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)
I Am the Wolf
Mark Lanegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Banished so long ago
I've survived on another skill
And on my shadow on
All I've learned is that poison stings
No one remembers the names of martyrs and kings
No one remembers much of anything
It came this way before
I am the wolf, calming the beast
Till I'm great to shag away
The carcass of Leviathan sweeps gently on the waves
I hope this shelter is enough to keep you warm
Upstairs the heaven's giving birth to winter storm
But I haven't died since the day I was born
Not much I know it's true
I am the wolf, out wild and free
Picture on the shelf
I'll burn this house down to the ashes
Long to myself
All I've learned is that poison stings
No one remembers the names of martyrs and kings
No one remembers much of anything
It came this way before
It came this way before
I am the wolf
I am the wolf
I am the wolf
The lyrics of "I Am The Wolf" by Mark Lanegan portray the image of a lone wolf, banished from its pack and surviving on its own. The wolf has learned to rely on its own skills and intuition, as well as its shadow, to survive. The song suggests that the wolf has been through a lot, perhaps encountering poisonous substances that have stung it, and has come to realize that even martyrs and kings are eventually forgotten. This seems to imply that the wolf has become disillusioned with society as a whole and decided to live on its own terms.
The wolf is depicted as a powerful and intimidating figure, capable of calming even the most ferocious of beasts. The lyrics suggest that the wolf has found a temporary shelter where it hopes to keep someone else warm, while upstairs the heavens are giving birth to a winter storm. The wolf is not afraid of death, having survived since the day it was born. The chorus repeats the title of the song, emphasizing that the wolf is a force to be reckoned with and will not be tamed.
Overall, the song speaks to themes of independence, strength, and self-reliance, suggesting that sometimes it's better to go it alone than to rely on the fickle whims of others.
Line by Line Meaning
I am the wolf, without a pack
I am alone and independent
Banished so long ago
I have been out of favor for a long time
I've survived on another skill
I have had to rely on abilities other than being part of a pack
And on my shadow on
I have learned to trust and rely on myself only
All I've learned is that poison stings
I have learned from experience that harmful things can harm me
No one remembers the names of martyrs and kings
Famous people are often forgotten in history
No one remembers much of anything
History is often forgotten or lost over time
It came this way before
This situation has happened before
I am the wolf, calming the beast
I am able to pacify and calm others
Till I'm great to shag away
Until they are comfortable enough to leave
The carcass of Leviathan sweeps gently on the waves
Even the largest and strongest creatures are subject to nature's power
I hope this shelter is enough to keep you warm
I hope this protection is sufficient for you
Upstairs the heaven's giving birth to winter storm
A storm is brewing above us
But I haven't died since the day I was born
I have survived and persevered since my birth
Not much I know it's true
I don't know much for certain
I am the wolf, out wild and free
I am a wild and free spirit
Picture on the shelf
A memory from the past
I'll burn this house down to the ashes
I am willing to start fresh, even if it means destroying the past
Long to myself
I prefer to be alone most of the time
It came this way before
This situation has happened before
It came this way before
This situation has happened before
I am the wolf
I am a resilient and strong individual
Lyrics © Red Brick Music Publishing
Written by: Duke Garwood, Mark Lanegan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
006Morrigan
I am the wolf
Without a pack
Banished so long ago
I've survived
On another’s kill
And on my shadow home
All I've learned is that poison will sting
No one remembers the names of martyrs or kings
No one remembers much of anything
That came this way before
I am the wolf
Combing the beach
Too hungry to shy away
The carcass of a leviathan
Sways gently on the waves
I hope this shelter is enough to keep me warm
Upstairs the heaven's giving birth to winter's storm
But I've been dying since the day I was born
That much I know is true
I am the wolf
High, wild and free
A picture on a shelf
I burn this house
Down to the ashes
A law unto myself
All I've learned is that poison will sting
No one remembers the names of martyrs or kings
No one remembers much of anything
That came this way before
That came this way before
I am the wolf
I am the wolf
I am the wolf
WArhle.
The first song that I came back to after hearing about Mark's passing
RIP legend
J ⚰
Same here
Vanessa H
Not alone. Glass of red in hand. Cannot believe it tonight.
Mario Lopez
Me too, I am speechless
Adam Krapper
Feel you man, it's so sad.
Bitethe Book
Mine was the 4AD performance. Broke me good.
Gary Wright
Rip a true musical legend. I've seen him in so many different forms. I'm gutted I'll never see him again. Perfect gigs getting really wasted melting through the floor to the band and his gravelly tones. Sorely missed but thank you so much sir for the music the memories and for being with my in dark times. Fucking love you man 💔💔
pvelez3
What an amazingly power and beautiful performance. It hits the soul. RIP Mark, truly one of the greats.
Seminuevo
RIP Mark Lanegan... a true musical inspiration :(
Erik Hansen
Mark will definitely be missed. And these two Masters on SGs are killing it.