Nick Cave Books 'Dig, Lazarus Dig!!!'

Nick Cave has written a new book based on his song 'Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!' Set for release on July 8, the 40 page, four-inch hardback book chronicles the story behind the notorious Bad Seeds song.

"It is a curiosity that deals with the preparation and final glorious outcome of a project that began on the back of an envelope, a literal 'scrap' of an idea and ended up evolving into a genuine cultural icon and classic rock 'n' roll song," the eccentric Cave reveals.

Featuring notes, handwritten lyrics, photographs and a short story about the evolution of the song, the project is part of a collaborative project with British artists Sue Webster and Tim Noble.

According to Cave, the collaboration "is accompanied by an eight-foot-square light sculpture, employing over 750 light bulbs, built by Webster and Noble. This little book documents the journey of this mammoth collaboration."

'Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!' is a reworking of the Lazarus myth. Lazarus is a character in the New Testament whom Jesus raises from the dead. Cave heard the story in church as a youngster and was apparently so traumatized by it that he rewrote the myth to deal with it. 'Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!' places its character in 1970s New York City with another narrative featuring the late magician/escape artist Harry Houdini.

In 1988, Cave published his first book, 'King Ink,' which was a collection of lyrics and plays. A year later, he released his first novel, 'And the Ass Saw the Angel.'