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)
Don't Forget Me
Mark Lanegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I'm thirsty with nowhere to go
And what else do we find
But sorrow and misery untold
I know you got somebody new
Much better than me
When that change starts to swing, keep in mind one thing
Don't forget me dear
Woman make life sweet
Because of what you do, all my world is you
Now I know it's not easy don't believe them when they say I'm not right
Don't put a hex on me baby
Because I don't know what's wrong or right
I know that there's somebody new
Much better than me
But because my love is true, all my best to you
Don't forget me dear
And when you're alone please take care
Don't go walking after dark
Shine a light behind the stair
Remember what might be in there
Cool water divine
Now I'm thristier with nowhere to go
It's sorrow that we find
I'm thirstier with no where to go
I know that there's somebody new
Much better than me
When that change starts to swing, keep in mind one thing
Don't forget me dear
Because my love is true, give my best to you
Don't forget me dear
In Mark Lanegan's song "Don't Forget Me," the singer is grappling with the end of a relationship and the pain of watching their former partner move on with someone else. The lyrics use water imagery to express the singer's thirst for love and companionship, as well as their sorrow and misery. The line "I know you got somebody new, much better than me" reveals the singer's insecurities and feelings of inadequacy, while also acknowledging that the relationship is truly over.
Despite the pain, the singer still harbors feelings of love and affection for their former partner. They urge their ex not to forget them and to remember the love they once shared. The line "woman make life sweet, because of what you do, all my world is you" expresses the singer's appreciation of their ex's role in their life, despite the current pain.
In the second half of the song, the lyrics take on a more cautionary tone. The singer warns their ex to take care when they are alone and not to go walking after dark. They also urge them to remember the good times they shared and not to put a curse on them due to the pain of the breakup.
Overall, "Don't Forget Me" is a poignant song about the pain of love and loss, and the lingering feelings of affection that can persist even after a relationship ends.
Line by Line Meaning
Cool water divine
The feeling of cool water is refreshing and divine.
Now I'm thirsty with nowhere to go
Despite being thirsty, there is no destination in sight for the singer.
And what else do we find
After searching for a solution, what they found is...
But sorrow and misery untold
A type of pain that cannot be explained or articulated by the artist.
I know you got somebody new
The artist is aware of their former partner moving on with someone else.
Much better than me
The singer acknowledges that their former partner's new partner is better suited for them.
When that change starts to swing, keep in mind one thing
When change happens, it is important for the ex-partner to remember something.
Don't forget me dear
Remember the artist, even though it may be painful.
And when you're lost I feel it too
The artist still has an emotional connection with their ex-partner and can feel what they are feeling.
Woman make life sweet
Females bring joy to life.
Because of what you do, all my world is you
The singer's entire world revolves around their former partner.
Now I know it's not easy don't believe them when they say I'm not right
The artist is aware that the breakup was not easy, and that they should not listen to those who say they're at fault.
Don't put a hex on me baby
Don't cast a spell on me or bring me bad luck.
Because I don't know what's wrong or right
The singer is unsure of their actions and intentions and can't distinguish what's correct or not.
But because my love is true, all my best to you
Despite the breakup, the singer still has genuine love for their ex-partner and wishes them the best.
And when you're alone please take care
When the ex-partner is by themselves, they should be cautious and responsible.
Don't go walking after dark
It is unsafe to go out and walk during nighttime.
Shine a light behind the stair
Illuminate the dark areas to avoid accidents.
Remember what might be in there
Be aware of what might be lurking in the dark areas.
It's sorrow that we find
The artist is experiencing feelings of grief and pain.
I'm thirstier with no where to go
The artist is still thirsty and lost with no destination in sight.
Because my love is true, give my best to you
Reiterating that although the love was not reciprocated, the artist still has sincere love and good wishes for their ex-partner.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARK WILLIAM LANEGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind