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)
Judgement Time
Mark Lanegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a rolling holy, down the dirty river
In a dream, I heard gabriel's trumpet
Lord and I was blistered
Just a strong out angel
I saw the feet of pilgrims bleeding
I saw old hermits dying
A reverie of starlings on my show bird
I'm show bird of a highway
Judgement time is near
Ohoh...
Judgement time is near
Watch those stars above, they're falling
And when the sky is falling
It falls like heaven's rain
She said it's the time of judgement
I'm a rolling holy, down the dirty river
Oho, judgement time is near
Oho, judgement time is near
Oho, judgement time is near
In Mark Lanegan's song "Judgement Time," the singer hears a voice questioning if it's the time of judgment. The singer responds by describing a dream where they heard Gabriel's trumpet, which left them feeling "blistered." They also saw the suffering of others, including bleeding pilgrims, drowning cities, and dying hermits. Despite this, the singer maintains a sense of detachment, describing themselves as a "show bird of a highway." The song ends with the repetition of the phrase "judgement time is near" and a warning to "watch those stars above" that are falling like "heaven's rain."
Overall, the song seems to be a reflection on the end times and the idea of judgment. The singer appears to be witnessing and acknowledging the suffering of others, yet feels somewhat removed from it all. The dreamlike quality of the lyrics and the use of metaphors, such as the falling stars, add to the surreal and otherworldly feel of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
She said is it time of judgement?
A woman asked if it's the end of times
I'm a rolling holy, down the dirty river
Despite being holy, I feel like I'm in a dark place
In a dream, I heard gabriel's trumpet
I had a dream where I heard the trumpet of the archangel Gabriel
Lord and I was blistered
It made me feel extremely uncomfortable
Just a strong out angel
I'm just a tired and worn-out angel
I saw the feet of pilgrims bleeding
I witnessed the pain and suffering of poor travelers
I saw whole cities drowning
I witnessed entire cities being destroyed by floods
I saw old hermits dying
I witnessed elderly monks passing away
A reverie of starlings on my show bird
A large group of starlings was present around me
I'm show bird of a highway
I'm used to the noise and the chaos of highways
Judgement time is near
It seems that the end of times is approaching
Ohoh...
Watch those stars above, they're falling
The stars are falling from the sky
And when the sky is falling
During a disaster like this
It falls like heaven's rain
It feels like God's wrath is pouring on us
Oho, judgement time is near
Yes, it's clear that the end is near
Lyrics © Red Brick Music Publishing
Written by: MARK LANEGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brendan Barnes
She said is it time of judgement.
I'm a rolling holy, down the dirty river
In a dream, I heard Gabriel's trumpet
Lord and I was blistered
Just a strong out angel
I saw the feet of pilgrims bleedin
I saw whole cities drownin
I saw whole armies dyin
A reverie of starlings on my shoulder
One the shoulder of a highway
Judgement time is near
Ohoh...
Judgement time is near
Watch those stars above, they're falling
And when the sky is falling
It falls like heaven's rain
She said it's the time of judgement
I'm a rolling holy, down the dirty river
Oho, Judgement time is near
Oho, Judgement time is near
Oho, Judgement time is near
Oho, Judgement time is near
Employaal
She said is it time of judgement?
I'm a rolling holy, down the dirty river
In a dream, I heard Gabriel's trumpet
Lord and I was blistered
Just a strong out angel
I saw the feet of pilgrims bleeding
I saw whole cities drowning
I saw old hermits dying
A reverie of starlings on my show bird
I'm show bird of a highway
Judgement time is near
Ohoh...
Judgement time is near
Watch those stars above, they're falling
And when the sky is falling
It falls like heaven's rain
She said it's the time of judgement
I'm a rolling holy, down the dirty river
Oho, Judgement time is near
Oho, Judgement time is near
Oho, Judgement time is near
Josep Ribas
I can’t stop crying. RIP Marc Lanegan. You will be missed
Josep Ribas
@Jon Pale google translator
Jon Pale
.. could have spelled his name right.
Col Grey
I just listened to this 2 days before Mark passed. My favorite singer of all time. He got me through so many hard times in the last 30 years. Thank you for everything Mark. Your songs will live forever
Pierre Von Snooglehoff
love this version so much. I've been listening to Mark for 30+ years, and at some point I convinced myself he'd just live forever, and the music would never end. He'd survived so much, he seemed immortal.
Brendan Barnes
She said is it time of judgement.
I'm a rolling holy, down the dirty river
In a dream, I heard Gabriel's trumpet
Lord and I was blistered
Just a strong out angel
I saw the feet of pilgrims bleedin
I saw whole cities drownin
I saw whole armies dyin
A reverie of starlings on my shoulder
One the shoulder of a highway
Judgement time is near
Ohoh...
Judgement time is near
Watch those stars above, they're falling
And when the sky is falling
It falls like heaven's rain
She said it's the time of judgement
I'm a rolling holy, down the dirty river
Oho, Judgement time is near
Oho, Judgement time is near
Oho, Judgement time is near
Oho, Judgement time is near
OverTheSun
Tu vas me manquer, mais ta voix restera à jamais avec nous qui t'aimions. Merci pour tout, Mark. 😢🖤💔 RIP
Rodney Thirteen
Damn Jeff, you just hit every note, you do not ever disappoint...the singer ain't so bad either!
Ash Williams
Excelente 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Jesahel
great performance, great track!