Ness was born in Stoneham, Massachusetts and raised in Fullerton in Orange County, California. Kicked out of his parents' home in Fullerton at the age of fifteen, he dabbled in drugs and petty crime, involving himself in the punk scene and founding Social Distortion in 1978. The band signed a contract with Posh Boy Records in 1981, releasing the Mainliner/Playpen 7" record. Then the band moved to 13th Floor Records in 1982 and released the album Mommy's Little Monster (1982).
By this time, Ness's drug addiction and self-destructive behavior had deepened to the point that the band almost broke up. The turmoil was captured on a video, Another State of Mind, which chronicled a cross-country tour. Five years passed before Social Distortion released their next album, 1988's Prison Bound, on Restless Records but Ness emerged from the time off free of his addictions and ready to work.
In 1989, Social Distortion signed a deal with Epic Records and released four albums with that label: the self-titled album (1990), Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell (1992) and White Light, White Heat, White Trash (1996).
The band left Epic Records after White Light, White Heat, White Trash (1996) and joined Time Bomb Recordings, releasing Mainliner: Wreckage From the Past (a collection of old recordings and singles that were done in the early '80s) and Live at the Roxy (1998).
In 1999, Ness released his first solo album, Cheating at Solitaire. Although Social Distortion's music had contained country inflections as far back as Prison Bound, Cheating at Solitaire was an unalloyed expression of Ness's country side. 'Solitaire' included guest appearances by rock icon Bruce Springsteen, former Stray Cat Brian Setzer and drumming legend Josh Freese as well as members of Royal Crown Revue. Springsteen had touted Social D's 'Heaven and Hell' as his favorite record of the year in a Rolling Stone interview in 1992. Ness continued in this vein, releasing a compilation of country covers entitled Under the Influences that same year. Both albums came out on Time Bomb Recordings. Ness toured extensively in the U.S. in support of these albums, backed partially by the present-day (2006) incarnation of Social Distortion; Charlie Quintana (drums) Brent Harding (standing & electric bass) and Johnny Wickersham (guitar tech). Ness and the band played at Woodstock '99. After that, his bandmate and guitarist Dennis Danell died on February 29, 2000 due to an aneurysm, but Social Distortion did not completely disband.
In 2004, Social Distortion came back with a live DVD called "Live In Orange County," and then recorded an album titled Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll, which was released on Time Bomb Recordings. These efforts marked the first recordings with a line up consisting of Ness on Guitar and vocals, Wickersham on guitar, and Quintana on drums and also consisted of songs co-written by Ness and Wickersham. This is the first time Ness collaborated with another songwriter since 1990's self-titled album, on which he and then bassist John Maurer wrote 'Let it be Me'. The band's lineup changed twice after Maurer left the band, just a month before the release on Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll. He was replaced by Operation Ivy/Rancid bassist Matt Freeman until early 2005 and current member Brent Harding joined as his replacement.
In February 2006, Ness broke his wrist while skateboarding in Las Vegas. T.S.O.L. guitarist Ron Emory is filling in on guitar duties while Mike's wrist heals. Mike is still performing, just not playing guitar.
Social Distortion is currently working on their next studio album, which is due for release in late 2006/early 2007.
Ness currently lives in Santa Ana, California with his wife Christine Marie, and two sons Johnny and Julian. He is also a hot rod enthusiast, driving a chopped 1954 Chevy leadsled, a 1936 Ford, and a 1960 Chevy Impala.
(from Wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Ness).
Long Black Veil
Mike Ness Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someone was killed, 'neath the town hall light
There were few at the scene, but they all agreed
That the slayer who ran, looked a lot like me
The judge said son, what is your alibi
If you were somewhere else, then you won't have to die
I spoke not a word, thou it meant my life
[Chorus]
She walks these hills in a long black veil
She visits my grave when the night winds wail
Nobody knows, nobody sees
Nobody knows but me
Oh, the scaffold is high and eternity's near
She stood in the crowd and shed not a tear
But late at night, when the north wind blows
In a long black veil, she cries ov're my bones
Repeat [Chorus]
The lyrics of Mike Ness's song "Long Black Veil" tell a haunting and tragic story of a man who is falsely accused and convicted of murder. The song opens with the singer describing an incident that occurred ten years ago on a "cold dark night" where someone was killed under the town hall light. Although there were few witnesses, they all claimed that the killer looked like the singer. The next verse continues with the singer appearing in court with no alibi to prove their innocence. This is because they had been in the arms of their best friend's wife, revealing that the singer was having an affair with the wife of the person they were best friends with at the time of the murder.
The chorus, "She walks these hills in a long black veil, she visits my grave when the night winds wail. Nobody knows, nobody sees, nobody knows but me," speaks to the woman's grief and regret. She mourns the loss of the singer and visits their grave in secret, knowing she is the only one who knows the truth of who committed the murder. The final verse describes her mourning and crying over the singer's bones at night when the north wind blows.
Overall, "Long Black Veil" is a powerful song that showcases the complexity of regret, guilt, and grief. While it tells a story of a tragic event that occurred years ago, the emotions and the themes are still relevant today.
Line by Line Meaning
Ten years ago, on a cold dark night
One decade ago, during a freezing and dark night
Someone was killed, 'neath the town hall light
Someone lost their life under the light of the town hall
There were few at the scene, but they all agreed
There weren't many people there, but they all concurred
That the slayer who ran, looked a lot like me
The person who fled from the scene resembled me
The judge said son, what is your alibi
The judge asked me for my alibi
If you were somewhere else, then you won't have to die
If I was elsewhere, I wouldn't have to face death penalty
I spoke not a word, thou it meant my life
I remained silent, even though my life depended on it
For I'd been in the arms of my best friend's wife
I was having an affair with my best friend's wife
She walks these hills in a long black veil
She roams these hills wearing a long, dark veil
She visits my grave when the night winds wail
She pays a visit to my tomb when there are howling winds at night
Nobody knows, nobody sees
No one knows, no one witnesses
Nobody knows but me
No one else knows besides me
Oh, the scaffold is high and eternity's near
The gallows are tall, and eternity is approaching
She stood in the crowd and shed not a tear
She stood among the people but didn't cry
But late at night, when the north wind blows
But during late nights when the northern wind blows
In a long black veil, she cries ov're my bones
She mourns over my bones dressed in a black veil
[Chorus]
Repeats the chorus
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Danny Dill, Marijohn Wilkin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind