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)
Low
Mark Lanegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love just what I can
Blood, it's all there is
In times of trial and loneliness
Too dark for finding my ground
And trees shiver and sway
If you ever seen something go down
To keep in mind all of your days
Lord you know where I been
And you know why I came
Look, I'm all done in
Pray don't send me back again
Tell her I wanted to say goodbye
Before the light was dead and gone
Tell her I didn't want to lie
Left here well enough alone
Lord you know where I been
And only you know why I came
Blood, it's all there is
Pray don't send me back again
If I stayed away too long
Many times I lost my way
If you ever been skeleton low
If you ever heard somebody say
Baby, baby
Don't you know about love
In the song "Low", Mark Lanegan speaks about love, and how sometimes it's hard to ground yourself in it when times get tough. He talks about loving only what he can, which is limited by his will. The concept of blood being all there is refers to the raw, primal aspect of love that is often overlooked in modern society. In times of trial and loneliness, these primal instincts can come to the surface, and the natural world seems to reflect this with the shivering and swaying of trees. The last line of the first verse is a warning to keep in mind the things we see during these times of vulnerability.
In the chorus, the lyrics become more introspective. Lanegan wants to convey the message that the Lord knows where he's been and why he's come, but he's done in and doesn't want to be sent back again. This suggests that he's been through troubled times before and doesn't want to revisit them. He then tells someone to pass on a message to a loved one to say goodbye before the light goes out, and that he didn't want to lie but had to leave well enough alone.
These lyrics stand out because they are very raw and relatable. Many people have experienced times of loneliness, uncertainty, and vulnerability in their lives. The imagery of the natural world reacting to these emotions is also vivid and adds to the melancholic feel of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Love with my will
I only love when I want to
Love just what I can
I am limited in my capacity to love
Blood, it's all there is
I only have my blood, my being
In times of trial and loneliness
Difficult moments are common and can be isolating
Too dark for finding my ground
It's difficult to discern where I stand
And trees shiver and sway
Nature shows the effects of life's turbulence
If you ever seen something go down
If you've witnessed a difficult situation
To keep in mind all of your days
It's something you should always remember
Lord you know where I been
I've been through a lot
And you know why I came
The reasons for my journey are known to you
Look, I'm all done in
I'm exhausted and defeated
Pray don't send me back again
I can't endure another trial
Tell her I wanted to say goodbye
Let her know I wanted to express my farewell
Before the light was dead and gone
Before it was too late
Tell her I didn't want to lie
I didn't want to be dishonest
Left here well enough alone
I was alone and it was enough
If I stayed away too long
If I've been gone for too long
Many times I lost my way
I've been lost many times
If you ever been skeleton low
If you've felt completely depleted
If you ever heard somebody say
If you've heard someone say
Baby, baby
A term of endearment
Don't you know about love
Do you not understand what love truly is?
Contributed by Sadie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dazai01_
Love with my will
Love just what I can
Blood, it's all there is
In times of trial and loneliness
Too dark for finding my ground
And trees shiver and sway
If you ever seen something go down
To keep in mind all of your days
Lord you know where I been
And you know why I came
Look, I'm all done in
Pray don't send me back again
Tell her I wanted to say goodbye
Before the light was dead and gone
Tell her I didn't want to lie
Left here well enough alone
Lord you know where I been
And only you know why I came
Blood, it's all there is
Pray don't send me back again
If I stayed away too long
Many times I lost my way
If you ever been skeleton low
If you ever heard somebody say
Baby, baby
Don't you know about love
@bohemianlikeyou1988
Mark Lanegan always sings from the heart... that's why I love him so much 🖤
@maddalenanieddufresi5687
My heart is broken for a million reasons. My life is not going as I planned. I feel scared, terrified. I miss you terribly Mark and this song heals me. Never felt so lonely and abandoned in my life, with my heart smashed, shattered, chewed and spit out. Thank you Mark for your music that helps me through my sorrow. I’ll love you and miss you forever.
@r3idmcread212
Use it as a lesson, to grow. Put all the pieces of your heart together yourself. Fix what was once broken yourself and make it stronger than ever.
@maddalenanieddufresi5687
@@r3idmcread212 Thank you <3
@r3idmcread212
@@maddalenanieddufresi5687 No one else better to talk to than someone who feels similar
May be different reasons or the same.
I don’t know you at all but your words speak to me. I hope you feel better
If you want someone to talk to, just ask and we can sort that out but if not. I wish you well
@maddalenanieddufresi5687
@@r3idmcread212 I do <3 thank you
@Hawkeyefoxspirit
Hang in there.
@TheMicturation
one of the greatest tracks ever,full stop
@tommykeeling7697
enjoy the great beyond bro
@SpyrosVJ
R.I.P.