Together, Campbell and Lanegan formed a unique combination of gruff vocals and dulcet voices. They released a series of albums: Ballad of the Broken Seas, which received a nomination in the 2006 Mercury Awards, Sunday at Devil Dirt, which was released in May 2008. The album received US release in Fall 2008. Their third album Hawk was released in August 2010. The same year the live album "Live At The Barbican London 2010 " was released.
Who Built The Road
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan Lyrics
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Twisted and crushed black metal and bones
Who passed the buck who pressed my flesh to yours
Spilling like wine and sweeter than tears
Oh I hope we more than survive
With trembling visions that terrify
So who built the road, who turned it all around
Who built the road, who was the foolish one
Step at a time two hearts in the fire
Who lit the touch, who fanned the flames
With sparks in the dust, spent rivers of desire
Oh why don't we learn from mistakes
We stumble along with so many more to make
So who built the road, who could foresee
That the answers we sought were many miles to go
We were so lonely at times
Fading away, sitting side by side
And we built the road, we were the chain gang
The cross that I bore the devil at my side
Dark angel within the everlasting fire
The lyrics of Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan's song Who Built The Road speak about the journey of the singer's self-discovery and the question of who is responsible for building the path that leads to one's self-esteem. The "road" symbolizes the path of life, which can be filled with both highs and lows, and the singer seems to be reflecting on the pains he's experienced throughout his journey. The first few lines describe the path being built, made from "twisted and crushed black metal and bones," perhaps alluding to the difficulties, struggles, and mistakes that led the singer to where he is now. He then questions who, along the way, pressed his flesh to yours, or who influenced or impacted him in ways that contributed to his pain and suffering.
The chorus talks about the hope of surviving, even when one is terrified by the difficult journey ahead. The singer seems to be analyzing and trying to understand who is responsible for building the path and the lessons he has learned from the road so far. He asks, "who could foresee that the answers we sought were many miles to go," possibly reflecting on how his journey led him to answers that were not easily accessible.
In the final few lines, the singer acknowledges the role he played in building the road, saying "we built the road, we were the chain gang." He also references the "devil at my side" and the "dark angel within the everlasting fire," which could represent his inner struggles and demons that he had to face during his journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Who built the road that led to my self esteem
Who created the path that led to my confidence
Twisted and crushed black metal and bones
The road was made using twisted and crushed metal and human bones
Who passed the buck who pressed my flesh to yours
Who shifted the blame for our physical intimacy
Spilling like wine and sweeter than tears
Our intimacy was passionate and emotional
Oh I hope we more than survive
I hope we thrive instead of just getting by
With trembling visions that terrify
Our dreams and aspirations are both exciting and frightening
So who built the road, who turned it all around
Who created the path and changed our lives
Pick though the wreck scramble in the dust
Search through the wreckage and chaos to find answers
Who built the road, who was the foolish one
Who was responsible for the path, and was it a mistake
Step at a time two hearts in the fire
We approached our relationship slowly, with passion
Who lit the touch, who fanned the flames
Who initiated and intensified our feelings for each other
With sparks in the dust, spent rivers of desire
Our passion was short-lived and intense
Oh why don't we learn from mistakes
We keep repeating our errors
We stumble along with so many more to make
We continue to make mistakes as we go
So who built the road, who could foresee
Who created this path, and who could have predicted where it led
That the answers we sought were many miles to go
We had a long way to go before finding the answers we were looking for
We were so lonely at times
We felt alone even when together
Fading away, sitting side by side
Our relationship was slowly deteriorating
And we built the road, we were the chain gang
We created the path ourselves and worked together to build it
The cross that I bore the devil at my side
I struggled with personal demons while navigating our relationship
Dark angel within the everlasting fire
I had inner darkness that burned within me constantly
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ISOBEL KAREN CAMPBELL, JAMES GERARD MCCULLOCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
stonethecrow80
Their voices fit so good together
Highmuk
love this song
Morgane Lahidji
RIP Mark Lanegan <3
Cristian Pacheco
i'm loved !!!!!!!! ♥♥♥
onlyyesterday1967
Lovely
nasdaq313
duo voices great song in my playlist , idea create playlist - best duet of songs …
jon dam
no idea, but i can tell you who's building the wall
mad dusa
i gotta say, isobel campbell is effed up in a way that seems very, very creepy. probably not her fault. presumably just the usual developmental trauma. still, very creepy.
Greg Wood
Ok snake head!