Lanegan began his musical career in 1984 with Screaming Trees, with whom he released seven studio albums and five EPs before their disbandment in 2000. During his time with the band, he also started a solo career and released his first solo studio album, The Winding Sheet, in 1990. He subsequently released a further 10 solo albums, which received critical recognition but only moderate commercial success. Following the end of Screaming Trees, he became a frequent collaborator of Queens of the Stone Age, and was a full-time member between 2001 and 2005 during the Songs for the Deaf and Lullabies to Paralyze eras.
Lanegan collaborated with various artists throughout his career. In the 1990s, he and Kurt Cobain recorded an album of Lead Belly covers that was ultimately never released. He also joined Layne Staley and Mike McCready in the band Mad Season, and formed the alternative rock group The Gutter Twins with Greg Dulli in 2003, as well as contributing to releases by Moby, Bomb the Bass, Soulsavers, Tinariwen, The Twilight Singers, Manic Street Preachers, and Unkle, among others.
Lanegan struggled with addiction to drugs and alcohol throughout his life, but had been sober for over a decade at the time of his death. Encouraged by his friend Anthony Bourdain, he released the memoir Sing Backwards and Weep in 2020. He followed this up in 2021 with the memoir Devil in a Coma, which focused on his near-death experience with COVID-19. He and his wife Shelley Brien left the U.S. in 2020 and settled in the Irish town of Killarney, where he died two years later at the age of 57. No cause of death was revealed.
Studio albums
The Winding Sheet (1990)
Whiskey for the Holy Ghost (1994)
Scraps at Midnight (1998)
I'll Take Care of You (1999)
Field Songs (2001)
Bubblegum (2004)
Blues Funeral (2012)
Imitations (2013)
Phantom Radio (2014)
Gargoyle (2017)
Somebody's Knocking (2019)
Straight Songs of Sorrow (2020)
Death's Head Tattoo
Mark Lanegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See the monkey in the jungle swing
Canary in the cavern sing
That the devil lives in anything
C'mon people
You know that I ain't got the wherewithal
When California starts to crawl
Makes a poor man leave his home
And if I cry for you, baby
Your death's head tattoo made me
Pray for the last one standing
Holding a loaded gun
I can see her there
Under the golden sun
Wild thing
See the man up on the gallows swing
See the creature walking through the weeds
In a garden grown from evil seeds
C'mon people
You know I can't afford to reconcile
When California starts to crawl
Makes a poor child leave its home
And if I cry for you, baby
Your death's head tattoo made me
Pray for the last one standing
Holding a loaded gun
I can see her there
Under the golden sun
Better the devil you know
Than the one that you don't
Better the devil you know
Than the one that you don't
C'mon people
You know that I ain't got the wherewithal
When California starts to crawl
Makes a poor man leave his home
And if I cry for you, baby
Your death's head tattoo made me
Pray for the last one standing
Holding a loaded gun
I can see her there
Under the golden sun
In Death's Head Tattoo, Mark Lanegan reflects on the injustices and evils that exist in the world. The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery, referencing the monkey swinging in the jungle, the canary singing in the cavern, and the creature walking through the weeds. The repeated refrain, "When California starts to crawl, makes a poor man leave his home," highlights how societal issues, such as poverty and violence, can force people to flee their homes in search of safety and stability.
The song's title and motif of death's head tattoos alludes to the macabre idea of death and mortality. The line "your death's head tattoo made me pray for the last one standing, holding a loaded gun" suggests that the singer has been deeply affected by someone with a death's head tattoo - perhaps they have suffered at their hands. The line "Better the devil you know than the one that you don't" implies a resigned acceptance of the inevitable evils that exist in the world.
Overall, Death's Head Tattoo is a haunting and thought-provoking song that encourages the listener to reflect on the darker aspects of the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Wild thing
Addressing the listener or introducing the subject matter of the song with a colloquial phrase.
See the monkey in the jungle swing
Observing a carefree and wild animal in its natural habitat, possibly representing the freedom Mark once had or the primal instincts lurking beneath human civility.
Canary in the cavern sing
A helpless creature in a treacherous environment, symbolizing the fragility of life and the potential danger awaiting if one ventures too deep into the unknown.
That the devil lives in anything
Implying that evil can lurk in the most unexpected places or people, possibly referring to Mark's own inner demons or corrupted values.
C'mon people
Addressing the audience or a specific group of people for attention or commonality.
You know that I ain't got the wherewithal
Acknowledging his shortcomings or limitations, perhaps material, emotional, or mental.
When California starts to crawl
Referring to a metaphorical or literal event, like calamity or chaos, that threatens the order or stability of an environment or society.
Makes a poor man leave his home
Suggesting that even the most humble or vulnerable would be compelled to seek refuge or abandon their comfort zone when faced with overwhelming adversity or danger.
And if I cry for you, baby
Expressing emotional turmoil or vulnerability regarding a particular person or situation, possibly one that is causing Mark great pain or fear.
Your death's head tattoo made me
Associating a particular trait or symbol with a significant person or event, which has left a permanent mark or impression on Mark's psyche or memory.
Pray for the last one standing
Referencing the idea of survival or endurance, where Mark may be envisioning himself or someone close to him as a resilient survivor in a harsh or treacherous world.
Holding a loaded gun
Emphasizing the danger or risk of being the last one standing, perhaps symbolizing the price of survival or the potential for violence in the face of adversity.
I can see her there
Glimpsing or imagining a particular image or memory, possibly related to a person or a place that holds great emotional significance to Mark.
Under the golden sun
Evoking a sense of warmth, beauty, or nostalgia, possibly symbolizing a time or place where Mark felt truly happy or at peace.
See the man up on the gallows swing
Depicting a macabre or distressing image of public execution, possibly underscoring the harshness of punishment, the horror of mortality, or the price of transgression.
See the creature walking through the weeds
Spotting an ominous or eerie figure moving stealthily in the shadows or in the wild, possibly representing the unknown or the primal instincts lurking beneath human civility.
In a garden grown from evil seeds
Describing a place or situation that is inherently corrupted or tainted, possibly referring to the moral decay or hypocrisy inherent in society or human nature.
You know I can't afford to reconcile
Admitting that Mark lacks the resources or ability to repair or restore a relationship or situation, which may be causing him great distress or pain.
Better the devil you know, than the one that you don't
Echoing a familiar phrase that suggests it is easier or less risky to stick with what you know or are familiar with, even if it is flawed or destructive.
Writer(s): Alain Johannes, Mark Lanegan, Rob Marshall
Contributed by Charlotte H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.