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I Am the Wolf: Lyrics and Writings
A collection of lyrics and autobiographical commentary by singer Mark Lanegan, with a preface by John Cale and a foreword by Moby
With a voice that Pitchfork has called "as scratchy as a three-day beard yet as supple and pliable as moccasin leather," former Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age vocalist Mark Lanegan draws frequent comparisons to masters like Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen. Lanegan's voice is one of the most distinct and recognizable in rock, but his talents aren't limited to his vocal skills. Lanegan's lyrics are on par with the best of them, exploring with Blake-like insight the stark and scorched emotional terrain that exists somewhere beyond sadness, addiction, trauma, and spiritual longing.
With a body of work that now includes seven albums with the Screaming Trees, eleven acclaimed solo albums, three albums of duets with Belle and Sebastian's Isobel Campbell (including the Mercury Prize-shortlisted Ballad of the Broken Seas ), and collaborative albums and singles with the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, Moby, Soulsavers, Twilight Singers, and countless others, Mark Lanegan occupies a singular space in rock music.
Now, for the first time ever, the reclusive singer presents a comprehensive look at his lyrics, the stories behind them, and the making of his albums. I Am the Wolf is a rare and candid glimpse into the inner workings and creative process of a legend.
With a voice that Pitchfork has called "as scratchy as a three-day beard yet as supple and pliable as moccasin leather," former Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age vocalist Mark Lanegan draws frequent comparisons to masters like Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen. Lanegan's voice is one of the most distinct and recognizable in rock, but his talents aren't limited to his vocal skills. Lanegan's lyrics are on par with the best of them, exploring with Blake-like insight the stark and scorched emotional terrain that exists somewhere beyond sadness, addiction, trauma, and spiritual longing.
With a body of work that now includes seven albums with the Screaming Trees, eleven acclaimed solo albums, three albums of duets with Belle and Sebastian's Isobel Campbell (including the Mercury Prize-shortlisted Ballad of the Broken Seas ), and collaborative albums and singles with the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, Moby, Soulsavers, Twilight Singers, and countless others, Mark Lanegan occupies a singular space in rock music.
Now, for the first time ever, the reclusive singer presents a comprehensive look at his lyrics, the stories behind them, and the making of his albums. I Am the Wolf is a rare and candid glimpse into the inner workings and creative process of a legend.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2017
60 people are currently reading
483 people want to read
About the author
Mark Lanegan
17 books175 followersMark Lanegan (born November 25, 1964 in Ellensburg, Washington) was an American rock musician and songwriter. Lanegan began his music career in the 1980s. In 1985, he became the vocalist for grunge group Screaming Trees; the group broke up in 2000. Lanegan would start a low-key solo career, but in 2004 Lanegan released his big breakthrough album Bubblegum. In addition to leading the The Gutter Twins, Lanegan has also been involved in other musical projects, including hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age, longterm collaborations with Isobel Campbell; and undertaken some surprisingly eclectic collaborations, such as co-writing and providing vocals for "Black River" by the electronic outfit, Bomb the Bass. He also lent his vocal talent to the highly regarded album, "Above", by supergroup Mad Season.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 12, 2021
The lyrics are pure poetry but my favorite parts of the book were the in-between sections where Lanegan describes what was going on while he was writing the songs, etc.
Update 6/16/18: I read that Lanegan is coming out with his memoir in Spring of 2020–can’t wait to read that!
Update 6/16/18: I read that Lanegan is coming out with his memoir in Spring of 2020–can’t wait to read that!
September 3, 2017
I was visibly starstruck when I met one of all-time favorite musicians after an intimate show in Philadelphia last Thursday. Mark's music has been a huge part of my life; it was incredibly uplifting to be able to tell him this personally... as flustered as I was in the moment.
Mark Lanegan is a man of few words, and certainly the "writings" aspect of the book reflects this. Each "chapter" contains all the lyrics from the corresponding era of his career, introduced with a page or so of context. As much as I would have loved additional commentary on the music that changed my life, the lyrics themselves really tell the story on their own.
Do this. Dim the lights; pour yourself a whiskey. Pick a Lanegan record and play it from start to finish with the book open in front of you. From the comfort of your cushy armchair, listen through his beautifully terrible journey. It will elevate you. It will floor you.
Mark Lanegan is a man of few words, and certainly the "writings" aspect of the book reflects this. Each "chapter" contains all the lyrics from the corresponding era of his career, introduced with a page or so of context. As much as I would have loved additional commentary on the music that changed my life, the lyrics themselves really tell the story on their own.
Do this. Dim the lights; pour yourself a whiskey. Pick a Lanegan record and play it from start to finish with the book open in front of you. From the comfort of your cushy armchair, listen through his beautifully terrible journey. It will elevate you. It will floor you.
August 27, 2017
If you love Mark Lanegan's voice and music you will like this book.
It is a lyrics book so most of its content is not new but each chapter begins with a short introducion written by Lanegan himself to give the reader an idea of the time and circumstances behind each one of his (amazing) solo records. I definitely loved his short and ironical writing style and I would love to read a memoir or autobiography written by him as it seems he's had quite an interesting life.
It is a lyrics book so most of its content is not new but each chapter begins with a short introducion written by Lanegan himself to give the reader an idea of the time and circumstances behind each one of his (amazing) solo records. I definitely loved his short and ironical writing style and I would love to read a memoir or autobiography written by him as it seems he's had quite an interesting life.
April 27, 2022
Reflections and lessons learned:
“Here come the devil prowling around
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I said
I said I just don't care anymore
A fool can feed on a notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me”
The setting: the bath hot, an acrid taste in the back of my throat from a possible nasal infection, the haunting recently processed images from an awful work related accident and an unexpected personal nosebleed, the light coming in through the featureless skies, but then thought of the hurt and despair in pictures of his eyes… I was looking forward to the right moment for a book with such a title and makeup
Not all lyrics in the world work as poetry (although I’m a barbie girl, in a barbie world is more profound than the video could ever portray…), but most of these read as poetry and then also as beautiful lyrics when the soundtrack is added over the top. After consuming the text of so many songs I wasn’t familiar with, I fell asleep listening to the album ‘Imitations’ and whilst it’s not a comforting voice, it is a voice that recognises that everyone has a heart and a soul and no matter how deeply you might bury these, that most still know hurt and loss and that’s ok. The very definition of a tortured soul that seems to understand and accept the pain. Sometimes we should all cancel the calm app, stop pretending that ‘ain’t life always grand on an escapist train ride’, and instead get a pack of filterless, chew our nails, and remember that life can be grimy, lonely, reflective and hidden - this dream is for you, and we all pay the price wolfman
‘Always a lampshade never a light…’
“Here come the devil prowling around
One whiskey for every ghost
And I'm sorry for what I said
I said I just don't care anymore
A fool can feed on a notion
Sees and believes
And this desert turns to ocean over me”
The setting: the bath hot, an acrid taste in the back of my throat from a possible nasal infection, the haunting recently processed images from an awful work related accident and an unexpected personal nosebleed, the light coming in through the featureless skies, but then thought of the hurt and despair in pictures of his eyes… I was looking forward to the right moment for a book with such a title and makeup
Not all lyrics in the world work as poetry (although I’m a barbie girl, in a barbie world is more profound than the video could ever portray…), but most of these read as poetry and then also as beautiful lyrics when the soundtrack is added over the top. After consuming the text of so many songs I wasn’t familiar with, I fell asleep listening to the album ‘Imitations’ and whilst it’s not a comforting voice, it is a voice that recognises that everyone has a heart and a soul and no matter how deeply you might bury these, that most still know hurt and loss and that’s ok. The very definition of a tortured soul that seems to understand and accept the pain. Sometimes we should all cancel the calm app, stop pretending that ‘ain’t life always grand on an escapist train ride’, and instead get a pack of filterless, chew our nails, and remember that life can be grimy, lonely, reflective and hidden - this dream is for you, and we all pay the price wolfman
‘Always a lampshade never a light…’
March 3, 2022
Sad and surreal, having started this when Mark Lanegan was very much alive. Only to be forced to finish it well aware that he now no longer is...
The lyrics themselves are mostly only okay, but the liner-note styled intros were the first sign that he'd have a couple of great memoirs in him (and he did). And the themes of the lyrics, the return to just a small handful of the same themes, seems even more interesting now in light of the tragic news. R.I.P.
The lyrics themselves are mostly only okay, but the liner-note styled intros were the first sign that he'd have a couple of great memoirs in him (and he did). And the themes of the lyrics, the return to just a small handful of the same themes, seems even more interesting now in light of the tragic news. R.I.P.
February 23, 2022
RIP King
July 22, 2018
I love Mark Lanegan’s albums but the lyrics don’t have the same impact separated from the music.
Read
February 19, 2019Mark is deep as a well. His words carry the weight of cities, nights and oceans. Henry Rollins
Mark Lanegan kan räkna Nick Cave, John Cale och Anthony Bourdain till skaran av levande och döda beundrare. Trots det, och musikmakande som sträcker sig över trettiofem år, varvar han skivor och turneer med tillfälliga hugg som byggjobbare.
I Am the Wolf samlar Lanegans sångtexter men det är i de korta stycken som introducerar varje skiva den feta grädden finns. Där bjuder han osentimentalt på ögonblick ur sitt liv och radar upp omistliga förebilder som Cormac McCarthy, Joy Division, Gun Club, Pusher trilogin och svenska Lädernunnan.
Mark Lanegan kan räkna Nick Cave, John Cale och Anthony Bourdain till skaran av levande och döda beundrare. Trots det, och musikmakande som sträcker sig över trettiofem år, varvar han skivor och turneer med tillfälliga hugg som byggjobbare.
I Am the Wolf samlar Lanegans sångtexter men det är i de korta stycken som introducerar varje skiva den feta grädden finns. Där bjuder han osentimentalt på ögonblick ur sitt liv och radar upp omistliga förebilder som Cormac McCarthy, Joy Division, Gun Club, Pusher trilogin och svenska Lädernunnan.
August 10, 2025
Lanegan is and always will be my favourite poet. Not only do his words speak to you with insight and wisdom but also with angst, anger and sadness. This man was the embodiment of a genius and I’d urge you to get this book and wallow in the beauty of the language. Then do yourselves a favour and go and listen to the albums where the words will melt into your soul.
I’ve put the finish date as today’s date but I don’t think I’ll ever truly finish this book, it’s become part of my waking day. There was only one Elvis, there’ll only ever be one Lanegan!
I’ve put the finish date as today’s date but I don’t think I’ll ever truly finish this book, it’s become part of my waking day. There was only one Elvis, there’ll only ever be one Lanegan!
March 29, 2024
Mark Lanegan’s prose & lyricism is the grunge, masculine counterpart to Lana Del Rey’s Paradise x Ultraviolence era of music. Darkly ethereal. Transportive. Melancholic. Unpretentiously rich.
June 28, 2023
At the behest of the Khmer Rouge of Mark Lanegan fans, I have edited this review to indicate that "I Am the Wolf" is the greatest book ever written. Everything is here. Actually, this collection of lyrics and writings by the greatest singer of his generation (and I mean it) is the Mother of Everything. You name it: addiction, death, heartbreak, lust, violence, premonitions of doom... Can't you hear me knocking? I need a holiday from Cambodia! A place where the leeches won't get to Dark Mark, or The Ginger-bearded Bastard, as he was known to the ladies from Oasis during the Lollapalooza tour. (It was said he didn't want to hang out with them.) On a more serious note, having been granted some sobriety, I could appreciate the lyrics to "Old Swan," the last song on Mr Lanegan's latest album. And there's a lot of humor, too. My soul is not worth saving.... but now that I've changed my rating from four to five, will you please hand me the keys to the Kingdom? By the way, is that a lyric to an actual song, and if so, where can I find it? How's it going to be, fangs?
September 24, 2017
Love this! The little blurbs ahead of each chapter are such a cool, rarely seen, peek at the man. The lyrics are beautiful to read without the music. I've always been entranced by his use of words in his songs and longed to read them without the musical accompaniment and the sing-song vocals. Very inspiring.
June 2, 2020
A collection of lyrics from Mark's solo and non Screaming Trees songs tied together with loose thoughts about each record. Mark has written some of the darkest and most personal music since the release of "The Winding Sheet", and the best of his lyrics can definitely stand on their own and can be appreciated in this literary setting.
August 19, 2020
Great Songwriter and Lyricist
Mark Lanegan has a great ability to express feelings of loss, addiction, longing, and mortality.
For those interested in Grunge and Dessert Rock, I highly recommend this book.
It was delightful to read the lyrics to the song dedicated to Layne Staley, (Last One in the World), and the previously unreleased songs he contributed to Mad Season.
Mark Lanegan has a great ability to express feelings of loss, addiction, longing, and mortality.
For those interested in Grunge and Dessert Rock, I highly recommend this book.
It was delightful to read the lyrics to the song dedicated to Layne Staley, (Last One in the World), and the previously unreleased songs he contributed to Mad Season.
July 24, 2020
Lanegan's lyrics are the best kind of poetry around, in my opinion: pitch black, yet utterly beautiful. The brief passages of background for each record are also absolute gold. One of my favorite songwriters of all time.
December 20, 2020
Look, some of the themes that Mark Lanegan writes about in his lyrics are a bit repetitive. The christian religion imagery. The letting down of his woman/baby/babe/doll etc. Trains. Cars. Ships. Gold. Self destruction. But reading his lyrics without the context of his singing you can still find a turn of phrase that is just fucking perfection, so heartbreaking beautiful.
The introductions to his various musical eras are great too.
Ugh. I loved it and it just makes me want a follow up to his memoir, Sing Backwards and Weep: A Memoir, which I know he'll never write, even more.
The introductions to his various musical eras are great too.
Ugh. I loved it and it just makes me want a follow up to his memoir, Sing Backwards and Weep: A Memoir, which I know he'll never write, even more.
January 10, 2021
Colectânea de letras dos álbuns em nome próprio de Mark Lanegan e das suas colaborações. Em geral o tom é sombrio e desolador. Sem a voz profunda de Mark as letras perdem o seu peso, e não causam tanto impacto.
Destaque para os humildes e directos textos de contextualização que o autor providencia, antes de expor as letras de cada álbum, ajudando a perceber o que o inspirou e em que ponto da vida se encontrava no momento. Normalmente os autores não explicam de que se tratam as músicas, deixando o ouvinte imaginar e dar mais vida ao que pode de origem não ter assim tanto interesse...Mas Lanegan abre-se e chega ao ponto de dizer as bandas que ouvia e que o inspiraram na altura, a quem se dedicam certas as músicas, como uma a Layne Staley, os trabalhos e as mulheres que então tinha...
Destaque para os humildes e directos textos de contextualização que o autor providencia, antes de expor as letras de cada álbum, ajudando a perceber o que o inspirou e em que ponto da vida se encontrava no momento. Normalmente os autores não explicam de que se tratam as músicas, deixando o ouvinte imaginar e dar mais vida ao que pode de origem não ter assim tanto interesse...Mas Lanegan abre-se e chega ao ponto de dizer as bandas que ouvia e que o inspiraram na altura, a quem se dedicam certas as músicas, como uma a Layne Staley, os trabalhos e as mulheres que então tinha...
March 27, 2022
Lyrics and writings of Mark Lanegan will leave you breathless. His depth and moody brooding is palpable in his writing. I can feel his raspy, weathered voice, coming through the words and weaving through my soul.
"If tears were liquor, I'd have drunk myself sick"
"The magnolia blooms so sweet
And fades just the same"
What a powerhouse. RIP Mark Lanegan . Thanks for all the music.
"If tears were liquor, I'd have drunk myself sick"
"The magnolia blooms so sweet
And fades just the same"
What a powerhouse. RIP Mark Lanegan . Thanks for all the music.
April 3, 2022
Having just read the full autobiography I know that this was a fairly reluctant piece of work and the cursory paragraph preceding the lyrics of each album come across as fairly uninformative and half hearted.
The lyrics are interesting and some are more decipherable than when sung but they don't always stand up to being read as poetry!
The lyrics are interesting and some are more decipherable than when sung but they don't always stand up to being read as poetry!
August 17, 2019
Great Voice - Great lyrics. Wish there were more stories about the Man and the making of the albums.
May 31, 2020
Shame he dies in the end.
June 4, 2022
Good for fans.
Poetry from a dark and forever missed poet from Seattle to the world.
God bless Mark Lanegan.RIP.
Poetry from a dark and forever missed poet from Seattle to the world.
God bless Mark Lanegan.RIP.
August 3, 2022
Tortured soul. Dark muse. Demented angel.
Whatever you feel about Mark Lanegan, this book will both affirm that feeling and evolve it.
Advice? Read it and then listen to the work.
Whatever you feel about Mark Lanegan, this book will both affirm that feeling and evolve it.
Advice? Read it and then listen to the work.
January 11, 2023
You read and listen to this book at the same time. Lanegan's craft is an unforgettable one.
October 7, 2022
Great collection of lyrics from one of my favorite lyricists.
August 19, 2018
Essential compilation of Mark Lanegan's lyrics, from "The Winding Sheet" up to "Gargoyle" (about three decades of awesome music). Omitting his work as a Screaming Tree and some other collaborations, but apparently nothing too glaring. A few secrets are revealed and some surprises are found via an economic but really enlightening prose providing biographical context behind each record/era, and yet the mysterious nature of the author remains quite large.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews