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10 songs that feel like Henry Lee

Matched to Henry Lee by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

Henry Lee
The song you love
Henry Lee
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
moderate 43/100 intensity 85 BPM
Boogie Street — Leonard Cohen moderate 85 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (43/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).

Missed the Boat — Modest Mouse moderate 85 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (43/100). Same layered texture.

Rock Salt and Nails — Tyler Childers moderate 85 BPM

Keeps the same melancholy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (43/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (85 BPM).

Sonnet — The Verve moderate 84 BPM

Measures 96% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (43/100). Same layered texture.

Traveling Alone — Jason Isbell safe 80 BPM

A 95% feel-match — carries the same intimate pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (43/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (80 BPM).

My Lover's Prayer — Otis Redding moderate 72 BPM

97% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (42/100). Same layered texture.

Pastime Paradise — Stevie Wonder moderate 80 BPM

Keeps the same melancholy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (43/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (80 BPM).

Stronger Than Me — Amy Winehouse moderate 92 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (44/100). Same layered texture.

Still Doin' Time — George Jones moderate 92 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same melancholy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (44/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (92 BPM).

Pimper's Paradise — Bob Marley & The Wailers moderate 78 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (42/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Henry Lee is more than you want right now.

Cowboy Like Me by Taylor Swift
Cowboy Like Me — Taylor Swift safe 70 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 22/100, down from 43.

In a Week by Hozier
In a Week — Hozier safe 78 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6, so it lands at 16/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want by The Smiths

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 23/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

The 1 by Taylor Swift
The 1 — Taylor Swift safe 90 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 24/100, versus the original's 43. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Good Guy by Frank Ocean
Good Guy — Frank Ocean safe 80 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Intensity 16/100, down from 43. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Cayendo by Frank Ocean
Cayendo — Frank Ocean safe 70 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 6, so it lands at 11/100 — the pull without the edge.

Abstract (Psychopomp) by Hozier
Abstract (Psychopomp) — Hozier safe 80 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. Reads 16/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Million Dollar Man by Lana Del Rey
Million Dollar Man — Lana Del Rey safe 72 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 6. 15/100, versus the original's 43.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Henry Lee” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Boogie Street” by Leonard Cohen, “Missed the Boat” by Modest Mouse, “Rock Salt and Nails” by Tyler Childers — the top match scores 99% alike. Matching is by how the songs actually move (intensity, dynamic range, texture, tempo, predictability, vocal force), not by genre tag or popularity.

What songs are like “Henry Lee” but calmer?

“Cowboy Like Me” by Taylor Swift, “In a Week” by Hozier, “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” by The Smiths keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Henry Lee”?

It measures 43/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 85 BPM.

How do you decide which songs are similar?

Every song in our catalog is measured on 8 dimensions — intensity, dynamic range, tempo, sudden changes, texture, predictability, vocal force and fine sound detail. Similarity is the distance between two songs across those measurements, so matches cross genres and eras. Shared mood tags break ties.

By the numbers: how this song compares

Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.

Where it sits in 19,000 songs

On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 39% of songs, calmer than the other 61%. Its intensity reading of 43/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and dynamic vocals. It shares this stretch of the spectrum with thousands of other tracks, so the finer fingerprint below is what really separates it.

What makes it unusual

What stands out most about this song is an unusually steady, even volume: more extreme on that axis than 79% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.

Feels almost identical to

Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.

What it’s good for

Sleep4/10
Focus8/10
Workout3/10
Dinner8/10
Party / hype3/10

Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.

1996 in context

The 309 songs we’ve measured from 1996 average a dynamic range of 6.4/10. At 6/10, this track is right in line with its year.

Mixes smoothly with

Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.

The fingerprint

Intensity43
Dynamics56
Tempo25
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability0
Vocal force75
Trigger load13

The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

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