"Your Funeral... My Trial" is the fourth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on November 3, 1986, by Mute Records. Originally released as a double EP, it was also issued on CD with a different track order and the additional track "Scum." During this period, Cave struggled with heroin addiction, which is reflected in the album's melancholy and desperate mood. This was the last Bad Seeds album featuring Barry Adamson until his return for Push the Sky Away in 2013.
Cave described the album as his favorite, noting that it holds special significance to him and that some songs, like "The Carny," "Your Funeral, My Trial," and "Stranger Than Kindness," are among his best work. The album reached the ARIA Top 100 Albums Chart, peaking at number 98, and topped the UK Independent Albums Chart.
It was remastered and reissued on April 27, 2009, as a collector's edition CD/DVD set, featuring the original vinyl double EP's track listing, with "Scum" included as a bonus track on the DVD.
Producer Flood recalled that the recording began with Mick Harvey bringing in the guts of an old grand piano, which became the basis for the sound on the album. This unique approach set the tone for the record. Mick Harvey later reflected that the album provided a template for the band's future work, feeling organized and complete despite its diverse sounds and styles.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds also appeared in Wim Wenders' 1987 film Der Himmel über Berlin, performing "The Carny" and "From Her to Eternity." The song "The Carny" inspired the 2003 animated short film Jo Jo in the Stars, which won a BAFTA Award for Best Animated Short Film. The film's director, Marc Craste, noted that the song's lyrics suggested a cinematic interpretation, reading like a short story.
