made famous by Elvis Presley. It was issued as the band's debut single on June 18, 1984, backed with "The Moon Is in the Gutter."

• The video was shot on June 23 or 24, 1984, in the garage of a house on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood.

• Contemporary coverage described the set as resembling a tacky funeral parlor, complete with red curtains and an Elvis-themed shrine-like decoration.

• The production was notably low-tech. Photographer David Arnoff recalled helping with the lighting by switching lights on and off during the performance while also taking still photographs.

• The single reached No. 84 on the UK Singles Chart and topped the UK Independent Singles Chart.

• "In the Ghetto" was later associated with the band's debut album, "From Her to Eternity," and included in later video collections such as "The Road to God Knows Where."