Sparklehorse was an American alternative rock band formed in 1995 and led b… Read Full Bio ↴Sparklehorse was an American alternative rock band formed in 1995 and led by Mark Linkous (September 9, 1962 - March 6, 2010), a Richmond, Virginia native and last of a long line of southern coalminers. Linkous recorded much of Sparklehorse's material in his home studio, and his Southern Gothic vision guided Sparklehorse. Drummer and multi-instrumentalist Scott Minor was a frequent collaborator.

Before his suicide in March 2010, Linkous created many albums of beauty and discord and much of Sparklehorse's music has an introspective, melancholy feel, which Linkous credited to a chemical imbalance. His lyrics are full of odd imagery: Joe Tangari describes Linkous' songs as "defiantly surrealist... with all manner of references to smiling babies, organ music, birds, and celestial bodies... In fact, some of the lyrics are so surreal that it's hard to imagine they're even metaphors for anything."

Musically, Sparklehorse were not far removed from alt country, though there are as many differences as similarities between that genre and Sparklehorse: Linkous was fond of incorporating obsolete musical instruments or technologies (such as woozy mellotrons, scratchy, distorted wire recordings of his own voice, or cheap, tinny drum machines), in ways reminiscent of some of Tom Waits' music. As an extension of this style, Sparklehorse was a pioneering voice in dream country. Sparklehorse offered a few full-throttle hard rock numbers, as well, such as "Some Day I Will Treat You Good" or "Happy Man".

Sparklehorse's first album was the confoundingly-titled Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot (1995). The record was a modest success, mainly on college radio. The supporting tour, however, found Linkous overdosing on valium and antidepressants. As a result, Linkous passed out in his London hotel room and remained unconscious with his legs pinned beneath him for almost fourteen hours.
This caused a buildup of potassium which was released when he was moved, causing his heart to stop for two to three minutes. He was hospitalized for weeks afterwards (nearly losing both legs), enduring numerous painful surgeries.

Good Morning Spider (1999) was recorded following this incident, and with mournful songs such as "Painbirds", many critics have mistakenly conjectured that Linkous's near death experience inspired the somber, yet hopeful tone of the album. However, Linkous has stated that much of the material on GMS was written prior to 'the incident'. One song which did result from it is "St. Mary", which is dedicated to the nurses at the hospital of the same name where Linkous recuperated.

2001 saw the release of It's A Wonderful Life and features appearances by Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Nina Persson and Dave Fridmann, the pre-eminent producer of indie music at the time. Whereas much of "Vivadixie..." and "Spider" were recorded solely by Linkous in his "Static King" studio on his farm in rural Virginia, "Wonderful Life" was more of a formal effort, largely recorded by Fridmann after Linkous was asked by his label to retain an outside producer for the project.

Aside from his own music, Linkous has also become a sought-after record producer, and has helmed works such as Nina Persson's solo record, "A Camp", and Daniel Johnston's "Fear Yourself". Linkous has been one of the most ardent supporters of Johnston, an outsider artist who has had a long battle with mental illness. In 2004, Linkous curated and produced "Discovered Covered: The Late Great Daniel Johnston", a tribute album to the still-living Johnston featuring acts such as Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Vic Chesnutt, Tom Waits and Bright Eyes. It also includes a collaboration between Sparklehorse and The Flaming Lips on the track "Go".

In 2003, Sparklehorse opened some concerts for R.E.M.

Linkous relocated his "Static King" studio to a remote mountaintop in North Carolina. Several years ago, he purchased a vintage recording console built by the near-mythical Daniel Flickinger. His fourth album has been delayed due to his own health problems as well as the necessity of overhauling the temperamental recording desk. Recently, Linkous has been carrying out promotional work for a new album Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain - collaborating with Danger Mouse and other notables including Christian Fennesz and Steven Drozd, and a release date of 25th September 2006 accompanied by US and UK tours was officially announced. Some of the newly released songs appeared at the time of It's A Wonderful Life as b-sides or demos, but there is a different feel to the album, thanks to stripped down production that has only been hinted at in previous albums. The ten minute long finale, with same title as the album, suggests a contemplative movie soundtrack rather than a song. Linkous has since realised his own ultimate song, remaining only now in music.

On March 6, 2010, Linkous committed suicide with a shotgun blast to his heart in the backyard of a friend's house in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was 47 years old. A retail version of his delayed collaboration with Danger Mouse, "The Dark Night of the Soul", was released in July 2010.

http://www.sparklehorse.com

Dreamt For Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain
Sparklehorse Lyrics

We have lyrics for these tracks by Sparklehorse:

01. it's a wonderful life I am The only one Can ride that horse Th'yonder I'm full…
7. Ghost in the Sky Abide with me from the morning till the evening Abide with…
850 Double Pumper Holley "Ten to one piston Two-ninety-two to five-o-one camshaft The…
9. Morning Hollow In the silver morning hollow Trembling and getting old Smell…
All Night Home Shining motorcycle Through the trees we rifle We're gonna d…
Angel's Harp Pluckin' all day on my angel's harp Pluckin' all day on…
Apple Bed Of horses wet With melted ice They would not heed My advice …
Babies On The Sun The sound of your voice Rose graves of cats The pounding of…
Box Of Stars My bones wish to escape And run along an alien expanse To…

Box of Stars Part One My bones wish to escape And run along an alien expanse To…
Box of Stars, Part One my bones wish to escape and run along an alien expanse to…
Caroline Fire on the brain Crooked memory craned Lunar pulling stone …
Chaos of the Galaxy / Happy Man If I had If I had more More would be laid at…
Come On In Now I lay me down to sleep I pray my soul…
Comfort Me With rocks in my dress And smoke in my hair I walked…
Cow Saint of barges Queen of nails Sparkling drum sets Murders o…
Ców Saint of barges Queen of nails Sparkling drum sets And murde…
Cruel Sun It's crawling Still all in Befallen Cruel sun In summer Oh …
Dark Night Of The Soul Dark dream world All alone Shadows movin' Shadows have lo…
Dead Opera Star There is a dead Opera star Floating in the great Dismal swam…
Devil's New With rocks in my dress And smoke in my hair. I walked…
Dog Door Oh mother I want a dog I want a little dog I…
Don't Take My Sunshine Away Your face is like the sun sinking into the ocean Your…
Everytime I'm With You Every time I'm with you I am drunk And you are too Well…
Eyepennies I will return here one day And dig up my bones…
Gasoline Horseys The flowers of evil You left at my door Set 'em in…
Getting It Wrong Set your woods on fire Hide up in the spires The flames…
Ghost In The Sky Abide with me from the morning till the evening Abide with…
Ghost Of His Smile He don't get out much These days But I wouldn't call him Laz…
Gold Day Good morning my child Stay with me a while You not got…
gold days Good morning my child Stay with me a while You not got…
Hammering The Cramps Hey little dog, can you fly? Hey little dog, can you…
Happy Man If I had If I had more More would be laid at…
Happy Pig Pig, pig Why don't you sing me that Pretty lullaby? Then whe…
Happy Place Everyday held at bay Lucy says here's a star Here we are…
Heart Of Darkness She laid her head On my chest As the sun burned Down the…
Hey Joe Hey Joe C'mon Joe Don't make that sad song Any sadder than i…
Homecoming Queen A horse, a horse My kingdom for a horse Rattling on magnetic…
Hundreds Of Sparrows Every hair on your head is counted You are worth hundreds…
I Almost Lost My Mind Without you last night Fireworks show bright And I almost …
I Shot A Dog All these deeds of mine They snuck up behind I shot a…
In The Dry The roof is leaking rust Disintegrates and dust I shot a m…
Insane Lullaby How will it turn out? Starting needs are waiting out on the…
It To wake Not swallowed by willows Half eaten by widows A new …
It's a Wonderful Life I am The only one Can ride that horse Th'yonder I'm full…
It's Not So Hard To wake Not swallowed by willows Half eaten by widows A new …
Its a wonderful life I am The only one Can ride that horse Th'yonder I'm full…
Jack's Obsession Something's wrong with Jack Something's wrong with Jack Don'…
Jaykub Jaykub, it's time for you to wake up and accept…
Junebug A beautiful woman she rose From the smokin' waters of the…
Just War All ancient towers will one day crumble to the sea When…
King Of Nails The toothless kiss of skeletons And the summer hail I'm the …
Knives Of Summertime A flock of knives cut the sky And buried in my…
Little Fat Baby Did you save your wisdom teeth? Did you burn your Christmas…
Little Girl A trick that people use to make you think they…
London I wander through each chartered street, Near where the chart…
Maria Well I'll bet my Maria's got an elbow full of…
Marigold Drifting off to sleep Tryin' to steal some peace All of our…
Midget In A Junkyard (instrumental)…
More Yellow Birds Is your jewelry still lost in the sand Out on the…
Morning Hollow In the silver morning hollow Trembling and getting old Smell…
Most Beautiful Widow In Town We were both standing In your mother's living room Sweating …
Mountains Once I was a big old bear Reigning blows on sparkly…
My Yoke Is Heavy In clusters we move through a farm Somewhere far off the…
Pain Ow! Ow! A massive headache in my aging skull Means I do…
Painbirds Goddamn it's so very hot Supposed to come a rain but…
Piano Fire I got sunburnt waiting for the jets to land Circus people…
Pig P-ig, oh, p-ig Why don't you sing me that Pretty lullaby Th…
Rainmaker Well, shit, yeah! All you've got to do is look in…
Return To Me Arise oh brother mountain Our hooves hammering your coils …
Revenge Pain I guess it's a matter of sensation But somehow you have…
Sad & Beautiful World Sometimes I get so sad Sometimes you just make me mad It…
Saint Mary Blanket me sweet nurse And keep me from burnin' I must get…
Saturday You are a car You are a hospital I'd walk to hell…
Sea Of Teeth Can you feel the wind of Venus on your skin? Can…
See the Light Away with golden crows I know their souls are old The wave…
Shade and Honey I could look in your face For a thousand years It's like…
Sick Of Goodbyes If I could just keep my stupid mind together Then my…
Some Sweet Day You are, you are my daisy You're my lullaby Come sun up…
Someday I Will Treat You Good There's something going on around here I could not crawl bac…
Spirit Ditch I want my records back And that motorcycle gas tank That I,…
Spririt Ditch I want my records back And that motorcycle gas tank That I…
Star Eyes Like to teach you Blue Sky Sun Shine Be Mine Star Eyes I c…
Sunshine I opened my eyes And watched the sunshine It had been out…
Tears On Fresh Fruit Just when you've found your way to The boiler room They co…
The Hatchet Song There's too much confusion today How can I assure it's to…
The Man Who Played God Think about the world you know Now think of where it…
Waiting For Nothing Stayed up all night With the bugs in the bright And the…
Weird Sisters The parasites will love you when you're dead La la la,…

Wish You Were Here So, so you think you can tell heaven from hell Blue…

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