Mark William Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022) was an America… Read Full Bio ↴Mark William Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the Stone Age and The Gutter Twins. He released 12 solo studio albums, as well as three collaboration albums with Isobel Campbell and two with Duke Garwood. He was known for his baritone voice, which was described as being "as scratchy as a three-day beard yet as supple and pliable as moccasin leather" and has been compared to Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, and Nick Cave.

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)

Quiver Syndrome
Mark Lanegan Lyrics

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I turned back towards the factory
With a rail running through my head
And the stain of a rust red romance
Though my iron age rose is dead
Will the lord hold me down ‘cause I'm wicked?
Will the lord hold me down, to my shame?
Will your love it get into me Jesus?
Now I heard you calling out my name

The moon don’t smile on Saturday's child
Lying still in Elysian fields
I don’t know what the doctor he did
Now I'm all day long with my body in bed

Plant the seeds of an ivory white lily
Play the ghost of autumn’s lullaby
You know the way I came down to the city
Snuffed the love light out of my eyes
I’m knocked back in the alley
With the sweat pouring off my hands
I can tear out a stitch ‘cause it’s aching
When I'm a shake, shake, shaking I can

The moon don’t smile on Saturday's child
Lying still in Elysian fields
I don’t hear what my mother she said
Now I'm all day long with my body in bed

I turn back toward the factory
With a rail running through my head
And the stain of a rust red romance
Though my iron age rose is dead
Will the lord hold me down ‘cause I'm wicked?
Will the lord hold me down, to my shame?
Will your love it get into me Jesus?
Now I heard you calling out my name

The moon don’t smile on Saturday's child
Lying still in Elysian fields

I don’t know what the doctor he did
Now I'm all day long with my body in bed

Overall Meaning

Mark Lanegan's "Quiver Syndrome" infuses a sense of darkness, desperation, and longing through its haunting lyrics. The song seems to be exploring the singer's inner turmoil, as he contemplates his wickedness and the losses that he has suffered. In the opening lines, the singer says he has turned back towards the factory, a place of work or industry that could signify the drudgery of life. The rail running through his head implies the feeling of being trapped or stuck, with no escape from his current predicament.

The singer then reflects on a past romance that has ended, stating that his "iron age rose is dead." This metaphor suggests that his love was strong and resilient, much like a metal flower that would endure time. However, it has withered away, leaving him feeling empty and alone. He questions whether the Lord will hold him down because of his wickedness, showing his self-doubt and shame. But even in his darkest moments, a glimmer of hope shines through as he hears Jesus calling out his name. The final lines of the song repeat the earlier verses, ending with the singer once again lying in bed, unable to escape his thoughts.

Overall, "Quiver Syndrome" is a powerful song that delves into the complexities of the human experience. It gives voice to the inner struggles and emotions that many people face, making it relatable and moving.

Line by Line Meaning

I turned back towards the factory
I went back to the place where I used to work

With a rail running through my head
Feeling a headache or having something on my mind

And the stain of a rust red romance
Memories of a failed relationship still linger

Though my iron age rose is dead
Although my youth is gone

Will the lord hold me down ‘cause I'm wicked?
Feeling guilty and wondering if I will be punished for my sins

Will the lord hold me down, to my shame?
Feeling ashamed of what I've done and afraid of the consequences

Will your love it get into me Jesus?
Searching for hope and salvation in religion

Now I heard you calling out my name
Feeling like God is reaching out to me

The moon don’t smile on Saturday's child
Feeling unlucky or cursed

Lying still in Elysian fields
Being stuck in a dream-like state or a peaceful afterlife

I don’t know what the doctor he did
Feeling confused and unsure about my medical treatment