So how did a Nick Cave song end up in 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1'?

Terms such as "Quidditch" and "Muggles" have essentially become part of everyday lexicon due to the "Harry Potter" series. Yet the weirdest and most unexpected addition to the world-o-Potter, one with magic schools, talking photos and violent trees, may very well be something as simple as a song.

Midway through "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1," the characters Harry Potter and Hermione Granger share a dance. The music for the movement comes from an artist whose work has been steeped in lechery, sin and redemption, characteristics not necessarily associated with a holiday-season family blockbuster. Yet there was "O Children," from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, playing a dominant role, with Cave's baritone of heartache at the fore.

How and why music supervisor Matt Biffa came to Cave's "O Children" is relatively simple, and no doubt similar to how many have discovered Cave's fire-and-brimstone rock and darkly haunting ballads: A breakup.   

"I was separating from my wife at the time," Biffa said Tuesday from his London home. "I came across ‘O Children’ in 2004 and I hoarded it. I knew it would be a great song for something, but I didn’t know what. I had forgotten all about it and started listening to it because I was splitting up from my wife. I was really terrified that we were going to hurt our little boys, who were 1 and 3 at the time. So it was like a love letter to my kids."

Lyrically, "O Children," which is featured on the 2004 album "Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus," largely plays out like a song of atonement. The moment it comes in "Deathly Hallows" is one in which Harry and Hermione are struggling to carry on with the quest, looking for some sort of strength to emerge from their friendship. Cave's songs have an ability to walk a line between numerous emotions, and cuts such as "Into My Arms" could work equally well at a wedding or a funeral. 

"Exactly," said Biffa. "There was something really uplifting about that 'O Children,' with lyrics like 'rejoice / lift up your voice,’ and all that stuff. I was thinking of my kids. The lyrics are saying, ‘Forgive us for what we’ve done.’ It started out as a bit of fun, but then there’s weeping. It was horribly on the nose for me. At the same time, it was giving me hope. It’s not the same as writing a song for my children, but this is the closest I can get." 

Selling it to director David Yates wasn't much of challenge, although the filmmaker still had his music supervisor jump through numerous hoops. Remembered Biffa, "David called and said, ‘I think this song is just right, but is there anything better?’" 

Biffa delivered Yates about seven CDs full of music. The director's initial suggestion to Biffa was to find an old soul song, and artists ranging from Radiohead to Queens of the Stone Age to Spirtualized were all in the mix. 

"We talked a lot about some of the great old soul songs, songs from James Carr and Otis Redding," Biffa said. "That was initially what David was after. But they’re too much of the Muggle world, if you like. It’s too human, such as bands like Oasis, and Radiohead, to a certain degree. As much as I love Radiohead, I think it would have been too obvious."

Immediately stricken from the list was any song that had appeared anywhere in any film or TV program. The dance scene is not in the book that the film is modeled after, and Biffa knew that fans would be analyzing any song used in the movie. 

"The way that the script read, if you read it on the page, it seemed like it was upbeat," Biffa said. "It read like two teenagers going for it. But once David explained the nuances, I realized it had to be quite uplifting, but not too pointedly romantic."

Biffa knew he had it right when he was on set to watch the filming of the dance between actors Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson. "After they did the first couple takes, I looked over and a couple of the makeup girls were crying," Biffa said. "Then I felt all right. We nailed it."

Getting permission for the song wasn't all that difficult. In fact, Biffa said it was relayed to him that Cave was pleased that a lesser-known song had been requested for the film. 

Still, it may take some real magic to turn even a fraction of the millions who saw the first chapter of "Deathly Hallows" into Cave fans. Those curious, however, may not want to start with Cave's side-project Grinderman, an aggressive, sexually charged rock 'n' roll assault. 

"I love the fact that a whole generation of people, like kids, who weren’t aware of Nick Cave will discover him through the film," Biffa said. "It will be hilarious if they start with Grinderman, or something so different from ‘O Children.’ I’m sure there are songs on the Grinderman albums that are illegal in a few states."

RELATED: 

- Grinderman's Nick Cave kills panthers, steals wives at Music Box

- The art of seduction: Nick Cave offers a compelling lesson

- Nick Cave's master plan

-- Todd Martens

Photo: Nick Cave. Credit: Getty Images

Comments

[Amanda]

Actually, its the best thing any fans of Harry/Hermioine Shipper could ever get. So why keeping on bashing this scene as though the directors might ruin the epiogue Jo had all given to us? It's fair. Honestly :) their relationship, whatever u guys wanna call it, is the most beautiful relationship anyone could have asked for

[Diasophia]

It was a brilliant addition n i loved the scene.It was one of the cutest moment of d film.....it was a wonderful treat for those who wanted harry n hermione together!!They obviously get along well n even though there's no question of a triangle, i felt both Harry n Hermione share a great chemistry!!!!!

[Will]

The scene had nothing to do with the two of them lusting after each other. They are best friends and were both missing having Ron with them. A great scene between two friends.

[Vanessa]

I didn't think that that scene was created to be romantic at all, it even says in the article that Harry and hermione were ready to give up and Harry was trying to cheer them up. That being said, I really didn't like the choice of song, which is what this article is really about. I'm not really familiar with Nick cave's music buy I thought it was supposed to be dark amd it sounded like gospel to me. I'm not going to judge all of his music based on that one song but it was just really weird in the movie to me.

[Yoyo]

Anyone who thought that scene had anything to do with romance wasnt paying attention. Dan is supposed to be a bad dancer. It's supposed to start of awkward. Harry is trying to cheer Hermione up, who is devastated that Ron left. His dorkeyness is what cheers her up, but in the end, she's still sad, and just walks away. No romance, none intended. I thought it was well done.

[Catherine in Tulsa]

Didn't know NC's music prior to the movie. Was HAUNTED by it. It's almost like it was written for the movie - "we're all weeping now because there's nothing we can do to protect you"? It's my favorite part of the movie. It completely captures how alone they are in their task; even Ron has abandoned them. After watching Ron constantly listening for news of his family from the radio, it carries even more weight that it too comes from the radio, like it's some kind of message from their only link to the rest of the world.

[Me]

The only reason people are complaining about that scene is because it's not in the book. If JK Rowling wrote this scene, these complainers will automatically hail it as the best scene in cinematic history :P

[wut]

Do you all bang your opposite gendered friends, or something? The dance didn't look romantic. You can dance around with a guy or girl or laugh and smile at them without getting in their pants. Certainly wasn't what the scene implied anyway, just a little lighthearted moment in a dark time as has been pointed out.

[Josh]

How do so many people think there was romantic tension in the scene? People who read the books and know the characters really should be able to tell that it was a beautiful and sad moment between two friends trying to have a moment of happiness in an ugly situation. It was one of the best scenes of the whole series, in my opinion, and the song chosen has become an all-time favourite for me.

[Daniel]

To those insisting that the scene doesn't reflect the book, let me remind the epigraph to you.

Death is but crossing the world, as friends do the seas; they live in one another still.
For they must needs be present, that love and live in that whch is omnipresent.
In this divine glass they see face to face; and their converse is free, as well as pure.
This is the comfort of friends, that though they may be said to die, yet their friendship and society are, in the best sense, ever present, because immortal.

[Eden]

Why is everyone complaining about how bad a dancer Daniel Radcliffe is? It wasn't supposed to be some dang ballroom scene! It was a moment with two friends trying to cheer each other up.

And I really liked it!

[Patrik Melis]

My personal opinion is that this scene brought the Harry Potter saga to a whole new level. Couple of years back no one would have thought that the story about a wizzard might turn out to be a survival drama about relationships and endurance. David Yates, as dissapointing as he was when it comes to parts 5 and 6, had really come a long way and showed what the book is really about. I think the desperate lonesome atmosphere which he is going for is depicted splendidly and the little dance scene is one of the best moments we could see so far. Emma Watson is nothing but fabolous and her acting has changed into something sophisticated and convincing. It is obvious that many of the hardcore fans will argue that this scene is obsolete and does not make any sense when it comes to relationship of Harry and Hermione.
I do not think that it contains any kind of romance or uncalled for sparks between characters. I think this is a flashback scene with no actual flashbacks. It brings back memories. Try to look back over the years and see how the saga evolved. Try to think of the journey that they made to be in this situation. The moment of total sadness, beaten down characters on the verge of giving up, and a little hope created by an amazing friendship depicted by a little dance set to an amazing uplifting yet heart-breaking (as David Yates says himself) tune by Nick Cave.

[Clara]

Do you know what was forced? Harry and Ginny's relationship in the films. Now that is awkward.

This scene was not bad. It was necessary if you ask me. I don't think it was making a love triangle. I think it was trying to bring the mood back up after Ron left. It took a lot of strength to keep moving after someone left like that and this scene was there to kind of help Harry and Hermione keep going.

Who says that comforting someone when they're sad makes it a romantic scene?

[anrrea]

I was also surprised to hear the voice of Cave in Harry Potter, it seemed very peculiar. I not a HP fan, but i think this one was good.

[hey you]

This scene wasn't at all about romantic tension between Harry and Hermione. Actually, it takes a deeper meaning. If you listen carefully to the lyrics, there are no romantic connotations. The whole point of the scene was show how quickly these children have had to grow up and how they're so tired and vulnerable. The entire movie takes on a dark theme, but this scene was supposed to show how, all in all, they were all still children who had to bear an incredible large burden. It was not an awkward call for a love triangle.

[Celia]

I discovered Nick Cave through this film. I'm 23...hardly a kid. But I'm officially in love with this artist.

[Taylor]

I usually despise scenes in the movies that didn't happen in thebook, but the dancing scene was amazing. I thought it really represented the relationship between Harry and Hermione, not at all romantic but very enduring.

[Tiffany]

I loved the scene. I don't think they were trying to add any kind of romance but to rather show how much like a brother and sister they really are. He could see she was heartbroken, and that the locket was making it worse for her. So he knew how to make her smile. My brother would have done the same. Him taking the necklace off was so it wouldn't take away from a little light heartedness for her.