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)
El Sol /Album
Mark Lanegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No angels in the air
With hearts as good as gold
The closer you stand to the gates
The more the gates are closed
These darkened days
Make somebody's hunger and thirst
He's throwin' shadows on the earth
The shadow you find at the gate
And all the gates are closed
Oh yeah
Anytime you find your race is run
Felt much colder standin' in the sun
Waitin' for some warmth and comin' down
Felt much older than I really was
Waitin' for some warmth and comin' down
The sun is gone, yeah that's all I really know
No angels in the air
With hearts as good as gold
The closer you stand to the gates
The more the gates are closed
Anytime you find your race is run
Felt much colder standin' in the sun
Waitin' for some warmth and comin' down
Felt much older than I really was
Waitin' for some warmth and comin' down
Felt much older standin' in the sun'
Waitin' for some warmth and comin' down
Waitin' for some warmth and comin' down
The lyrics to Mark Lanegan's song El Sol are quite dark and pessimistic, with lines like "The sun is gone, and that's all I really know" and "The closer you stand to the gates, the more the gates are closed." The song seems to be about feeling lost and alone in the world, with no hope or comfort to be found. Lanegan sings about hunger and thirst, suggesting that he is in a state of physical and emotional deprivation. He also mentions shadows, which could represent a sense of emptiness or darkness that he is struggling against.
The repeated refrain of "Anytime you find your race is run" suggests that Lanegan feels like he's reached the end of his rope and doesn't have much left to give. He describes feeling cold and old, waiting for some warmth to come and break the chill. The song ends on a somewhat ambiguous note, with Lanegan continuing to wait for some comfort or relief.
Overall, the lyrics of El Sol are bleak and introspective, dealing with themes of loneliness, anxiety, and despair. The repetition of certain lines and phrases creates a sense of circularity, as if Lanegan is stuck in a never-ending cycle of pain and uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun is gone, and that's all I really know
I am uncertain of what is happening around me, but I know for certain that the sun has gone down.
No angels in the air
I do not see any celestial beings above me.
With hearts as good as gold
If there were any angels present, they would be morally righteous and pure-hearted.
The closer you stand to the gates
When one gets physically nearer to an entrance or exit, their chances of access become greater.
The more the gates are closed
However, in my current situation, the closer I get to an entry point, the less likely it is for me to gain access.
These darkened days
The present time is full of bleakness and despair.
Make somebody's hunger and thirst
These tumultuous times often lead to increased hunger and thirst for survival.
The blessed burns the sun
The sun, despite its radiant properties, brings about harshness and discomfort in the dry and arid environment.
He's throwin' shadows on the earth
The sun's rays are casting shadows, perpetuating darkness and gloom even during daylight hours.
The shadow you find at the gate
When approaching the entrance, there is a shadow present, possibly cast by an obstacle obscuring the way.
And all the gates are closed
All passages leading to potential salvation or escape seem to be blocked off and inaccessible.
Anytime you find your race is run
Whenever you realize that your journey has come to an end,
Felt much colder standin' in the sun
You may find that even in bright and sunny conditions, you feel a sense of isolation and hopelessness.
Waitin' for some warmth and comin' down
You may be waiting for something positive or uplifting to happen, but instead, you seem to be sinking into deeper despair.
Felt much older than I really was
The emotional and physical burden of your surroundings has made you feel much more aged and weary than your actual age.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MARK LANEGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind