Darker With The Dawn — Nick Cave’s Songs Of Love And Death

This book uncovers the stories behind Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’
most well-known songs from “Tupelo,” “The Mercy Seat,” “Red Right Hand,”
“Stagger Lee,” and “Into My Arms,” to “Higgs Boson Blues” and beyond.
This book explores Nick Cave’s life in music, drawing upon his inspirations from
the Bible, Greek myth, and literature, as well as his enduring passion for gospel,
the blues, and progressive rock.

Adam Steiner reflects upon Cave’s journey from his Australian childhood to his struggles with drug addiction and young fascination with the nightmare landscapes of America’s Wild West and southern gothic, toward a reckoning with his own Christian spirituality. In a career spanning four decades, Cave’s songwriting has moved from the sinners and saints of murder ballads to piano-based songs of heartbreak, deconstructed garage rock, and ambient fever dreams. Steiner dives into the world of a complex songwriter who continues to speak to us of the light and shade of humanity.

“Nick Cave has created a body of work across music, prose, and screen matched in its impact, depth, and erudition by few artists. Adam Steiner has set the benchmark for many years to come.”
—Mat Snow
Former editor, Mojo and author of Nick Cave: Sinner Saint

“Thorough and insightful, this book delivers the depth of analysis that Cave’s body of work deserves.”
—Simon Price
Author of Curepedia: An A-Z Of The Cure

“This is a great primer on all things Nick Cave. This is a must-read for any Nick Cave fan, whether a newcomer or veteran.”
—Tony Dushane
Former music columnist, San Francisco Chronicle;
author of Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk

“Smart, informed, full of surprising insights and shrewd observations. Most of all, it breathes life into music that I thought I was overly familiar with – animates rather than deadens.”
—Michael Winkler
Author of Grimmish

“Darker with the Dawn is a fascinating, if dense, read that touches on but thankfully surpasses some of the more well-worn Cave analysis on themes of love, religion, death, and bad motherfuckers.”
—Emily Colucci
Filthy Dreams