Sunrise

Album: Whiskey For The Holy Ghost (1994)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • As grunge was maturing in 1994 it became clear that many of its musicians were deeply troubled souls. Mark Lanegan encapsulates the ennui pretty well in this song when he sings:

    Sunrise
    Should've covered up my eyes
    Beauty wasted on me


    Living in the Pacific Northwest, Lanegan didn't have to worry much about sunshine. But the idea behind the song - a feeling of wanderlust and wondering if anything will make you happy - was true to life for him and many of his contemporaries. Lanegan was good friends with Kurt Cobain, who died by suicide soon after this song was released. Lanegan passed away in 2022 at 57 from undisclosed causes.
  • Mark Lanegan is best known as the lead singer in Screaming Trees, but he had a robust solo career as well. "Sunrise" is from his second solo album, Whiskey For The Holy Ghost, released while the Trees were still extant and peaking in popularity. The group broke up in 2000 after performing at the opening of the Experience Music Project in Seattle.
  • The other singer on this track is Sally Barry, who was friends with Lanegan. "He just threw me into a booth and we were working with John Agnello – who was a princely person, and also an amazing producer and engineer," she said in the book Lanegan. "It was just very casual, no direction, no stress, no nothing. And that's why I ended up hanging out for a lot of those sessions, because it was just really fun. It was just a great place to be. And to watch Mark working was really nice. He was insecure a lot of the time – about his vocals. He would come out and be like, 'Is that OK?' It was like, 'Dude... stop. This is great.'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TV

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TVSong Writing

Shows like Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the way songs were heard on TV, and produced some hits in the process.

Chris Isaak

Chris IsaakSongwriter Interviews

Chris tells the story of "Wicked Game," talks milkshakes and moonpies at Sun Records, and explains why women always get their way.

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.

Mac Powell of Third Day

Mac Powell of Third DaySongwriter Interviews

The Third Day frontman talks about some of the classic songs he wrote with the band, and what changed for his solo country album.

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Famous Singers' First Films

Famous Singers' First FilmsSong Writing

A look at the good (Diana Ross, Eminem), the bad (Madonna, Bob Dylan) and the peculiar (David Bowie, Michael Jackson) film debuts of superstar singers.