Kozelek was born and raised in Massillon, Ohio. Upon relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, he met drummer Anthony Koutsos. After the pair moved once again to San Francisco, California, Red House Painters formed in 1989 with the addition of guitarist Gorden Mack and bassist Jerry Vessel. From 1992 to 1996, Red House Painters released a series of acclaimed albums, showcasing Kozelek's intense, highly autobiographical songs.
However, Kozelek's parting with the record label 4AD, followed by a major label merger which left Red House Painters' 1998 album Old Ramon on the shelf, proved highly frustrating and stifled the group's momentum. Kozelek opted to occupy himself with a series of idiosyncratic solo recordings as Red House Painters dissolved.
In 2000, he released the solo EP Rock 'n' Roll Singer, which featured three original songs as well as covers of John Denver's "Around and Around" and three AC/DC songs ("Rock 'n' Roll Singer," "Bad Boy Boogie," and "You Ain't Got a Hold on Me"). Two of the AC/DC cover versions on Rock 'n' Roll Singer were radical re-arrangements of the originals which removed the Bon Scott-penned lyrics from their hard rock context and placed them into gentle, acoustic "folk ballad" settings.
Kozelek expanded on this idea in 2001, releasing a full-length album comprised solely of AC/DC covers titled What's Next to the Moon.These new arrangements sounded so unlike the originals that a KCRW radio executive insisted that the title track was a Leonard Cohen song.
This was not the first time Kozelek had drastically re-arranged others' material to his own ends. With Red House Painters, he had previously done similar reconstructions with Simon & Garfunkel's "I Am a Rock," The Cars' "All Mixed Up," Yes's "Long Distance Runaround," Paul McCartney's "Silly Love Songs," and Francis Scott Key's "The Star-Spangled Banner."
In the years between his band projects, Kozelek's music made a number of appearances on compilations and tribute albums. He contributed the song "New Partner" to the Will Oldham (a.k.a. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy) tribute album, I Am Cold Rock. I Am Dull Grass Around this time, Kozelek commandeered a tribute album to John Denver, entitled Take Me Home: A Tribute to John Denver, featuring Will Oldham, The Innocence Mission, and Low to name a few. The compilation also featured Kozelek covering "Around and Around" as a duet with Rachel Goswell.
A limited edition live recording, White Christmas Live, was released by the Sub Pop label in late 2001. In addition to his solo material, it featured several Red House Painters songs done in a stripped-down, acoustic guitar-and-vocals style, and one a cappella rendition. An early version of his current project Sun Kil Moon's "Lily and Parrots" is tacked on to the end as an uncredited bonus track. It also features one previously unreleased song, "Admiral Fell Promises."
Sun Kil Moon debuted with Ghosts of the Great Highway in 2003, and also features former RHP members Jerry Vessel and Anthony Koutsos as well as new collaborators Geoff Stanfield (formerly of Black Lab) and Tim Mooney of American Music Club. Their follow-up effort appeared in 2005 on Kozelek's newly formed label, Caldo Verde Records. Titled Tiny Cities, the album is made up entirely of covers of songs by Modest Mouse. Once again, Kozelek's cover versions varied greatly from the originals.
In 2006, Kozelek was invited by Toronto indie rock label Paper Bag Records to exclusively contribute to their See You on the Moon! Songs for Kids of All Ages compilation with his original song "Leo and Luna." Then in November 2006, Kozelek released a live album titled Little Drummer Boy Live. On the album's two discs, he plays songs from his solo career, covers, and material from the catalogs of both Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon.
Kozelek returned in 2008 with the release of Sun Kil Moon's third album April. The album features 11 brand new recordings, including guest vocal contributions by Ben Gibbard, Will Oldham, and Eric Pollard.
The release of the new album also brought the re-issue of Nights of Passed Over, a 256-page, hard-cover book of all the lyrics to Kozelek's solo songs, Red House Painters' songs, and Sun Kil Moon's songs. It also features setlists, handwritten lyrics, and a preface by Kozelek himself. The original edition of this book was released in 2002 in Portugal, and featured all the lyrics up to that point, printed in both English and Portuguese. The updated edition spans to his current Sun Kil Moon days, and the book also includes a 12-track bonus CD, titled Nights LP, featuring live and rare versions of songs dated 1996 to 2007. The edition is sold exclusively on his label's website link and is limited to 2,500 copies.
On December 9, 2008, Kozelek and Caldo Verde Records issued The Finally LP, a CD collection of 10 unreleased tracks, including covers of songs by Stephen Sondheim, Will Oldham, Hüsker Dü, and Low among others, as well as two previously unreleased instrumentals. Two newly-recorded live albums, Find Me, Ruben Olivares: Live in Spain and Lost Verses Live, followed in spring 2009.
On April 23, 2010, the release of Sun Kil Moon's fourth album, Admiral Fell Promises, was announced. The album was released on July 13, 2010.
A documentary film entitled Mark Kozelek: On Tour was released via Caldo Verde Records on August 16, 2011. The movie was filmed during portions Mark Kozelek's European/North American tours of 2010 and early 2011.
In 2012, an article at Queensberry-Rules.com by staff writer Mark Ortega detailed Kozelek's fascination with the sport of boxing, which inspired the name of his Sun Kil Moon project as well as a few songs on a Desertshore album.
“Their backgrounds are extremely harsh and they work very hard to move up in their careers. I was in attendance at the Manny Pacquiao-Agapito Sanchez fight in San Francisco in 2001. When I heard Sanchez was murdered shortly after, it had a profound effect on me. It hurts when anyone dies young, but when you see the backgrounds of these guys and the path they've taken to try to find some light in their lives, it hurts to see them die young.”
Evil
Mark Kozelek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What seems years ago
Warm southern sun shines through
Station wagon windows
Like solar energy
And when in the night
Your brother turned to me and said,
"god, do you look evil in the dark"
That made me feel good
Sad reminders of
Midwest winter snow
Cold catholic church
Heaven in stained glass windows
Like rock candy
And when on sunday
Their daughter turned at me and said,
"mom and dad, is it a boy or a girl"
"mom and dad, is it a he or a she"
That made me feel good
The lyrics of "Evil" by Mark Kozelek are filled with mixed emotions that revolve around two contrasting environments - the warm southern sun and the cold Midwest winter snow. The singer reflects on two instances, where they experienced sadness and joy, respectively, that seemed to be from a bygone era. The first set of lyrics evoke memories of a road trip (possibly a family vacation) that happened a long time ago. The southern sun shining through the station wagon windows is described as "solar energy," a metaphor that speaks of the warmth and happiness that the sun provides. However, the song's melancholic tone changes when the singer's brother turns towards them and remarks on how "evil" they look in the dark, which is disconcerting. Despite the eerie comment, the singer admits that it made them feel good, which is a curious contrast.
The second set of lyrics focuses on a different memory, one set in the freezing Midwest winter. The singer is inside a cold Catholic church staring up at the stained glass windows that resemble "rock candy." While this sounds beautiful, the singer speaks of it in a detached and emotionless way. The second half of the stanza describes an interaction with a family who is waiting to discover whether their child is a boy or a girl. The child turns to the singer and asks whether they are a "he or a she." The situation is bizarre and raises several questions about the singer's character and gender identity. Yet again, like the first stanza, the singer admits that this interaction made them feel "good."
Overall, the song seems to be a meditation on the complicated and conflicting emotions that arise from past experiences. The singer seems to be haunted by these fleeting memories, yet they manage to evoke feelings of comfort and goodness despite their sorrowfulness.
Interesting Facts:
- Mark Kozelek is the lead singer and guitarist of the American indie rock band, Sun Kil Moon.
- Kozelek has released over 20 albums and is known for his somewhat controversial and opinionated songwriting style.
- The song "Evil" was released in 2000 as part of the album, "What's Next to the Moon," which was largely composed of AC/DC covers.
- Despite being a cover album, Kozelek's unique take on the songs garnered critical acclaim.
- Kozelek's cover of John Denver's "Around and Around" featured previously unreleased lyrics written by Denver himself.
- Mark Kozelek has collaborated with various prominent musicians, from Benji Hughes to Jimmy Lavalle.
- Kozelek has cited punk rock band Black Flag as a significant influence on his music.
- "Evil" was used in the 2001 film "Nico and Dani" directed by Cesc Gay.
- The song has been described as a poignant and heartbreaking exploration of nostalgia and regret, with Kozelek's delicate and bittersweet vocals adding to the melancholy tone.
- The chords of the song are in the key of C major, with the verses featuring a C-F-G-C progression, and the chorus using the G-F-C progression.
Line by Line Meaning
Sad reminders of
Reminders of a past that was difficult or painful.
What seems years ago
An event that has happened in the past but feels like a very long time ago.
Warm southern sun shines through
The sun shining in a warm and comforting manner during a southern drive.
Station wagon windows
The windows of the car that they are driving in on their southern drive.
Like solar energy
Comparing the warmth of the sun to solar energy.
And when in the night
A specific moment in the nighttime that the songwriter is remembering.
Your brother turned to me and said,
Someone's brother is addressing the songwriter.
"god, do you look evil in the dark"
The brother is commenting on the songwriter's appearance in the dark.
That made me feel good
The songwriter seems to be amused by the brother's comment on his appearance.
Sad reminders of
Recalling a sorrowful memory.
Midwest winter snow
Describing the weather in the midwest during winter.
Cold catholic church
A very chilly Catholic church.
Heaven in stained glass windows
Describing the beauty of the church's stained glass windows.
Like rock candy
Comparing the stained glass to luminous rock candy.
And when on sunday
A particular day of the week when this memory took place.
Their daughter turned at me and said,
Someone's daughter is addressing the songwriter.
"mom and dad, is it a boy or a girl"
The daughter is asking about the gender of a baby to her parents.
"mom and dad, is it a he or a she"
The daughter continues to inquire about the gender of a baby in her family.
That made me feel good
The songwriter seems to find some kind of pleasure in the daughter's questions as well.
Contributed by Amelia A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Michi Aceret
WOW! I am so happy you got a recording of this!! I am one of the string players on here and I always wanted to hear a recording from this show! Thanks!!
Steven Fawber
I have been to so many of his shows but this show is by far the best, the strings and everything is perfect.
Judah M
Such an amazing soundscape...
caldillo_de_congrio
Quite different from the studio version, but of course, as is always the case with The Koz, in a good way. "God, do you look evil in the dark..."
The Uncouth Youth
Live-eviL