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."
Man Of Golden Words
Mother Love Bone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seems I been living in the temple of the dog
Where would I live if I were a man of golden words
Or would I live at all
Words and music - my only tools
Communication
So on her arrival I will set free the birds
Its a pretty time of year, the mountains sing aloud
Tell me, can you tell me at all
Words and music - my only tools
Communication
Lets fall in love with music
The driving force in our living
The only international language
Divine glory, the expression
The knees bow the tongue
Confesses
The lord of lords, the king of kings
Words and music - my only tools
Communication
Etc
In "Man of Golden Words," Mother Love Bone's frontman, Andrew Wood, laments his inability to express himself fully in the real world, longing for the ability to live in a world of beautiful expression. Wood's lyrics convey a sense of yearning for the power that comes with being a master of words, with the ability to communicate and connect with others in a meaningful way. Throughout the song, he reflects on the importance of music and its ability to unify people across cultures and languages. He is fascinated by the idea of living in a world where words and music are the only tools of communication.
The second half of the song takes a religious turn, with Wood referencing biblical verses and acknowledging the power of the divine. He praises music as the "driving force in our living" and the "only international language." Wood's emotional vocals match the sentiment of the lyrics, conveying a yearning for something greater and deeper than everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to show you something, like joy inside my heart
I want to share with you something that brings me happiness, that fills me with joy.
Seems I been living in the temple of the dog
It appears as though I've been trapped or stuck in a difficult situation or place.
Where would I live if I were a man of golden words
If I were someone who spoke beautifully, with eloquence and grace, where would I belong?
Or would I live at all
Perhaps the world wouldn't be a place for me if I were a man of such words.
Words and music - my only tools
The things that I rely on, that sustain me and give me strength, are the power of words and the beauty of music.
Communication
My ability to communicate and connect with others through these shared experiences is essential.
So on her arrival I will set free the birds
When the person who is so important to me arrives, I will celebrate by releasing birds, letting my joy and happiness fly free.
Its a pretty time of year, the mountains sing aloud
The world around me is beautiful and full of life and energy, and I revel in the joy of being alive and surrounded by such beauty and power.
Tell me Mr golden words hows bout the world
Can you, with your beautiful language, tell me about the world we live in? What do you see around you?
Tell me, can you tell me at all
Or is our world beyond even your power to describe with words?
Lets fall in love with music
Let's embrace the beauty and power of music and allow it to fill us with energy and passion.
The driving force in our living
Music is the force that propels us forward, that gives our lives meaning and purpose.
The only international language
Music is the one thing that everyone can understand, regardless of where they come from or what language they speak.
Divine glory, the expression
In music, we are able to express the divine, the ineffable beauty and power of the world around us.
The knees bow the tongue
Music has the power to humble us, to make us feel small in the presence of something greater than ourselves.
Confesses
Through music, we admit to ourselves and to others the truth of our own smallness and insignificance.
The lord of lords, the king of kings
In music, we find something that is greater than even god or king, something that transcends all earthly power and glory.
Words and music - my only tools
Once again, I stress the importance of words and music in my life, the two things that sustain and fulfill me like nothing else can.
Communication
And once again, I stress the importance of communication, the power of words and music to bring people together and unite them in a shared experience of beauty and wonder.
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
@sijal.d1443
I want to show you something, like joy inside my heart
Seems I been living in the temple of the dog
Where would I live if I were a man of golden words
Or would I live at all
Words and music - my only tools
Communication
So on her arrival I will set free the birds
Its a pretty time of year, the mountains sing aloud
Tell me Mr golden words hows bout the world
Tell me, can you tell me at all
Words and music - my only tools
Communication
Lets fall in love with music
The driving force in our living
The only international language
Divine glory, the expression
The knees bow the tongue
Confesses
The lord of lords, the king of kings
Words and music - my only tools
Communication
Etc
@TheHereticAnthem20
I want to show you something, like a joy inside my heart
Seems I've been living in the Temple of the Dog
Where would I live if I were a man of golden words ?
Or would I live at all ?
Words and music - my only tools
Communication
And on her arrival I will set free the birds
Its a pretty time of year, when the mountains sing aloud
Tell me Mr Golden Words how's about the world?
Tell me, can you tell me at all ?
Words and music - my only tools
Communication
Lets fall in love with music
The driving force of our livings
The only international language
Divine glory, the expression
The knees bow the tongue confesses
The lord of lords, the king of kings
Words and music - my only tools
Communication
@melma6703
I've known this song for over thirty years now and nothing has ever changed the way I feel about this song. I get the same chills as the first time I ever heard it. Timeless.
@ursulaschlapbach311
Beautiful Song!
@brettgjesvold862
Life is short
@ScorpionFiore
One of the best composition ever: music, lyrics, soul, heart.
Andy was so special.
Still he is indeed.
Thank you, Andy, never forgotten ❤
@JohnDry
Andrew brung his Southern soul to the north west! Grunge with soul.
@daysofgrandeur
This whole scene of music, for me was the greatest of them all. Andrew Wood is sorely missed and a true craftsman of lyric and music ✌️
@franciscogarcia4576
He’s here, everyone is
@moonchild1772
Same, here.
@howieduwit2551
Simply, the greatest song ever written about music. I remember hearing this for the first time, years ago, this song literally changed my life.
@lylebump4507
You're not alone