Mother Love Bone was established in 1988 by former Green River members Jeff Ament, Bruce Fairweather and Stone Gossard, former Malfunkshun frontman Andrew Wood and former Ten Minute Warning and Skin Yard drummer Greg Gilmore. Initially, the group was formed in 1987 out of the cover band Lords of the Wasteland which featured Wood, Gossard, Ament and Malfunkshun drummer Regan Hagar. By early 1988 the band had added Fairweather, replaced Hagar with drummer Greg Gilmore and changed its name to Mother Love Bone.
This new line-up quickly set about recording and playing area shows and by late 1988 had become one of Seattle's more promising bands. Wood's exuberant on-stage personality, outlandish clothes and dreamy lyrics helped bring attention to the band. In the 1996 grunge documentary, Hype!, Seattle engineer Jack Endino called Wood "the only stand-up comedian frontman in Seattle," a reference to Wood's playful style of interacting with Mother Love Bone fans.
In early 1989, the band signed to PolyGram subsidiary Mercury Records. As part of its contract PolyGram also created the Stardog Records imprint exclusively for the band. In March 1989, the group issued its debut EP, Shine, becoming the first of the new crop of Seattle bands to have a release on a major label. The record sold well and rapidly increased the hype surrounding the band. John Book of Allmusic said the "record contributed to the buzz about the Seattle music scene."
In late 1989, the group returned to the studio (this time in San Francisco, California) to record its debut album, Apple. Despite some initial difficulties, the record was on-time for its projected March 1990 release. By this point interest in the band had hit a fever pitch and it seemed destined that the band were going to make it big. Only days before Apple was slated to be released, however, frontman Andrew Wood, who had a long history with drug problems, overdosed on heroin. After spending a few days in the hospital in a coma, Wood died, effectively bringing the group to an end. The album would see release later that year on July 19, 1990. Kim Neely of Rolling Stone said that the album "succeeds where countless other hard rock albums have failed, capturing the essence of what made Zep immortal – dynamics, kids! – and giving it a unique Nineties spin."
Crown Of Thorns
Mother Love Bone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chloe just like me, only beautiful
A couple of years of difference
But those lessons never learned
Chloe danced the tables in the french quarter
She always been given so I can't always make her laugh
But I'm proud to say
And I won't forget
Time spent laying by her side
And dreams like this must die
And dreams like this must die
And dreams like this must
You ever heard the story of Mr.Faded Glory?
Say he who rides a pony must someday fall
Been talkin' to my alter
Say life is what you make it
And if you make it death well then rest your soul away
Away away yeah child
It's a broken kind of feeling
She'd have to tie me to the ceiling
A bad moon's a comin' better say your prayers, child
I want to tell her that I love you
But does it really matter?
I just can't stand to see you dragging down Again
Again
My baby again, oh, yeah
So I'm singing
And this is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's unkind and leaves me alone
Yes it does
And this is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's unkind that leaves me alone
I uses to treat you like a lady
Now you're a substitute teacher
This bottle's not a pretty, not a pretty sight
I owe the man some money so I'm turnin' over honey
You see Mr.Faded Glory is once again doin' time, oh yeah
And this is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's the kind the leaves me alone
Yes, it does
And this is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's the kind that, it's the kind that
It leaves me alone, yeah
Like a crown of thorns
It's all who you know, yeah
So don't burn your bridges woman
'Cause someday, yeah
Kick it, oh yeah
And this is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's the kind that leaves me alone, yeah
This is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's the kind that, it's the kind that, yeah, yeah
Baby
I said com' on, com' on, com' on com' on yeah
I said baby
Don't burn your bridges, woman
Don't come back here
I said good times, tu tu tu
Tu tu tu
I said tu tu tu
The song "Crown of Thorns" by Mother Love Bone is an emotional and heartfelt tribute to a woman named Chloe. The song opens with the verse "Chloe don't know better, Chloe just like me, only beautiful." This very first line suggests that Chloe is someone who is carefree and naive, similar to the singer of the song. The following lines, "A couple of years of difference, but those lessons never learned," imply that the two people are close in age, but Chloe is someone who has never learned from her mistakes. The stanza ends with a description of Chloe's carefree nature and how the singer is happy to be around her.
The second part of the song is about a man named Mr. Faded Glory, who is described as someone who rides a pony and must someday fall. This line is a metaphor for a person who is proud and overconfident but will eventually face a downfall. The singer then talks about how life is what you make it, and if you make it death, then you will rest your soul away. This line suggests that the choices people make in life ultimately determine their fate. The stanza ends with the singer wanting to tell Chloe that he loves her but is unsure if it really matters.
The chorus of the song is a repeated phrase that talks about the singer's kind of love. It's the kind that moves on, leaves him alone, and is unkind. The last lines of the song talk about burning bridges and how it's all about who you know.
Line by Line Meaning
Chloe don't know better
Chloe is clueless and doesn't have the knowledge to make good decisions
Chloe just like me, only beautiful
Chloe and I are similar, but she is more attractive than me
A couple of years of difference
We have a slight age gap
But those lessons never learned
Despite our age difference, we both make the same mistakes
Chloe danced the tables in the french quarter
Chloe danced on tables in the French Quarter
She always been given so I can't always make her laugh
Chloe is privileged, so I can't always make her happy
But I'm proud to say
Despite our differences, I am proud to say
And I won't forget
I will always remember
Time spent laying by her side
We spent time laying next to each other
And dreams like this must die
Our dreams cannot become a reality
You ever heard the story of Mr.Faded Glory?
Have you heard of Mr. Faded Glory?
Say he who rides a pony must someday fall
It is inevitable that those who are successful will fail in the future
Been talkin' to my alter
I have been speaking to my alter ego
Say life is what you make it
Life is how you choose it to be
And if you make it death well then rest your soul away
If you choose to live life poorly, you might as well be dead
Away away yeah child
Far, far away
It's a broken kind of feeling
It's a feeling of being broken
She'd have to tie me to the ceiling
She'd have to keep me restrained if she wants to be with me
A bad moon's a comin' better say your prayers, child
A bad situation is coming, and we better prepare by praying
I want to tell her that I love you
I want to tell her that I love her
But does it really matter?
But does it make a difference if I do?
I just can't stand to see you dragging down Again
I hate to see you bringing me down
Again
Again
My baby again, oh, yeah
My love, once again
So I'm singing
So I am singing
And this is my kinda love
This is the way I like to love
It's the kind that moves on
My love is the type that moves on from one person to another
It's unkind and leaves me alone
My love is not kind and leaves me alone
Yes it does
Yes, it truly does
I uses to treat you like a lady
I used to treat you politely
Now you're a substitute teacher
Now you work as a substitute teacher
This bottle's not a pretty, not a pretty sight
This liquor bottle is not a pleasant sight
I owe the man some money so I'm turnin' over honey
I owe someone money, so I am giving up my woman to pay off the debt
You see Mr.Faded Glory is once again doin' time, oh yeah
Mr. Faded Glory is serving time in jail again
Like a crown of thorns
Like a symbol of torture and pain
It's all who you know, yeah
It is about the people you know
So don't burn your bridges woman
Don't ruin your chances and connections
'Cause someday, yeah
Because it will matter someday
Kick it, oh yeah
Start it up
This is my kinda love
This is the way I like to love
Baby
My love
I said com' on, com' on, com' on com' on yeah
I urge you to follow me and come on closer
I said baby
My love
Don't burn your bridges, woman
Don't ruin your chances and connections
Don't come back here
Don't return to me or this place
I said good times, tu tu tu
I say, it has been good times
Tu tu tu
I say
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW WOOD, BRUCE IAN FAIRWEATHER, GREG A. GILMORE, JEFFREY ALLEN AMENT, STONE C. GOSSARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sarah Partridge
It is funny but I lived through this time, was on the East Coast so didnt know about this band but was listening to a lot of the same songs from the arc. Listening to Fugazi and Rites of Spring, and Iggy Pop and Husker Du and Sonic Youth and so on. I didnt know about this band at the time, we had our own scene and it hadn't filtered through yet. We also listened to a lot of good hip hop like De La Soul and Public Enemy.
I can hear the influence of Jane's Addiction here sort of, which I did know about and listen to all the time in 1988 or so. In the car, on my turntable, etc etc because frankly I an everyone I knew including myself had a little bit of "Jane" in them. [have you seen my wig around? I feel naked without it] I think Green River opened for Jane at one point...
I also kind of see the influence of Guns R Roses on this one...GNR was a bridge between the really horrible corporate hair music we all suffered through...they looked like a hair band and were, but the music was GOOD. Not written in a Board room, like it truly can't be. I am just talking nostalgically because well I was 20 in 1988...these are my peers, or at least my generational peers. Just the ways this band tried to present itself...the look more than anything. I feel sad they are gone, but also I want to go back in time and kick all the ones that died in the butt and tell them duh "drugs are bad..."
What is really funny is hearing Vince Neill talk about how truly cheesed off he was that Guns and Roses came and hastened the demise of the crap Neill himself was putting out.
You can also very well hear the nascent Pearl Jam or what became Pearl Jam too. Very nice...I want to hear the rest, will search it out.
In any case, this is soul felt and pretty, the opposite of the macho posturing you got sold through the corporates and mainstream rock and roll.
I still love Husker Du though
Sarah Partridge
The other thing I would say is that if Andrew Wood had lived just one more year this band would have been HUGE. I mean HUGE. They were just too pretty and you can tell by the track record Pearl Jam had later they would have broke through. I just like to think of things in terms of the music history...how it all evolved and how rock basically rebooted itself 1990-1995 when it had been withering on the vine..Damn Yankees my ass. I can't even remember what I hated back then or thought was crap because I haven't listened to it for decades, certainly not by choice. You had to really work to find some little pocket of anything good back then...I remember how someone like REM would give you just that little smattering of hope...or early U2.
my daily audio regimen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGUugYvB4S0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE8tg3hONzQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB6WZu8IAZg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWW2SzoAXMo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KI9eN-AY1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmO0OZC6Ifk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QZvoOqUkqw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvklBbYgnsk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvaILIaqHqo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epX8Th4aiMc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kynj_fzx2EI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AUVGrUTE-Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oM4Eb7Bgpo
Why is it so DAMN HARD TO DO? Just play it loud and hard...I just include the two last because the Isleys say it...they say my music is too loud and the last is early Jimi...forgive me, by the time I get to the Jimi Hendrix BBS sides or Jr. Walker I am in a good enough mood to go to work
ZEN
He was the nicest guy Andrew as well as Layne they sang together hanging out The truth about this song is D meant DKING a dude he lived with for a while, Im grateful I knew them all (except the one in AIC evil fool) D met Andy in the mid 80's when Andy applied for a job at a store that he owned on the gulf coast of Texas. The two eventually became close friends and Andy ended up living with him for a while.
D knew a woman who played guitar. He had wanted this woman to be the lead guitarist of a band that D was officially in. But she was murdured, and that had left D with a huge void in his life.
At one day, Wood came walking through the door of the store, just like that woman always did, and somehow, D felt like he was having a flashback. When the two became close friends, and they had mentioned the story of the woman which left them with a conversation that talked all about her. D was having dreams at nights where he would see this woman. Apparently, and after that conversation, Andrew was having the same dreams, the same woman, or at least the woman was described just the same. She was also appearing in his dreams, and contacting him with subjects such as an early and untimely demise.
Both Andy and D became quite sure or convinced that Andy and the dead woman were spiritual twins and that Andy came into D's life to fulfill a purpose as described. Andy referred to this woman as his "Capricorn Sister", his twin soul. Now when Andy wrote the song about that woman, he used the name "Chloe" because it meant a woman of mystery in the Scripture. This song is not about a prostitute, a stripper, or a person that influenced or enabled Andy into drug addiction.
Everyone were so convinced that she was a stripper or a prostitute when he says "Chloe danced the tables in the French Quarter..." in the song, which was quite wrong, because it referred to D, it referred to the fact that he would go to the nightclubs in Galveston TX, and look for Chloe's soul. And after a few drinks, he would chase her from tabletop to another, trying to catch her, thinking it's her, but it's just a soul. Andy could relate, as he actually told D at one night that he somehow also could see her sprit jumping from table to table just ahead of him.
D asked Andy why he changed the setting in the song from Galveston to New Orleans and Andy told him that Galveston already had a popular song and that New Orleans was "sexier".
And many people also were convinced it was dedicated to a stripper/prostitute as when he said "I owe the man some money, so I'm turning over honey.." because he valued the drugs more than her, 'So I'm turning over honey' meant he's going to continue on the drugs.
The original song ended with "Dreams Like This Must Die", But D told Andy that the song cannot end like that because Chloe is still alive in his heart... and that he could never forgive him if he let the song end like that. Andy added the line "Dreams Like This Must..." to the end of the song saying that the interpretation could be left up to the listener. And that's how JUST the first song, Chloe Dancer ends.
As for Crown of Thorns, Andy stated that the Crown of Thorns part was about him breaking up with his girlfriend because of his drug addiction and realizing that he was hurting her. He decided to kick but obviously, he couldn't stay clean. He added that part of the song to not end the Chloe Dancer song fast, and to not end the whole song with 'Dreams like this must die', and he continued on with the other part. And ended it, as stated, with Crown of Thorns
Andy passed away from “complications” from a heroin overdose. We all say even doctors “complications” because there are sources that suggest Andy survived the overdose but rather was killed by an allergic reaction to drugs that were administered to him while he was in a coma in the hospital. His death closed the door on the future of Mother Love Bone but sent the doors wide open for a band by the name of Pearl Jam. If Andy was alive today, Pearl Jam would never have existed, He couldn't have been a better man to have started pearl jam Ed is one of the most decent human beings in music and humanity
Mary Beth
Play "Crown Of Thorns"
on Apple Music
"Crown Of Thorns"
You ever heard the story of Mr. Faded Glory?
Say he who rides a pony must someday fall
Talkin' to my alter, life is what you make it
And if you make it death well rest your soul away
Away, away yeah child
It's a broken kind of feeling
She'd have to tie me to the ceiling
A bad moon's a comin' better say your prayers child
I wanna tell that I love you but does it really matter you?
I just can't stand to see you dragging down again
Again my baby I'm here, oh yeah, so I'm singing
And this is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's the kind that leaves me alone
Yes it does
And this is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's the kind that leaves me alone
I uses to treat you like a lady
Now you're a substitute teacher
This bottle's not a pretty, not a pretty sight
I owe the man some money so I'm turnin' over honey
You see Mr. Faded Glory is once again doin' time
And this is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's the kind that leaves me alone
Yes it does
And this is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's unkind that, it's unkind that
It leave me alone
Like a crown of thorns
It's all who you know, yeah
So don't burn your bridges woman
'Cause someday, yeah
Kick it, oh yeah
And this is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's the kind that leaves me alone, yeah
This is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's the kind that
It's the kind that, yeah, yeah
Baby I said, "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon yeah"
I said," Baby don't burn your bridges woman"
Sammy Spudgun
one of my all time favourite songs from without doubt the best band I ever heard. Andrew Wood was a genius and just a shame that we never got to hear more
55ford07
Never heard of mother love bone until i watched a pearl jam documentary. Love this song! Andrew had a great voice! RIP Andy!
Raven Williams
I found this guy's grunge playlist last night and this song was in it. And it's beutiful. The fact I could have gone for another 15 years without knowing this band hurts. This is incredible
Ski Gypsy
Would've loved to have heard Layne and Andrew together with their voices.
Christine Kintz
Right
Sarah Partridge
It is funny but I lived through this time, was on the East Coast so didnt know about this band but was listening to a lot of the same songs from the arc. Listening to Fugazi and Rites of Spring, and Iggy Pop and Husker Du and Sonic Youth and so on. I didnt know about this band at the time, we had our own scene and it hadn't filtered through yet. We also listened to a lot of good hip hop like De La Soul and Public Enemy.
I can hear the influence of Jane's Addiction here sort of, which I did know about and listen to all the time in 1988 or so. In the car, on my turntable, etc etc because frankly I an everyone I knew including myself had a little bit of "Jane" in them. [have you seen my wig around? I feel naked without it] I think Green River opened for Jane at one point...
I also kind of see the influence of Guns R Roses on this one...GNR was a bridge between the really horrible corporate hair music we all suffered through...they looked like a hair band and were, but the music was GOOD. Not written in a Board room, like it truly can't be. I am just talking nostalgically because well I was 20 in 1988...these are my peers, or at least my generational peers. Just the ways this band tried to present itself...the look more than anything. I feel sad they are gone, but also I want to go back in time and kick all the ones that died in the butt and tell them duh "drugs are bad..."
What is really funny is hearing Vince Neill talk about how truly cheesed off he was that Guns and Roses came and hastened the demise of the crap Neill himself was putting out.
You can also very well hear the nascent Pearl Jam or what became Pearl Jam too. Very nice...I want to hear the rest, will search it out.
In any case, this is soul felt and pretty, the opposite of the macho posturing you got sold through the corporates and mainstream rock and roll.
I still love Husker Du though
Sarah Partridge
The other thing I would say is that if Andrew Wood had lived just one more year this band would have been HUGE. I mean HUGE. They were just too pretty and you can tell by the track record Pearl Jam had later they would have broke through. I just like to think of things in terms of the music history...how it all evolved and how rock basically rebooted itself 1990-1995 when it had been withering on the vine..Damn Yankees my ass. I can't even remember what I hated back then or thought was crap because I haven't listened to it for decades, certainly not by choice. You had to really work to find some little pocket of anything good back then...I remember how someone like REM would give you just that little smattering of hope...or early U2.
my daily audio regimen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGUugYvB4S0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE8tg3hONzQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB6WZu8IAZg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWW2SzoAXMo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KI9eN-AY1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmO0OZC6Ifk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QZvoOqUkqw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvklBbYgnsk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvaILIaqHqo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epX8Th4aiMc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kynj_fzx2EI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AUVGrUTE-Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oM4Eb7Bgpo
Why is it so DAMN HARD TO DO? Just play it loud and hard...I just include the two last because the Isleys say it...they say my music is too loud and the last is early Jimi...forgive me, by the time I get to the Jimi Hendrix BBS sides or Jr. Walker I am in a good enough mood to go to work
Tim Haney
cornell and staley
right turn.good stuff
muddin bros
new band lead singer
Anthony Spinks
This never gets old... Mother Love Bone will never die...