Gary Lee Conner-End Of The Universe (1988 original demo of Screaming Trees song)

A psychedelic artifact from 1988. Many of my songs are about mind altering drugs. Some, especially the earlier ones, are about some of my personal drug experiences (believe or not only one was LSD.) However, only a couple were actually written while on drugs. This is one of them. Some late night back in 1988 I took a small handful of my mom’s tranquilizers. There was quite a selection out of the pharmacopeia in our family medicine cupboard some of which I occasionally sampled. After ingesting the pills, I went out front and lay down on the front lawn and gazed upward at the dark sky and stars as I often did and this song came to me. I rushed back into my room hit the 4 track and set down End Of The Universe as heard here. The next day I was visited by Lanegan (may he forever be heard singing in the backs of all our minds.) He asked to hear new stuff I had recorded, as he commonly did, and I played this for him. It may come as a surprise to some after reading his book but he was totally blown away. As I watched him take it in he darkly scribbled the word YES over and over on one of my yellow lyrics sheets. It was soon recorded twice by Screaming Trees. First for the unreleased SST double album then for Buzz Factory. For several years afterwards it was the finale of every Screaming Trees show and was always one of my favorite songs to play. Mark’s now on a one way trip to the end of the universe man, I hope this trip is a good one…
For more psychedelic artefacts ancient and modern go here…
https://garyleeconner.bandcamp.com/