The band is described, along with Low and American Music Club, as one of the linchpins of the slowcore movement, a subgenre of Indie Rock characterized by downbeat melodies, slow tempos, and often minimalist arrangements. The genre was shaped by musical influences like Folk Rock, Contemporary Folk, and later on, Indie Folk, creating a subdued atmosphere that clashed against most of the comparatively brash Alternative Rock that was popular at the time. Kozelek used this group primarily as a vehicle for his very personal and emotional songs of despair, pain and suffering.
While in Atlanta, Kozelek became friends with Anthony Koutsos, a drummer. He then moved to San Francisco, adding guitarist Gorden Mack and bassist Jerry Vessel to complete the line-up for Red House Painters. After forming, the group played the San Francisco scene extensively, and recorded demos from 1989 to 1992, building up an impressive amount of material. Once they were signed to 4AD Records in 1992, they put out five-and-a-half LPs worth of material in two-and-a-half years--between September 1992 and March 1995, they released three LPs, one double LP, and one EP on 4AD.
Their first 4AD release was an album made up of select demos titled Down Colorful Hill. It was a compilation of haunting melodies complemented by Kozelek's eerie yet rich and emotional vocals. In 1993, the group came out with two self-titled records (now commonly referred to as "Red House Painters I" or "Rollercoaster" and "Red House Painters II" or "Bridge" (based on their cover artwork), solidifying Kozelek's reputation as a talented songwriter with their harrowing autobiographical tales of his troubled life and errant living with no punches being pulled. The music, which ran the gamut from beautiful acoustic folk-rock to intense, dissonant, lengthy soundscapes, effectively conveyed the sadness of the lyrics.
In 1994, they released an EP entitled Shock Me and in 1995, the introspective Ocean Beach, which saw Kozelek's songs becoming more acoustic-based and folk influenced, and featured far less of the lengthy, dreamlike epics of the group's first two albums. His lyrics also showed a considerable shift in tone, as he increasingly began to write about the power of memory and the significance of geography, a subject that would become an obsession in his subsequent recordings.
While Kozelek was beginning work on a solo project, he parted ways with 4AD Records after a somewhat tumultuous relationship. Entitled Songs for a Blue Guitar, which was released on Island Records subsidiary Supreme Recordings in 1996. It was more of a guitar-driven rock album that they released under the Red House Painters name to give the album more publicity. A year later, they came up with Old Ramon, arguably their most accessible, optimistic recording to date. However, major label mergers during the late 90's would leave them without a record label, and it wasn't until 2001 that they were able to release the album on Sub Pop.
Prior to the release of Old Ramon, Kozelek released a solo six-song EP entitled Rock 'n' Roll Singer in 2000. The record was comprised of three original acoustic compositions with minor full-band arrangements and three covers: two AC/DC covers from the Bon Scott era and one John Denver cover. Following the release of the first solo EP, Kozelek released his first solo album six months later. The record, entitled What's Next to the Moon, was released in January of 2001, but would greatly surprise fans. What's Next to the Moon was comprised entirely of shimmering, melancholy acoustic AC/DC covers from the Bon Scott era. The record was also greatly uncharacteristic of Kozelek (though he was prone to enjoy covering songs by his favorite artists) in that it is the shortest full length to date clocking in at just over thirty minutes. Even the first Red House Painters album with only six tracks was more than 45 minutes in length. Both solo albums were released by Badman Records.
4AD would release the best-of package, "Retrospective", on a double-disc in 1999. Kozelek subsequently organized and appeared on a John Denver tribute album, played a part in Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous and also appeared as a rock musician in the Steve Martin vehicle Shopgirl. He contributed to both a benefit album for AIDS and an album of classic rock covers.
In 2003 Kozelek and Koutsos, along with Geoff Stanfield and Tim Mooney, reformed as Sun Kil Moon, releasing the acclaimed album Ghosts of the Great Highway on Jetset Records. In a 2005 interview with The Onion's AV Club, Kozelek confirmed that he considers Sun Kil Moon essentially the Red House Painters, but that he changed the band name to grab the interest of critics who had gotten bored with, or stopped paying attention to, the Painters. The move was successful, as Ghosts of the Great Highway would be his best-selling album yet, while garnering extremely positive reviews.
I'm sorry
Red House Painters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It always seems that way
I've been thinking about you almost everyday
Thinking about the good times
Thinking about the pain
Thinking about how bad it feels all alone again
I'm sorry for the way things are in China
But more than anything else, I'm sorry for myself
That you're not here with me
My friends all ask about you
I say you're doin' fine
I expect to hear from you almost any time
They all know I'm lying
I can't sleep at night
They all know I'm dying deep down inside
I'm sorry for all the lies I told you
I'm sorry for the things I didn't say
But more than anything else, I'm sorry for myself
I can't believe you went away
I'm sorry if I took some things for granted
I'm sorry for the chains I put on you
But more than anything else, I'm sorry for myself
For living without you
The lyrics of Red House Painters' "I'm Sorry" encapsulate feelings of longing, regret, and guilt. The song portrays a narrator who is struggling to cope with the absence of his loved ones. The opening lines, "It's cold here in the city, It always seems that way," immediately set the mood and tone of the song. The singer is feeling isolated and lonely without his partner. He goes on to think about the past and the good and bad memories that they had together. The lines, "Thinking about how bad it feels all alone again," indicate that the singer is experiencing a sense of emptiness and isolation.
The chorus of the song conveys the regret and longing that the singer feels. "I'm sorry for the way things are in China, I'm sorry things ain't what they used to be, But more than anything else, I'm sorry for myself, That you're not here with me." Here, the singer is apologizing for the current state of their relationship and how they have drifted apart. He accepts that he is partly responsible for the situation but ultimately is sorry for himself because he is not with the person he loves.
The second verse of the song deals with the guilt that the singer feels. He lies to his friends and is unable to sleep at night. He is suffering from the pain of loss and remorse for the mistakes he has made. The lines, "I'm sorry for all the lies I told you, I'm sorry for the things I didn't say," suggest that the singer feels like he has let his partner down. The final lines, "For living without you," emphasize the deep sense of sorrow that the singer feels as he tries to come to terms with the end of the relationship.
Overall, "I'm Sorry" is a poignant and emotional song that captures the universal experience of loss and regret. The lyrics are simple and straightforward but convey a powerful message of love and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
It's cold here in the city
The city doesn't feel warm enough and it's reflecting my loneliness
It always seems that way
This feeling of isolation and coldness is a constant and never goes away
I've been thinking about you almost everyday
You've been on my mind frequently and I can't stop thinking about you
Thinking about the good times
I'm thinking about how wonderful our past experiences were
Thinking about the pain
At the same time, I can't help but remember the heartache that came along with those good times
Thinking about how bad it feels all alone again
Without you, I'm suffering from the pain again and I can't handle the loneliness
I'm sorry for the way things are in China
I apologize for the problems and challenges happening in our relationship
I'm sorry things ain't what they used to be
I am regretful that our relationship is not like how it was in the past
But more than anything else, I'm sorry for myself
Above everything else, I am remorseful for the personal loss and pain that comes with you being gone
That you're not here with me
I am upset that you cannot be here physically with me anymore
My friends all ask about you
My loved ones are concerned about your wellbeing
I say you're doin' fine
However, I am lying to them and saying that you're doing alright to avoid their questions
I expect to hear from you almost any time
I am hopeful that you will reach out to me soon even though I know it's unlikely
They all know I'm lying
My friends are aware that I am not being truthful about your situation
I can't sleep at night
My guilt and sorrow keeps me awake during the night
They all know I'm dying deep down inside
Although I try to hide it, my friends can tell that I'm deeply hurting emotionally
I'm sorry for all the lies I told you
I apologize for deceiving you with false statements
I'm sorry for the things I didn't say
I feel bad for staying quiet about some topics that were important to our relationship
I can't believe you went away
I am still in disbelief that you chose to leave me
I'm sorry if I took some things for granted
I apologize for not appreciating certain aspects of our relationship that led to its decline
I'm sorry for the chains I put on you
I feel guilty for restraining you and not allowing you to be free in our relationship
For living without you
Above all, I regret not having you in my life anymore and struggling to move on
Lyrics © Budde Music Publishing GmbH, BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Denver
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Reuben Wilkinson
This is what a cover should sound like...original, yet just as worthy as the original.
Haunting and pure class!
miasma theory
incredible cover. wow.
mark kozelek really made this his own.
Everything Random
Who in the hell could give this a thumbs down!? They seriously weren't hugged enough as children, or getting laid enough as adults... This is so fucking beautiful my heart can't take it...
guanaco772
What a beautiful song.
Sorrow Stories
I love RHP/Mark Kozeleks music. This is an amazing cover.
Kaadarina
what a wonderful band. beautiful <3
Flowtrocity
captures my current emotions perfectly.
Hex
Always loved this song, reminds me of that lost love everybody seems to have.
Menachem Reads to You
It's better to have "the one that got away" than nothing. Which is what I have so far.
Menachem Reads to You
But I still love the song.