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.”
What's Next To The Moon
Mark Kozelek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Train rolling down the line
Givin' that woman just one more chance
To give it to me one more time
Engineer wishin' he was home in bed
Dreamin' about casey jones
Wide-eyed woman with a hole in her head
Crying over broken bones
It's your love that i need
It's your love got to have
Baby it's your love
Everybody flying across the sky
Superman was out of town
Come on honey gotta change your tune
It's a long way down
Clark kent looking for a free ride
Thinking about lois lane
Be it a bird, or a man, or a suicide
That'd be a shame
It's your love that i want
It's your love that i need
It's your love got to have
Baby it's your love
Long arm looking for fingerprint
Trying to find a mystery clue
Giving me that third degree
Working on a thumb screw
Alright, officer, i confess
Everything is coming back
I didn't mean to kill that woman of mine
It was a heart attack
It's your love that i want
It's your love that i need
It's your love got to have
It's your love guaranteed
It's your love that i want
It's your love that i need
It's your love got to have
Baby baby it's your love
The opening lines of Mark Kozelek's song "What's Next To The Moon" create an immediate shock effect. The imagery of a woman tied to a railroad track, with the train approaching, is one of the most hackneyed ways to establish a scene of danger and suspense. The classic trope appears in all forms of literature since the late 19th century, be it in comic books, movies, or songs. In this context, Kozelek subverts our expectations by not letting the woman perish. Instead, he offers her a chance to redeem herself in his eyes, by having sex with him one last time. He sings, "Givin' that woman just one more chance / To give it to me one more time." The two lines together, with the juxtaposition of cruelty and lust, create a disturbing, even humorous, mood.
The rest of the song develops an uneasy mixture of references to popular culture, such as Superman and Lois Lane, and police investigation jargon - "Long arm looking for fingerprint / Trying to find a mystery clue / Giving me that third degree / Working on a thumb screw." The theme of love remains consistent throughout the song, although it is hard to tell whether Kozelek is sincerely seeking affection or adopting a sarcastic, cynical tone. The latter option seems more likely, with the way he changes his mind in the chorus, from "It's your love that I want" to "It's your love that I need" to "It's your love got to have" and finally to the ironic "It's your love guaranteed." The listener is left with a sense of unease, as if the song's protagonist is both dangerous and disillusioned, clinging to love as a last resort.
Line by Line Meaning
Tied my baby to the railroad track
I feel like I'm in a helpless situation where my partner is in control and I have no choice but to stay with them.
Train rolling down the line
The situation is moving forward, and I have no control over what happens next.
Givin' that woman just one more chance
Despite the negative circumstances, I'm still holding onto hope for my relationship and giving it one last chance.
To give it to me one more time
I want my partner to show me love and affection despite the difficult circumstances we're in.
Engineer wishin' he was home in bed
Even the person controlling the situation probably wishes they were somewhere else.
Dreamin' about casey jones
The engineer is probably daydreaming to pass the time because they're bored or anxious.
Wide-eyed woman with a hole in her head
My partner is probably scared or hurt, just like I am. We're in this together.
Crying over broken bones
My partner is vulnerable and in a lot of pain, but I can't help them right now.
It's your love that i want
Despite everything that's happening, the one thing I can't live without is my partner's love.
It's your love that i need
Their love is the only thing that brings me happiness, and I can't picture my life without it.
It's your love got to have
My feelings for my partner are intense, and I can't ignore them even if I wanted to.
Baby it's your love
I'm desperate for my partner's love and affection, and I'm willing to do anything to keep them by my side.
Everybody flying across the sky
Everyone else seems to have it easy or be in control of their lives while I struggle.
Superman was out of town
Even a symbol of hope and strength like Superman is unavailable to help me.
Come on honey gotta change your tune
I'm trying to convince my partner to change their behavior or attitude to make the situation better for both of us.
It's a long way down
The situation is precarious and could go south at any moment. I can't stop worrying about what could happen.
Clark kent looking for a free ride
Even someone as powerful as Clark Kent/Superman is still trying to take the easy way out or cheat the system.
Thinking about lois lane
Even a superhero like Clark Kent/Superman can't help but think about his love interest and personal life.
Be it a bird, or a man, or a suicide
No matter what happens next, it's going to be a painful or dramatic experience.
That'd be a shame
I'm not ready to give up hope yet, and I hope the situation doesn't turn out as badly as it could.
Long arm looking for fingerprint
The law or other outside forces are trying to find something to incriminate me or my partner with.
Trying to find a mystery clue
The truth of the matter is still unclear, and even outside forces are trying to figure it out.
Giving me that third degree
I'm being interrogated or questioned relentlessly, and I'm running out of answers.
Working on a thumb screw
The people questioning me or my partner are using painful or manipulative tactics to get us to confess.
Alright, officer, i confess
I'm giving in to the pressure and admitting my guilt, even if I'm innocent or don't know what else to say.
Everything is coming back
All the bad memories or negative events are coming back to haunt me.
I didn't mean to kill that woman of mine
I'm trying to explain or justify my actions, even if they were harmful or wrong.
It was a heart attack
I'm trying to claim that the situation was out of my control or accidental to avoid blame or punishment.
It's your love guaranteed
I'm certain that my partner's love is the only thing that can bring me happiness or a sense of safety.
Baby baby it's your love
I'm still desperate for my partner's love and affection, and I'm trying to convince them to stay with me no matter what.
Contributed by Anthony L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@johnflushing9328
These hesher songs are transformed from brainless buttrocker jams to beautiful tunes like magic!
@michaelthomas9991
It’s difficult at best to turn songs from that which you described into “magic” unless the originals are of good quality. A turd is still a turd even when covered in roses, as in the case of rap.
@cliffjung6462
Yeah!!!!!!!!!