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SCHIZOPHRENIA AND MR N.R.DRAKE
by Donnah Boyce

(transcribed from Pink Moon #11, July 1997)

Donnah Boyce is in the third year of a four year Bachelor of Psychology with Honours degree at the University of New England, NSW, Australia.


In a few instances Nick's name is linked with schizophrenia. For example, Gabrielle Drake (in Melody Maker, July 1987) mentions Nick's schizophrenia 'for want of a better word'. Also, Nick Kent (in NME, Feb. 8, 1975) describes Know as a 'paen to schizophrenia'.Pee Pee Charlbury (Panache, 1977) describes Know as 'practically a definition of schizophrenia'. I do not think Nick was schizophrenic, although several of his depressive symptoms do appear in some forms of schizophrenia as well. For example, lack of movement (catatonia), lack of speech, and lack of affect (i.e. emotional numbness, feeling like a zombie). Patients with this form of schizophrenia usually have abnormal brain structures and a history of poor social and educational functioning prior to the onset of the illness, whereas Nick's education and social interactions were normal (or even better than normal!) during his childhood.
    Another form of schizophrenia has symptoms of auditory and visual hallucinations. In some of Nick's songs are taken literally, such as Pink Moon, 'I saw it written and I saw it say', and Voice From the Mountain, it could be inferred he had visions of an apocalyptic pink moon and heard voices calling him from the mountains, seas and his neighbourhood! However, he did read a lot of poetry and was entirely aware of the use of metaphor, so I interpret these songs metaphorically rather than literally. After all, his psychiatrist prescribed anti-depressants and not anti-psychotics!
    The song Know does not necessarily indicate or define schizophrenia, however it is applicable to depression. I think many people view schizophrenia as the situation where people have more than one personality, and may have taken the lyrics, 'know that I love you, know I don't care', to refer to the idea of conflicting personalities. The Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde syndrome is really another disorder, that of multiple personality disorder (which Nick didn't appear to have either!).
    I interpret Know as an expression of emotional numbness. For example, one knows on an intellectual level that one loves another person (e.g. we all know we love our parents) ('Know that I love you'), but when one suffers from depression one cannot feel or express emotion ('Know I don't care'). Nick can see the people in his life and their concern for him ('Know that I see you'), but he is not the person he was before the depression developed and cannot interact with the people in his life ('Know I'm not there').
    So in all, in my humble, totally fallible opinion, Nick was severely and chronically depressed, but not manic or schizophrenic.

Depression, Manic Depression and Mr N.R. Drake