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)
On Jesus
Mark Lanegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On Jesus' program
I'll wade out in the deep
Oh yes I will
On Jesus' program
Oh I cannot sleep
The Holy Spirit will creep
I know he'll take me, shake me
Make me what I have to be
On Jesus' program
I'm working for Christ
Oh yes I am
On Jesus' program
I know someday I'll rise
On Jesus' program
To mansions in the sky
Where I'll be free to live on
To live on
Eternally
I'm workin'
On the program
Every day
When this life
Is all over
I'm going home
When this life
Is all over
I'm going home
In this song, Mark Lanegan is paying tribute to the impact that gospel singer O.V. Wright had on his life. He sings about his commitment to following Jesus, which he describes as being a program. The lyrics are a declaration of his faith and his determination to do everything necessary to be on the right path. The phrase "On Jesus' program" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the central role that Christianity has in his life.
Lanegan sings about his struggle to sleep, a metaphor for the restlessness that he feels because of his conviction that life has a deeper purpose. This restlessness is fueled by his belief in the Holy Spirit, which he describes as creeping into his life and changing him from within. He knows that he has a lot of work to do, but he trusts that Jesus will give him the strength to become the person he is meant to be.
Ultimately, the song is about hope and salvation. Lanegan believes that if he stays true to his faith and follows the program that Jesus has laid out for him, then he will someday rise to "mansions in the sky" and be free to live eternally. The final lines of the song emphasize this belief, as he declares that when this life is over, he is going home.
Line by Line Meaning
On Jesus' program
I am committed to following Jesus and living by his teachings
I'll wade out in the deep
I am willing to take risks and venture out of my comfort zone to follow Jesus
Oh yes I will
I am certain and confident in my decision to follow Jesus
Oh I cannot sleep
My commitment to Jesus keeps me awake and alert, eager to do his work
The Holy Spirit will creep
I trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit to help me on my journey with Jesus
I know he'll take me, shake me, make me what I have to be
I am open to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit and am willing to grow and change as needed to follow Jesus
I'm working for Christ
My life and actions are dedicated to serving Christ and spreading his message
I know someday I'll rise to mansions in the sky
I trust in the promise of eternal life and am hopeful for the future that awaits me in Heaven
Where I'll be free to live on eternally
In eternity, I will be liberated from the struggles and limitations of mortal life and will experience limitless freedom and joy
Every day I'm workin' on the program
Every day, I actively strive to live my life in accordance with Jesus' teachings and values
When this life is all over, I'm going home
After my earthly life has ended, I believe I will go to my permanent home in Heaven
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALBERTA WRIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@danielmcbride2375
Rip you beautiful tortured soul. You saved my life more than once
@dawnwang1558
Rip mark lanegan, welcome home
@jens2049
Incredible
@ghostwhiskey
God bless you
@adamstainer4637
Rest in peace brother
@harisberbic9671
Goodbye Mark RIP
@farrex0
Wow this song sounds like a baritone version of Jeff Buckley. Mark Lanegan is such an underrated singer and musician.
@minorgray
Gospel Soul
@pinkgum
♥
@_kidA
When this life..is all over... im going homee.....
Goodbye NightPorter.. Buen viaje Dark Mark. :(