Cello Song is a haunting folk ballad by Nick Drake, released in 1969 as the opening track on his debut album Five Leaves Left. The tune blends Drake’s intimate guitar and vocals with a prominent cello part and lush textures—John Cale plays piano on the track—recorded at Sound Techniques in London and produced by Joe Boyd. Its sound sits between folk, with hints of jazz and classical influence, giving it a chamber-folk feel. Lyrically it paints a dreamlike scene of vulnerability and longing, with lines like “strange face” and “lend me a hand and lift me to your place in the cloud.” The song helped establish Drake’s early reputation for melodic beauty and soulful restraint, and it later appeared on the 1971 US compilation Nick Drake, which introduced his work to American audiences.
