Good Morning Spider - Background

Background

Following the release of its first album Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot, Sparklehorse embarked on a European tour opening for Radiohead, who praised Sparklehorse as their favorite new band. It was during this tour in 1996 that Mark Linkous suffered a near-fatal overdose that would have long-lasting effects on both his physical and psychological well-being.

After mixing antidepressants and alcohol, Linkous passed out in the bathroom of his London hotel room with his legs pinned underneath him, which cut off circulation to his legs. It would be over fourteen hours before the unconscious singer was finally discovered and rushed to the hospital. When paramedics tried to straighten out his legs, Linkous suffered a heart attack and was clinically dead for three minutes before being resuscitated. A series of painful surgeries followed, along with a three-month stay at St Mary’s Hospital in London.

Initially, Linkous was confined to a wheelchair, which didn’t prevent him from performing a number of concerts in 1997 while wheelchair-bound. Finally he was fitted with leg braces and began learning how to walk again.

In a 2001 interview, Linkous, who battled depression his entire life, admitted that he had no memory of the overdose, and he wasn’t sure if it had been intentional or an accident. But five years later, he stated that he didn't believe it was intentional; it was simply the result of "being stupid with drugs". Linkous’ brother told a Richmond, Virginia, news outlet in 2010 that he felt it had been an accident brought on by insomnia and other health problems the songwriter was experiencing at the time. Family members would later notice that Linkous’ recurring bouts with depression became deeper and more prolonged following his overdose.

In the midst of his convalescence, Linkous became concerned that brain damage from his near-death experience would affect his ability to write songs again. His friend David Lowery from the band Cracker brought him a guitar, but according to Linkous, “it took me a long time to be able to make chords again.”

Eventually, writing began on the songs that would become Good Morning Spider, which Rolling Stone noted, explored themes of “frustration, resignation, wonder, and gratitude” - feelings that swirled in Linkous’ mind during his recovery. One of the first songs written was “Saint Mary”, which CMJ called “an ode to his English nurses” from Linkous' London hospital stay. In another song, "Pig", the songwriter vented his anger at his physical disability and the desire to have his old body back.