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)
Borracho
Mark Lanegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Trouble comes in slowly
A neverlasting light come to shine all over me
Bright in the mornin'
Like all of heaven's love come to shine on me
And to you who never need
Fuck yourselves, I need some more room to breathe
Here comes the devil, prowl around
One whiskey for evey ghost
And I'm sorry for what I've done
'Cause it's me who knows what it cost
It breaks and it breathes, and it tears you apart
It bites and it bleeds
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Here come the devil, prowl around
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I said
I said I just don't care anymore
A fool can feed on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Trouble comes in slowly
A neverlasting light come to shine all over me
At the dead end to mornin' darlin'
With all of heaven's love come to shine on me
The fool that feeds on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Here come the devil, buy the round
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I done
Lord it's me who knows what it costs
The fool that feeds on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Here come the devil, prowlin' round
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I said
I said I just don't care anymore
It breaks and it breathes and it tears you apart
Gonna bite, gonna bleed
'Til this desert turns to ocean over me
The lyrics of "Borracho" by Mark Lanegan revolve around a sense of impending doom and a search for respite from it. The first verse speaks of trouble coming slowly, almost as if the singer has seen it coming for a while. But suddenly, there is a bright light that shines over him. He compares it to love from heaven, but quickly dismisses the idea, saying that those who don't need this light can go to hell, as he needs some more room to breathe. The sense of foreboding is reinforced by the appearance of the devil, who comes prowling around, offering a whiskey for every ghost. The singer then confesses to something that he has done, and acknowledges the cost of his actions. He talks about the pain it brings, how it bites and bleeds, and how the desert turns into an ocean. By the end of the song, the singer seems resigned to his fate, apologizing for what he said, but also saying that he just doesn't care anymore.
The lyrics are open to interpretation, but one possible way to understand them is as a reflection of an addict's state of mind. The "bright light" could represent a moment of clarity, a realization of the harm that addiction is causing. The devil, on the other hand, is offering respite from this knowledge, offering a way to forget, at least for a little while. The sense of guilt is pervasive in the song, with the singer acknowledging his wrongdoing, but also seeming to be unable to do anything about it. The final lines paint a picture of a person who has given up, who has been consumed by the addiction and the pain it causes. The desert turning into an ocean could represent a sense of drowning, of being overwhelmed by a seemingly endless cycle of pain and regret.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, oh
Expression of agony and despair
Oh, oh
Repetitive expression of despair
Oh, oh
Continuation of the expression of agony
Oh, oh
Reiteration of the pain and depression
Trouble comes in slowly
Problems steadily approach
A neverlasting light come to shine all over me
A permanent light shines on the singer
Bright in the mornin', like all of heaven's love come to shine on me
The light is bright and heavenly
And to you who never need, fuck yourselves, I need some more room to breathe
The singer needs personal space and resents those who don't require it
Here comes the devil, prowl around
Metaphor for impending disaster
One whiskey for evey ghost
Dealing with ghosts of the past
And I'm sorry for what I've done
Regret for past actions
'Cause it's me who knows what it cost
Singer knows what the consequences were for their actions
It breaks and it breathes, and it tears you apart
Painful experiences can hurt and destroy you emotionally
It bites and it bleeds
The pain can feel physical and cause bloodshed
And this desert turns to ocean over me
His desolate world transforms into chaos and confusion
Here come the devil, prowl around
Continuation of the metaphor
One whiskey for every ghost
He's using alcohol to numb the pain
And I'm sorry for what I said
The singer apologizes for things he's said
I said I just don't care anymore
He's trying to distance himself from his emotions
A fool can feed on the notion
Some people believe foolish ideas
Sees and believes
Believing in something despite evidence to the contrary
And this desert turns to ocean over me
A complete transformation of the environment around him
Trouble comes in slowly
Continuation of the earlier line
A neverlasting light come to shine all over me
Reiteration of the permanent light shining on him
At the dead end to mornin' darlin'
He's at a low point in his life
With all of heaven's love come to shine on me
His environment brings salvation through a heavenly light
Here come the devil, buy the round
The devil comes again and the singer tries to drown his sorrows with alcohol
And I'm sorry for what I done
He's sorry for his actions
Lord it's me who knows what it costs
He takes responsibility for his actions
It breaks and it breathes and it tears you apart
Repetition of the metaphor for painful experiences
Gonna bite, gonna bleed
More repetition of physical pain from emotional turmoil
'Til this desert turns to ocean over me
Metaphor for continued transformation and chaos
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MARK LANEGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
006Morrigan
Trouble comes in slowly
A neverlasting light come to shine all over me
Bright in the mornin'
Like all of heaven's love come to shine on me
And to you who never need
Fuck yourselves, I need some more room to breathe
Here comes the devil, prowl around
One whiskey for evey ghost
And I'm sorry for what I've done
Cause it's me who knows what it cost
It breaks and it breathes, and it tears you apart
It bites and it bleeds
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Here come the devil, prowl around
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I said
I said I just don't care anymore
A fool can feed on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Trouble comes in slowly
A neverlasting light come to shine all over me
At the dead end to mornin' darlin'
With all of heaven's love come to shine on me
The fool that feeds on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Here come the devil, buy the round
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I done
Lord it's me who knows what it costs
The fool that feeds on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Here come the devil, prowlin' round
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I said
I said I just don't care anymore
It breaks and it breathes and it tears you apart
Gonna bite, gonna bleed
Til this desert turns to ocean over me
TheHueisOver™
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Trouble comes in slowly
A neverlasting light come to shine all over me
Bright in the mornin'
Like all of heaven's love come to shine on me
And to you who never need
Fuck yourselves, I need some more room to breathe
Here comes the devil, prowl around
One whiskey for evey ghost
And I'm sorry for what I've done
'Cause it's me who knows what it cost
It breaks and it breathes, and it tears you apart
It bites and it bleeds
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Here come the devil, prowl around
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I said
I said I just don't care anymore
A fool can feed on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Trouble comes in slowly
A neverlasting light come to shine all over me
At the dead end to mornin' darlin'
With all of heaven's love come to shine on me
The fool that feeds on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Here come the devil, buy the round
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I done
Lord it's me who knows what it costs
The fool that feeds on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Here come the devil, prowlin' round
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I said
I said I just don't care anymore
It breaks and it breathes and it tears you apart
Gonna bite, gonna bleed
'Til this desert turns to ocean over me
Eric Gómez
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Trouble comes in slowly
A neverlasting light come to shine all over me
Bright in the mornin'
Like all of heaven's love come to shine on me
And to you who never need
Fuck yourselves, I need some more room to breathe
Here comes the devil, prowl around
One whiskey for evey ghost
And I'm sorry for what I've done
'Cause it's me who knows what it cost
It breaks and it breathes, and it tears you apart
It bites and it bleeds
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Here come the devil, prowl around
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I said
I said I just don't care anymore
A fool can feed on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Trouble comes in slowly
A neverlasting light come to shine all over me
At the dead end to mornin' darlin'
With all of heaven's love come to shine on me
The fool that feeds on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Here come the devil, buy the round
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I done
Lord it's me who knows what it costs
The fool that feeds on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Here come the devil, prowlin' round
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I said
I said I just don't care anymore
It breaks and it breathes and it tears you apart
Gonna bite, gonna bleed
'Til this desert turns to ocean over me
Edward Stafford
Rest in peace, Mark. This song was always very special to me.
Sasha Doll
This song is just surreal. As someone who has trouble connecting to her emotions, this song ALWAYS pushes me into a deep, visceral part of me that I spend so much time repressing. Emoting all the feelings. Fuuuuuck. Regardless of religion, Mark is channeling some universal, emotional truths that qualify as 'divine', in my opinion. Inspired and inspiring.
Jonathan Van Horn
Sasha Doll that's intense, hope things are better these days...your comment was beautifully written and is something I certainly relate to.
santilo76
Beautiful Comment, i can relate. Cheers
hypnocoil
He's drinking top shelf with the holy ghost now. Rest easy, Mark. You were one of the best and you will be remembered.
hrothgar64
RIP Mark. Thank you for the music.
Xsolent
Life is too short. Live it up. RIP Mark.
J Cz
I know this man's wrote so many great songs, right now I'm thinking this one is his true masterpiece. UNREAL !!!
Los Huxley’s
I agree, this shit is just too much...
006Morrigan
Trouble comes in slowly
A neverlasting light come to shine all over me
Bright in the mornin'
Like all of heaven's love come to shine on me
And to you who never need
Fuck yourselves, I need some more room to breathe
Here comes the devil, prowl around
One whiskey for evey ghost
And I'm sorry for what I've done
Cause it's me who knows what it cost
It breaks and it breathes, and it tears you apart
It bites and it bleeds
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Here come the devil, prowl around
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I said
I said I just don't care anymore
A fool can feed on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Trouble comes in slowly
A neverlasting light come to shine all over me
At the dead end to mornin' darlin'
With all of heaven's love come to shine on me
The fool that feeds on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Here come the devil, buy the round
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I done
Lord it's me who knows what it costs
The fool that feeds on the notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me
Here come the devil, prowlin' round
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I said
I said I just don't care anymore
It breaks and it breathes and it tears you apart
Gonna bite, gonna bleed
Til this desert turns to ocean over me