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)
Methamphetamine Blues
Mark Lanegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wake up
Children don't ya hear me comin'
Get up
Get up
Because I got to have the honey
And I don't want to leave this heaven so soon
Rollin' children keep on rollin'
Rollin' children keep on rollin'
Keep the light turned low and the back door open
My love rain down like sugar so sweet
(got what you want, so come and get it)
Yes children I will
Tall lawman rides
With his uniform clean, shine on his shoes
My radio plays
Methamphetamine blues
And tell all the news
I'm rollin' just to keep on rollin'
Wake up
Children
Get right soul church, keep a lock on the kitchen
Do risks for your daddy
(I'll do it daddy)
Keep your eyes wide open and my shotgun loaded
Cause I don't want to leave this heaven so soon
Rollin' just to keep on rollin'
Rollin' just to keep on rollin'
Rollin' just to keep on rollin'
My love rain down like sugar so sweet
(got what you want, so come and get it)
Yes baby
Tall lawmen rides
With his uniform clean, shine on his shoes
My radio plays
Methamphetamine blues
And tell all the news
I'm rollin just to keep on rollin'
Rollin just to keep on rollin'
Rollin just to keep on rollin'
I don't want to leave this heaven so soon
Rollin just to keep on rollin'
Rollin just to keep on rollin'
Rollin just to keep on rollin'
Rollin just to keep on rollin'
I don't want to leave this heaven so soon
The song Methamphetamine Blues by Mark Lanegan speaks of addiction and its destructive effects on the individual. The lyrics begin with a call to "Wake up" and "Get up" which could be seen as a reference to the need to stay alert and focused when using methamphetamine, a highly addictive drug. The repetition of the phrase "Rollin' children keep on rollin'" suggests that the singer is urging the listener to keep on taking the drug, despite the risks and consequences.
The chorus "My love rain down like sugar so sweet" could indicate that the singer views the drug as a form of love, as if it provides a euphoric feeling that they cannot get from anywhere else. The repeated line "I don't want to leave this heaven so soon" signifies the addict's desire to remain in the euphoric state that the drug provides.
The song also includes references to law enforcement and the need to keep a low profile, indicating that the singer may be alluding to the dangers and consequences of drug addiction, such as potential legal repercussions. Overall, the lyrics paint a dark picture of addiction and its ability to entrap individuals in a vicious cycle of destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
Wake up
Calling attention to the listener
Wake up
Repetition of the previous line as further emphasis
Children don't ya hear me comin'
Addressing the listeners as children and asking if they can hear him
Get up
Urging the listeners to get up and do something
Get up
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Because I got to have the honey
Explaining the urgency behind his request for action
And I don't want to leave this heaven so soon
Expressing his desire to continue enjoying his current state of being
Rollin' children keep on rollin'
Encouraging the listeners to keep moving forward
Rollin' children keep on rollin'
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Keep the light turned low and the back door open
Giving instructions on how to maintain the current state of being
My love rain down like sugar so sweet
Describing his love in a sweet and tangible manner
(got what you want, so come and get it)
Inviting the listeners to take what they desire
Yes children I will
Agreeing to their previous request
Tall lawman rides
Describing a law enforcement officer on horseback
With his uniform clean, shine on his shoes
Commenting on the officer's appearance
My radio plays
Shifting to a new scene and describing the presence of a radio
Methamphetamine blues
Describing the kind of music playing on the radio
And tell all the news
Explaining what the radio is doing
I'm rollin' just to keep on rollin'
Describing his own actions of continuous movement
Wake up
Repeating the call to attention
Children
Repeating the address
Get right soul church, keep a lock on the kitchen
Giving instructions to be spiritually sound and cautious about food
Do risks for your daddy
Encouraging the listeners to take risks for someone they care about
(I'll do it daddy)
Agreeing to the previous statement
Keep your eyes wide open and my shotgun loaded
Encouraging the listeners to be vigilant and prepared for danger
Cause I don't want to leave this heaven so soon
Reiterating his desire to stay in the current state of being
Rollin' just to keep on rollin'
Repeating the description of his own actions of continuous movement
Rollin' just to keep on rollin'
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Rollin' just to keep on rollin'
Repeating the previous line for further emphasis
My love rain down like sugar so sweet
Repeating the description of his love from earlier
(got what you want, so come and get it)
Repeating the invitation for the listeners to take what they desire
Yes baby
Using a term of endearment to address the listeners
Tall lawmen rides
Repeating the description of the officer from earlier
With his uniform clean, shine on his shoes
Repeating the commentary on the officer's appearance from earlier
My radio plays
Repeating the setting from earlier
Methamphetamine blues
Repeating the description of the music from earlier
And tell all the news
Repeating the function of the radio from earlier
I'm rollin just to keep on rollin'
Repeating his own actions of continuous movement from earlier
Rollin just to keep on rollin'
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Rollin just to keep on rollin'
Repeating the previous line for further emphasis
I don't want to leave this heaven so soon
Repeating his desire to stay in the current state of being from earlier
Rollin just to keep on rollin'
Repeating his own actions of continuous movement from earlier
Rollin just to keep on rollin'
Repeating the previous line for emphasis
Rollin just to keep on rollin'
Repeating the previous line for further emphasis
Rollin just to keep on rollin'
Repeating the previous line for even further emphasis
I don't want to leave this heaven so soon
Repeating his desire to stay in the current state of being from earlier
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARK LANEGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind