Like Little Willie John
Mark Lanegan Lyrics

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There was nothing I could do
Where's Willie John?
Dead so long
Born to fall, nothing at all
Who's gonna grieve
When you're gone?
I once believed
I wouldn't bleed
I seen all these good looking women
While I'm getting off the plane
Remember where my baby is
Start thinkin' 'bout my baby
All she ever knew was trouble
And for much I was to blame
But when I heard the news that night
I went down like a satellite
And when my world stood still that night
I dropped like a satellite
She never knew how much I loved her
She never knew how much I cared
I thought I'd get back to my special one
I thought I'd get on a lucky run
I said I'd get back to my special one
I said I'd get on a lucky run
God damn
Where's Willie John?
Dead so long
Born to fall, like nothing at all
Now who's gonna grieve
When you're gone?
I once believed I'd never bleed
But Lord I'm all alone tonight
Don't the sun love it's satellite?
Lord I'm all alone tonight
Don't the sun love it's satellite?
I don't know
Seein' all these good looking women
And remember where my baby is
Start thinkin' 'bout my baby
Remember where my baby is
Start me thinkin' 'bout my baby
Where's my baby?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Mark Lanegan's song "Like Little Willie John" are a melancholic reflection on the inevitability of death and the feelings of regret that come with the loss of a loved one. The song opens with a rhetorical question - "Where's Willie John?" - and quickly reveals that Willie John, whoever he may be, has been dead for a long time. The first verse also includes the lines "Born to fall, nothing at all/Who's gonna grieve when you're gone?", which suggest that Willie John was perhaps not a significant or well-known figure in his life.

The chorus of the song offers some insight into the singer's emotional state. He sings, "I once believed I wouldn't bleed", which could be interpreted as a statement of arrogance or overconfidence. But the repetition of the phrase "Dead so long/Born to fall, like nothing at all/Now who's gonna grieve when you're gone?" throughout the song suggests that the singer is grappling with feelings of inadequacy or insignificance in the face of mortality. As the song progresses, the singer also reflects on a lost love and the pain of not being able to express his feelings before it was too late.

Overall, "Like Little Willie John" is a poignant meditation on the transience of life and the ways in which we cope with loss and regret.

Line by Line Meaning

There was nothing I could do
I had no control over the situation.

Where's Willie John?
Where is the person who suffered the same fate as me?

Dead so long
He has been gone for a while now.

Born to fall, nothing at all
His fate was always to fail, with nothing to show for it.

Who's gonna grieve When you're gone?
No one will mourn his passing.

I once believed I wouldn't bleed
I thought I was invincible and wouldn't be hurt.

I seen all these good looking women While I'm getting off the plane Remember where my baby is Start thinkin' 'bout my baby
I am distracted by attractive women when I arrive, but quickly remember my lost love.

All she ever knew was trouble And for much I was to blame
My former lover always faced difficulties, and I recognize that I contributed to them.

But when I heard the news that night I went down like a satellite And when my world stood still that night I dropped like a satellite
The news of my former lover's death hit me hard and left me devastated.

She never knew how much I loved her She never knew how much I cared
I never expressed my true feelings to my former lover and she passed away without knowing how much she meant to me.

I thought I'd get back to my special one I thought I'd get on a lucky run I said I'd get back to my special one I said I'd get on a lucky run
I hoped to reunite with my lost love and believed I would have some fortune on my side as I did so.

God damn Where's Willie John? Dead so long Born to fall, like nothing at all Now who's gonna grieve When you're gone?
My despair about my situation is mixed with anger and confusion about how it all came to be.

I once believed I'd never bleed But Lord I'm all alone tonight Don't the sun love its satellite?
I thought I was immune to pain, but now find myself totally isolated, desperate for any kind of connection.

I don't know Seein' all these good looking women And remember where my baby is Start thinkin' 'bout my baby Remember where my baby is Start me thinkin' 'bout my baby Where's my baby?
I am torn between distractions and my true feelings, and continue to long for my lost love.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MARK LANEGAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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