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)
Kimiko's Dream House
Mark Lanegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We always get lost
Without going very far
It's a matter of time
Like I told you before
Things are alright
If I fall to the floor
It's for closing my eyes
I came to this place
So tired at first
Kimiko's dream house
So many things
The girl's known before
Kimiko's dream house
So many things
That I've known before
To make matters worse
The trains are on time
But we're lost at the station
Still lost in our minds
Thrown to reverse
We kicked and cursed
Kimiko's dream house
So many things
The girl's known before
Kimiko's dream house
So many things
That I've known before
They're swallowing us
But dream we must
Kimiko's dream house
So many things
The girl's known before
Kimiko's dream house
There's so many things
That I've known before
That all the girls have known before
The song "Kimiko's Dream House" by Mark Lanegan could be interpreted as a journey through a dream world, where the singer finds himself lost and confused. The opening lines, "It's a matter of time, we always get lost without going very far" suggests that the singer is lost in his own inner world, exploring new depths of his consciousness, as he wanders through Kimiko's dream house. The dream house could be seen as a metaphor for the subconscious, and the singer is trying to navigate through it.
The lines "If I fall to the floor, it's for closing my eyes" could suggest that the singer falls to the floor to meditate and dive deeper into his subconscious. The singer is reminded that "things are alright", despite being lost, and this could suggest that the journey through the subconscious is necessary for healing and growth. The trains being on time, while the singer is lost, could be seen as a reference to the idea that time is only an illusion, and the journey through the subconscious can distort the concept of time.
The repetition of the lines "So many things that I've known before" suggests that the singer is exploring his past experiences and memories through his dream journey. The final lines "They're swallowing us, but dream we must" may be interpreted as an encouragement to continue the journey regardless of the difficulties, and to persevere through the subconscious territory.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a matter of time
Time is an influential factor in our lives
We always get lost
We often end up losing our way despite our intentions
Without going very far
We tend to lose ourselves even in familiar surroundings
Like I told you before
As I've mentioned earlier
Things are alright
Everything seems fine
If I fall to the floor
If I collapse
It's for closing my eyes
It's because I'm tired
I came to this place
I arrived here
So tired at first
Exhausted when I first arrived
Kimiko's dream house
The place owned by Kimiko's that's special to her
So many things
There are numerous items and details in this dream house
The girl's known before
Kimiko is familiar with these things
To make matters worse
To compound the problem
The trains are on time
The trains are punctual
But we're lost at the station
We are still lost even at the station
Still lost in our minds
We are confused even in our thoughts
Thrown to reverse
Taking a step back
We kicked and cursed
We got mad and upset
They're swallowing us
The surroundings engulf us
But dream we must
Despite our circumstances, we must keep dreaming
There's so many things
There are numerous items and details in this dream house
That I've known before
I am familiar with these things, just like Kimiko and other girls
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JEFFREY LEE PIERCE, MARK WILLIAM LANEGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@EMPANAO321
It's a matter of time
We always get lost
Without going very far
It's a matter of time
Like I told you before
Things are alright
If I fall to the floor
It's for closing my eyes
I came to this place
So tired at first
Kimiko's dream house
So many things
That girls known before
Kimiko's dream house
There's so many things
That I've known before
To make matters worse
The trains are on time
But we're lost at the station
Still lost in our minds
Thrown the reverse
We kicked and cursed
Kimiko's dream house
So many things
That girls known before
Kimiko's dream house
So many things
That I've known before
It's swallowing us
But dream we must
Kimiko's dream house
So many things
That girls known before
Kimiko's dream house
There's so many things
That I've known before
(Haah, haah, haah)
And all the girls have known before
@thurstongoreyo
I've always found this song to be among the most beautiful I've ever heard, and this is immediately where I came upon learning the news. Thank you Mark. Not just for this, but for everything.
@mitkojordanov2663
So long, Mark!!! You will be missed. So awfully missed!
@tommykeeling7697
ahhh im so sad
@v.mvarga4979
So nice to see Lanegan's music and specially this song is still relevant to a lot of people. Idk what Mark would of like but i think every artist would be pleased to know the art they poured from their hearts still resonates on the lives of many. R.I.P Mark you left us too soon
@MareMeyer
This one hurts. RIP Mark
@halloweenjack95
Man I miss him so much
@tommykeeling7697
Of all the people I never got the chance to meet and express how much of an influence they were on me .. its Mark
@jetcheneau5811
What I'd have given to hear Mark and Jeffrey sing on this song together.
@TubistColony
Well, fuck. There goes yet another unforgettable voice of my generation.
@andino444
Yes 😞