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).
Wildwood Flowers
Mike Ness Lyrics
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With the roses so red and the lilies so fair
With miles so green like an emerald hew
The pale and the nature and violet to blue
He promised to love her, he promised to love
To cherish her always, to others above.
She woke from her dream, and her idol was clay
He taught her to love him; he called her his flower
A blossom to cheer him through life's weary hour
Though her heart now is breaking sha'll never know
How his name makes her tremble, with pale cheeks to glow
She'll dance and she'll sing her life shall be gay
She'll banish his weeping, drive troubles away
She'll live yet to see him regret this dark hour
When we won and neglected this frail wild wood flower
Mike Ness's song Wildwood Flowers is a poignant ballad that tells the tale of a woman whose heart has been shattered by a broken promise of love. The first verse describes the woman's beauty as she weaves flowers into her hair: "She'll twine and she'll mingle her waving black hair / With the roses so red and the lilies so fair." The next two lines vividly describe the lush greenery of the countryside. The woman in the song is part of the natural landscape; she is as beautiful and fleeting as the flowers she wears.
The second verse tells the story of the woman's betrayal: "He promised to love her, he promised to love / To cherish her always, to others above. / She woke from her dream, and her idol was clay / Her passion for loving had vanished away." Here, we learn that the woman was deeply in love with a man who promised to cherish her always. However, her vision of him as a perfect idol is shattered when he fails to keep his promise. The woman's passion for loving disappears with her disillusionment.
The final verse describes the woman's resilience after her heartbreak: "She'll dance and she'll sing her life shall be gay / She'll banish his weeping, drive troubles away / She'll live yet to see him regret this dark hour / When we won and neglected this frail wild wood flower." Despite the pain she has experienced, the woman decides to move on and live her life to the fullest. She is determined to banish the memory of her lost love and be happy. The final line is particularly powerful; it suggests that the man who betrayed her will one day regret his neglect of such a beautiful, fragile, and fleeting thing as wild wood flowers.
Line by Line Meaning
She'll twine and she'll mingle her waving black hair
She adorns her hair with roses and lilies, and stands amidst miles of greenery that sparkles like emeralds in the sunlight.
With the roses so red and the lilies so fair
She accessorizes her hair with red roses and white lilies, making her appear more beautiful and stunning amongst the greenery.
With miles so green like an emerald hew
The green surroundings resemble the color of an emerald stone, and are spread out for miles around her.
The pale and the nature and violet to blue
The pale, serene atmosphere is filled with violet and blue hues, making her look even more radiant.
He promised to love her, he promised to love
He pledged his love to her, swearing to always cherish her and place her above all others.
To cherish her always, to others above.
He promised to always value her presence and make her feel special, no matter what others may do or say.
She woke from her dream, and her idol was clay
She realized that the man she idolized and adored was not the perfect person she thought he was, and was as flawed as clay.
Her passion for loving had vanished away.
Her immense love for him had disappeared, as she discovered his true nature and the fact that he was not the man she thought he was.
He taught her to love him; he called her his flower
He had convinced her to love him, and had given her the nickname of 'flower', as she was meant to bring happiness and joy to his life.
A blossom to cheer him through life's weary hour
He wanted her to be there for him during the toughest times of his life, and to bring him hope and joy when he needed it the most.
Though her heart now is breaking sha'll never know
Although she is heartbroken, she will never let him see the extent of her pain and suffering.
How his name makes her tremble, with pale cheeks to glow
The mere mention of his name makes her nervous and anxious, and causes her face to become pale and wan.
She'll dance and she'll sing her life shall be gay
She will dance and sing, and try to live a happy and carefree life, even though she is heartbroken and in pain.
She'll banish his weeping, drive troubles away
She will try to forget his tears and problems, and focus on her own happiness and well-being.
She'll live yet to see him regret this dark hour
She is determined to live long enough to watch him regret the time he neglected and hurt her.
When we won and neglected this frail wild wood flower
When he failed to take care of and cherish the delicate wildflower that was her, and abandoned her when she needed him the most.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CARTER, A.P.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind