Scream was formed in Northern Virginia in 1981 by singer Peter Stahl, his brother Franz Stahl on guitar, bassist Skeeter Thompson and drummer Kent Stax. They are considered one of the benchmark bands in the history of the Washington, D.C. hardcore music movement. Along with bands such as Minor Threat and Government Issue, Scream ultimately merged the attributes of the movement, which were blinding speed, heavy political and social connotations in the lyrics, unpretentiousness of attitude, and shunning of commercialism. Their music is faithful to the roots of rock, but spun itself into other genres by employing sounds that predate the raunchiness of grunge, while saluting reggae and speed metal. Scream hated the classification of bands into certain types and considered what they played as simply 'music.' Recording their music in the basement of the now legendary Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, Virginia, Scream became the first band on the Dischord label to release a whole album, Still Screaming, as opposed to singles or 12 inch EPs. Like the hardcore band Bad Brains, they could play clearly at breakneck speed, but also played mid-tempo songs like "American Justice" and "Hygiene," which were metal-tinged reggae.
For their second album Scream added another guitarist to their line-up, Robert Lee "Harley" Davidson, to thicken up the sound in the studio and in their live performances. In turn this eventually led to a powerful dual-lead guitar style, with complex guitar tracking, a more powerful live sound and an over-all crunchier sound for their third album. For a few compilation efforts and some live shows they added a keyboard player, Bobby Madden, who was a colleague of Davidson's from the same metal scene.
After the third album Banging the Drum, Kent Stax left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by local drummer Dave Grohl, who then played on Scream's 4th album No More Censorship. The band then toured Europe; with their May 4, 1990 show in Alzey, Germany being released by Tobby Holzinger as Your Choice Live Series Vol.10. Scream then recorded their fifth and final studio album Fumble, (which was much later released in 1993 on Dischord Records) and then called it quits in late 1990. Pete and Franz moved to North Hollywood and started rock band Wool, while Grohl joined Grunge band Nirvana. In 1997, Franz Stahl joined Dave Grohl's newly formed group, the commercially successful Foo Fighters, for a two year stint. During this time Pete Stahl worked as a road manager for both the Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, while continuing to record albums with several bands, including the Earthlings? and Goatsnake. Skeeter Thompson remained in the D.C. area and continued to work in bands, as did Kent Stax with the Skinhead/Oi! -tinged bands: the Suspects, United 121, Spitfires United, and Alleged Bricks. Stax has also committed himself to a family life. Davidson continued in the band Angelstorm, (in Huntsville, Alabama), from 1993–1995 and created the new bands Orangahead, Festival of Fools, (with Madden in 1998) and two different bands both named God Is Dead, (one in D.C. and one in Huntsville, Alabama) from 2002-2005.
The original line-up of the band played a reunion show on December 20, 2009 at the Black Cat nightclub in Washington, D.C.
On February 7, 2011, the band supported Foo Fighters on a special show at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, when the Foo Fighters showcased their new album Wasting Light for the first time from beginning to end.
Current members
Peter Stahl – lead vocals (1981–1990, 2009–present)
Franz Stahl – guitar, backing vocals (1981–1990, 2009–present)
Skeeter Thompson – bass, backing vocals (1981–1990, 2009–present)
Kent Stax – drums, percussion (1981–1986, 2009–present)
Former members
Dave Grohl – drums, percussion (1986–1990)
Robert Lee Davidson – guitar, backing vocals (1984–1989)
Dying Days
Scream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I walk the ghost town
Used to be my city
I seen a holy man
Seen him crying with the Mother Mary
All these dying days
Yes it's too late
Lord hear me pray
Can you ease my mind
Now they're gone forever
Jesus I done gone over
Sleeping alone you
Stay on your side
If I couldn't lie
Like all of a thousand other times
I wouldn't be on this highway
Taken on down this highway
All these dying days
Waiting for the sunshine
Waiting for the sunshine
The lyrics to Screaming Trees' song Dying Days are dark and introspective, hinting at a sense of lost hope and impending doom. The singer is walking through a ghost town that once was his city, now barren and lifeless. He sees a holy man who is crying with Mother Mary, perhaps suggesting that even prayer and faith cannot alleviate the suffering and decay around them. The phrase "all these dying days" is repeated throughout the song, underscoring the pervasive sense of death and decay that surrounds the singer.
The chorus of the song has the singer imploring the Lord to ease his mind, acknowledging that it is too late to change the course of his life. He has lost loved ones and has gone over to the other side, possibly suggesting a descent into darkness or despair. He is now alone, unable to find solace even in his relationships. The line "If I couldn't lie like all of a thousand other times, I wouldn't be on this highway taken on down this highway" suggests that perhaps the singer's own lies and deceptions have contributed to his current situation.
Overall, the lyrics to Dying Days are haunting and enigmatic, invoking a sense of melancholy and introspection that is typical of Screaming Trees' music.
Line by Line Meaning
All these dying days
The singer reflects on how everything around him seems to be dying or decaying.
I walk the ghost town
The singer walks around the town that used to be full of life, but is now empty and desolate.
Used to be my city
The singer reminisces about how this town once represented who he was, but now it no longer does.
I seen a holy man
The artist encounters a religious figure and observes him.
Seen him crying with the Mother Mary
The artist witnesses the holy man crying with a statue or image of Mother Mary, perhaps symbolizing his own sadness and despair.
Yes it's too late
The singer acknowledges that it's too late for him to change his life or situation.
This life isn't mine
The singer feels like his life and the things in it do not belong to him or are out of his control.
Lord hear me pray
The artist prays to God for help or guidance.
Can you ease my mind
The artist asks God to help ease his troubled thoughts and emotions.
Now they're gone forever
The artist acknowledges that certain things/people he cared about are now lost to him permanently.
Jesus I done gone over
The singer may be referencing his own mortality, and how he'll eventually cross over to the other side upon death.
Sleeping alone you
The artist seemingly addresses someone who he sleeps with but remains emotionally distant from.
Stay on your side
The singer requests that the other person remain separate and not get too close to him.
If I couldn't lie
The singer considers that if he were unable to lie, he wouldn't be in his current situation.
Like all of a thousand other times
The singer has likely lied to himself and others repeatedly in the past.
I wouldn't be on this highway
The artist suggests that the path his life took is the result of his own dishonesty and failings.
Taken on down this highway
The artist continues to be carried down a path in life that he didn't necessarily choose for himself.
Waiting for the sunshine
The singer is searching for something that will bring brightness and positivity to his life again.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRETT MARTIN, GARY CONNER, MARK LANEGAN, VAN CONNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
nageshwar rao ramasamy
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All these dying days
I walk the ghost town
Used to be my city
I seen a holy man
Seen him crying with the Mother Mary
All these dying days
Yes it's too late
This life isn't mine
Lord hear me pray
Can you ease my mind
Now they're gone forever
Jesus I done gone over
Sleeping alone you
Stay on your side
If I couldn't lie
Like all of a…
Wayne Hanns
RIP Mark. You will be sadly missed.
lou sassel
These dying days are catching up. RIP Mark
This one hits hard
Alex Polanski
this is one of the best songs of the grunge era, and one of the most underrated, this band deserved so much more recognition
Michael Rogers
This tune kicks ass. How could it not be a hit!! The guitar gives me the chills, actually the whole song does!
Matt Peters
I've been blasting this song the last few days after hearing of his passing. It rocks so fucking hard, sometimes I forget how great he was and this whole album is a straight banger.
This is one of those "road trip windows down pounding the steering wheel headbanging while driving" songs for me LOL
Daryl C
I played this album when taking a solo trip up to the California redwoods back in 97...perfect soundtrack for my trip..oh and Mad Seasons Above of course lol
Kingsworth Lionsblood
💯🎯
Jake Hedderig
Hey im doing that next week ;)
Greg Curran
I listened to both as well in a cross-country move from AC to Seattle in '96. Crested a hill and saw the Rockies with ST blaring.
Daryl C
Right on dude