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)
Creeping Coastline of Lights
Mark Lanegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Leaving Hollywood
Sunset to the sea
Where the waves
Ride in on horses
I'm looking for her light
The seas and the trees
Calling me
She's a river between day and night
I'm looking for her light
Creeping coastline of lights
She's comin down
From her mountian
Shinin white light
Like a fountain
And I'm lookin for her light
Creeping coastline of lights
And I'm lookin for her light
Creeping coastline of lights
Mark Lanegan's song, Creeping Coastline of Lights is a poignant and introspective piece that delves into the figurative search for a lost love. The lyrics evoke heartfelt emotion and are filled with evocative imagery that paints a vivid picture of a man searching for a woman he has lost. The song is a beautiful ode to the power of love and the beauty of nature.
The song begins with a vivid description of the singer leaving Hollywood, heading towards the sea where the waves are "riding in on horses." The imagery here is powerful, the waves seem to be majestic and awe-inspiring as they crash against the shore. The singer is searching for a light in this creepy coastline of lights, perhaps a metaphor for the woman he is seeking. As the song progresses, we discover that this woman is a "river between day and night," making it difficult for the singer to find her. However, he persists, searching for her light amidst the creeping coastline of lights.
As the song ends, the woman finally appears, coming down from her mountain, shining like a fountain of bright white light. The singer finally finds what he has been searching for in the creeping coastline of lights. The song is a beautiful and emotional journey, full of evocative imagery and heartfelt lyricism that will resonate with anyone who has ever been in love.
Line by Line Meaning
Leaving Hollywood
Departing from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, likely seeking a more genuine and authentic experience.
Sunset to the sea
Traveling from the bustling city to the calming ocean, possibly to reflect on personal thoughts and emotions.
Where the waves
Referring to the waves of the ocean he is seeing and hearing.
Ride in on horses
Describing the movement and sound of the waves, which can resemble the galloping of horses.
I'm looking for her light
The artist is searching for a person or a guiding light in his life.
Creeping coastline of lights
The coastline is lit up, possibly by the stars or other sources of light, creating a serene and mystical atmosphere.
The seas and the trees
The singer is paying attention to the natural surroundings, which consist of the ocean and trees.
Calling me
The beauty of nature is attracting the artist's attention, and perhaps influencing his emotions and thoughts.
She's a river between day and night
Referring to the person or guiding light he is looking for, who can bridge the gap between opposite ends of the spectrum.
She's comin down
The person or guiding light is approaching the artist in a physical or metaphorical sense.
From her mountian
The person or guiding light is descending from a higher ground, likely indicating a greater level of understanding or wisdom.
Shinin white light
The person or guiding light is described as shining and pure, indicating a positive influence on the artist.
Like a fountain
The person or guiding light emanates positivity and inspires the singer, similar to how a fountain provides a consistent and continuous output of water.
And I'm lookin for her light
Reiterating that the singer is still searching for the person or guiding light he seeks.
Creeping coastline of lights
Recalling the peaceful and mystical atmosphere created by the coast's natural and manmade sources of light.
Contributed by Asher A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@EMPANAO321
Leaving Hollywood, Sun set to the sea
Where the waves ride in on horses
I'm looking for her light
Creeping coastline of lights
The seas and the trees, calling me
She's a river between day and night
I'm looking for her light
Creeping coastline of lights
She's comin' down from her mountain
Shinin' white light like a fountain
And I'm lookin' for her light
Creeping coastline of lights
I'm lookin' for her light
Creeping coastline of light
@briandaniels2126
100% groovy,dark and magical Mark....thank you for keeping real music and singing alive brother🎶🎸🎤🤘
@jkf9167
The Leaving Trains!!!
@EMPANAO321
Leaving Hollywood, Sun set to the sea
Where the waves ride in on horses
I'm looking for her light
Creeping coastline of lights
The seas and the trees, calling me
She's a river between day and night
I'm looking for her light
Creeping coastline of lights
She's comin' down from her mountain
Shinin' white light like a fountain
And I'm lookin' for her light
Creeping coastline of lights
I'm lookin' for her light
Creeping coastline of light
@vaughnabbott580
The Voice!
@BOBO-zq4dg
R.I.P.
@alihandemiral7049
Remarkable as always, Mr. Mark Lanegan.
@beerman3876
Dark mark met the dark.
@DaveSstation
He’s at the creeping coastline of light.His sin our salvation.
His music has done good.
@thunderturbine8860
RIP Mark
@MIB_63
Excellent cover version.