The band has featured international personnel throughout its career and presently consists of Cave, violinist and multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis, bassist Martyn P. Casey (all from Australia), guitarist George Vjestica (United Kingdom), keyboardist/percussionist Toby Dammit (United States) and drummers Thomas Wydler (Switzerland) and Jim Sclavunos (United States). The band has released sixteen studio albums and completed numerous international tours, and has been considered "one of the most original and celebrated bands of the post-punk and alternative rock eras in the '80s and onward".
The band was founded in 1983 following the demise of Cave and Harvey's former group the Birthday Party, the members of which met at a boarding school in Victoria. By the release of their fifth studio album Tender Prey in 1988, they shifted from post-punk towards an experimental alternative rock sound, later incorporating various influences throughout their career. For example, the 2008 album Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! and the side-project Grinderman were strongly influenced by garage rock. Synthesizers and minimal guitar work feature prominently on Push the Sky Away (2013), recorded after Harvey's departure from the band in 2009.
The project that would later evolve into Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds began following the demise of The Birthday Party in August 1983. Both Cave and Harvey were members of the Birthday Party, along with guitarist Rowland S. Howard and bassist Tracy Pew. During the recording sessions of the Birthday Party's scheduled EPs Mutiny/The Bad Seed, internal disputes developed in the band. The difference in Cave and Howard's approach to songwriting was a major factor, as Cave explained in an interview with On The Street: "the main reason why The Birthday Party broke up was that the sort of songs that I was writing and the sort of songs that Rowland was writing were just totally at odds with each other." Following the departure of Harvey, they officially disbanded. Cave also said that "it probably would have gone on longer, but Mick has the ability to judge things much more clearly than the rest of us."[8]
Cave and guitarist Kid Congo Powers during the band's 1986 tour.
An embryonic version of what would later become Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds was formed in the Birthday Party's then-home of London in September 1983, with Cave, Harvey (acting primarily as drummer), Einstürzende Neubauten guitarist Bargeld, Magazine bassist Barry Adamson, and Jim G. Thirlwell. The band was initially formed as a backing band for Cave's intended solo project Man Or Myth?, which had been approved by the record label Mute Records. During September and October 1983, they recorded material with producer Flood,[9] although the sessions were cut short due to Cave's touring with the Immaculate Consumptive, another project formed with Thirlwell, Lydia Lunch and Marc Almond.[10] In December 1983 Cave returned to Melbourne, Australia, where he formed a temporary line-up of his backing band, due to Bargeld's absence, that included Pew and guitarist Hugo Race. The band performed their first live show at Seaview in St. Kilda on 31 December 1983.
Following a short Australian tour, and during a period when they were without management, Cave and his band returned to London. Cave, Harvey, Bargeld, Race and Adamson formed the project's first consistent line-up, while Cave's longtime girlfriend Anita Lane was credited as a lyricist on the band's debut album.[citation needed] The group, which up to this time had been nameless, adopted the moniker Nick Cave and the Cavemen, which they used for the first six months of their career. However, they were later renamed Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in May 1984, in reference to the final Birthday Party EP The Bad Seed.[citation needed] They began recording sessions for their debut album in March 1984 at London's Trident Studios and these sessions, together with the abandoned Man Or Myth? sessions from September–October 1983 that were recorded at The Garden studios, formed the album From Her to Eternity, released on Mute Records in 1984.
Dig Lazarus Dig!!!
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, back in that hole
Larry made his nest up in the autumn branches
Built from nothing but high hopes and thin air
Collected up some baby blasted mothers
They lived quite happily up there
He came from New York City man
But he couldn't take the pace
He thought it was like a dog eat dog world
But he went to San Francisco
Spent a year in outer space
With a sweet little San Franciscan girl
I can hear my mother wailing
And a whole lot of scraping of chairs
I don't know what it is
But there's definitely something going on upstairs
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, back in that hole (I want you to dig)
(I want you to dig)
(I want you to dig)
Well, yeah, New York City, he had to get out of there
And San Francisco, well, I don't know
And then to LA, where he spent about a day
He thought even the pale sky-stars were smart
Enough to keep well away from LA
Meanwhile Larry made up names for the ladies
Like Ms Boo and Ms Quick
He stockpiled weapons and took pot shots in the air
He feasted on their lovely bodies like a lunatic
And wrapped himself up in their soft yellow hair
I can hear chants and incantations
And some guy is mentioning me in his prayers
Well I don't know what it is
But there's definitely something going on upstairs
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, back in that hole (I want you to dig)
(I want you to dig)
(I want you to dig)
Well New York City Man
San Francisco, LA, I don't know
But Larry grew increasingly neurotic and obscene
I mean, he, he never asked to be raised up from the tomb
I mean no one ever actually asked him to forsake his dreams
Anyway, to cut a long story short
Fame finally found him
Mirrors became his torturers
Cameras snapped him at every chance
The women all went back to their homes
And their husbands
With secret smiles in the corners of their mouths
He ended up, like so many of them do
Back in the streets of New York City
In a soup queue
A dope fiend
A slave
Then prison
Then the mad house
Then the grave
Oh poor Larry
But what do we really know of the dead
And who actually cares?
Well I don't know what it is
But there's definitely something going on upstairs
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, back in that hole (I want you to dig)
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, back in that (dig, that's right, dig)
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, back in that (I want you to dig)
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Dig yourself, back in that hole
The song "Dig Lazarus Dig!!!" by Nick Cave tells the story of two men, Larry and Lazarus. Larry built a nest in the autumn branches with the hope of creating a better life for himself and the women he collected. He eventually became increasingly unstable and abusive towards these women. Lazarus, on the other hand, was brought back to life by Jesus, only to be asked to return to his tomb. The lyrics suggest a comparison between the two, with Larry desperately trying to climb higher and Lazarus being forced back into a hole.
The lyrics also paint a picture of society's fascination with the downfall and suffering of others. Larry becomes famous, only to end up in a drug-induced haze and eventually, prison, and the grave. The added line of "but what do we really know of the dead, and who actually cares?" highlights the callousness and lack of empathy society has for individuals once they are no longer in the public eye.
Overall, the song appears to be a commentary on societal pressures to climb higher, even when it is detrimental to our well-being, and the lack of empathy and care for those who inevitably fall.
Line by Line Meaning
Dig yourself, Lazarus
Get back to work, Lazarus
Dig yourself, back in that hole
Get back to your previous life or situation, because it's where you belong
Larry made his nest up in the autumn branches
Larry had ambitions that he pursued with optimism and creativity
Built from nothing but high hopes and thin air
Larry had nothing but his dreams and aspirations to fuel his ambition
Collected up some baby blasted mothers
Larry surrounded himself with women who had gone through traumatic experiences, possibly for comfort or validation
They took their chances and for a while
The women were willing to take risks with Larry because they wanted to escape their past or because they believed in him
They lived quite happily up there
For a time, Larry and the women enjoyed the freedom and joy of their unconventional and adventurous lifestyle
He came from New York City man
The artist is referring to Larry
But he couldn't take the pace
Larry became overwhelmed by the fast pace and pressures of living in New York City
He thought it was like a dog eat dog world
Larry perceived the city as a competitive and ruthless environment where people fight for survival
But he went to San Francisco
Larry left New York City to find a new life and opportunities
Spent a year in outer space
The artist is using figurative language to describe Larry's liberating and transformative experience in San Francisco
With a sweet little San Franciscan girl
Larry fell in love with someone in San Francisco
I can hear my mother wailing
The singer hears a woman in distress
And a whole lot of scraping of chairs
There is a commotion or struggle happening nearby
I don't know what it is
The artist is confused or unsure about the situation
But there's definitely something going on upstairs
Something significant and possibly dangerous is happening nearby
Well, yeah, New York City, he had to get out of there
The singer is continuing to refer to Larry and why he left New York City
And San Francisco, well, I don't know
The singer is unclear why Larry left San Francisco
And then to LA, where he spent about a day
Larry tried living in Los Angeles, but it did not last long
He thought even the pale sky-stars were smart
Larry thought the stars in the sky were smarter than the people in Los Angeles
Enough to keep well away from LA
The stars in the sky avoid being associated with Los Angeles
Meanwhile Larry made up names for the ladies
Larry gave the women in his life pet names or nicknames
Like Ms Boo and Ms Quick
Examples of the nicknames Larry made up for the women
He stockpiled weapons and took pot shots in the air
Larry became increasingly paranoid and started arming himself
He feasted on their lovely bodies like a lunatic
Larry became more deranged and started mistreating the women in his life
And wrapped himself up in their soft yellow hair
The singer is describing how Larry became obsessive and possessive over his victims
I can hear chants and incantations
The artist is hearing possibly religious or mystical rituals being performed nearby
And some guy is mentioning me in his prayers
The artist is disturbed that someone is praying for them, but unsure what to make of it
Well New York City Man
The singer is referring to Larry again
San Francisco, LA, I don't know
The singer is reflecting on Larry's journey
But Larry grew increasingly neurotic and obscene
Larry's mental state deteriorated as he became more erratic and vulgar
I mean, he, he never asked to be raised up from the tomb
The artist is suggesting that Larry was never meant to succeed or find happiness in life
I mean no one ever actually asked him to forsake his dreams
The artist is acknowledging Larry's desire to pursue his aspirations, even if he lacked guidance or support
Anyway, to cut a long story short
The singer is summarizing Larry's life, likely because it was too long or convoluted to explain in detail
Fame finally found him
Larry achieved some level of success or recognition
Mirrors became his torturers
Larry became self-conscious and insecure when he gained fame or attention
Cameras snapped him at every chance
Larry became a celebrity and could not avoid being photographed or recorded
The women all went back to their homes
The women in Larry's life moved on from him and returned to their normal lives
And their husbands
The women were married, suggesting they were not truly happy with Larry
With secret smiles in the corners of their mouths
The women were pleased to have escaped Larry's hold on them and moved on with their lives
He ended up, like so many of them do
The singer is suggesting that Larry's fate was common among people in his situation
Back in the streets of New York City
Larry returned to where he started, but in a worse state
In a soup queue
Larry had to rely on charity or assistance to survive
A dope fiend
Larry became addicted to drugs, likely as a result of his experiences and trauma
A slave
Larry became trapped and controlled by his addiction and poverty
Then prison
Larry was likely arrested and imprisoned for drug-related crimes
Then the mad house
Larry ended up in a mental institution, probably due to his deteriorating mental and emotional wellbeing
Then the grave
Larry died, either from his addiction, illness, or other reasons
Oh poor Larry
The singer expresses pity or sympathy for Larry's tragic life
But what do we really know of the dead
The singer is questioning our knowledge and understanding of the deceased
And who actually cares?
The artist is asking whether anyone truly feels compassion or empathy for the dead
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Nicholas Edward Cave
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Cradley51
Cave, Cohen, Waits. The reason I've made it this far. True art in its purest form.
@parsleypalace3272
Poets of life. Period.
@georgekoynov6805
+ Father John Misty
@mikegburnside
May I include Don Van Vliet?
@kruzzo8d
+ Mark Lanegan
@foiran
Lyrical surrealist. What a legend, he’s in the same class as the likes of Dylan and Cohen.
@andresvola7408
Agrego a tom waits
@JMBluecoat8289
Not as big as Cohen, though. Probably because his lyrics aren’t as accessible. I think you have to be quite the scholar to be able to fully understand some of Cave’s more obscure lyrics (Red Right Hand is very accessible but still that seems to come from Milton but could be about any kind of temptation/Faustian pact, but I’m not sure I fully understand it). I’ve seen both Cave and Cohen perform at the Glastonbury Festival. Cohen’s set was my favourite ever experience at Glastonbury and he was a singer songwriter who I grew up thinking was very old hat (my very uncool dad liked him, after all). The whole field was packed, people were singing along to Hallelujah and were very appreciative when Cohen sung classic after classic, The Tower of Song, Everybody Knows, etc, etc. But I remember walking away from Cave’s set at the festival slightly disappointed. It didn’t feel as big as it should have done. I think I need to see him perform in a small venue.
@paulk.794
With loads of swagger
@thesilliestclown
he's read lerner and goldstein. he's almost a jew like zimmerman and cohen