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Sin Lyrics
Holy water clouds my thinking
Sinking low now
Keep on drinking
Down you go, suffer long
Down you go, sin make me strong
You control me, soul you stole, mine
Wishful thinking
Six feet under
Down you go, suffer long
Down you go, sin make me strong
Dead by dreaming, sleep you steal, mine
Pools of cold sweat
Hatred burns me
Down you go, suffer long
Down you go, sin make me strong
Holy water clouds my thinking
Sinking low now
Keep on drinking
Feel what were my eyes
Sink into the holes in my eyes
My sins have made me blind
Sink into the holes in my eyes
Still shackled to the shadow
Still shackled to the shadow
That followed you...
Sinking low now
Keep on drinking
Down you go, suffer long
Down you go, sin make me strong
Wishful thinking
Six feet under
Down you go, sin make me strong
Pools of cold sweat
Hatred burns me
Down you go, sin make me strong
Sinking low now
Keep on drinking
Sink into the holes in my eyes
My sins have made me blind
Sink into the holes in my eyes
Still shackled to the shadow
That followed you...
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SIN - This is an ironic song in which RELIGION IS THE SIN.
This song is NOT about finding religion as many have stated. This is about the damage that religion can do and compares Holy Water to being an Alcoholic. Holy Water clouds your thinking because of the nonsense that religion can spew. Alcohol physically clouds his thinking the same way.
In this song Religion and Alcohol ARE the Sin. Drinking makes you strong because it dulls your senses so you are unaware of the pain and danger that lurks around and within you. Religion (SIN) makes you strong because you believe someone or some sort of arbitrary righteousness will protect you. Sin make me strong. (religion make me strong, alcohol make me strong).
The rest becomes obvious once you realize he is comparing drinking to Religion as virtually the same sin. You control me (Religion and Alcohol controls you) they both STEAL your sole, that is the irony of this genius song, the religion is stealing his soul and so is alcohol. Sins make him blind, again alcohol does not eliminate or prevent problems or issues it just covers them up hence he is blind, his eyes are just holes now because he can no longer see, same for religion.
Shackled to the shadows is one of the most beautiful lines in any song, ever. How do you shackle yourself to a shadow? Shackled implies permanence, immovable, something very stable and limiting. A shadow is virtually non-existent. He is mentally shackled by the past teachings of religion even as he moves through time and space (that FOLLOWED you). The sins he committed while drinking also followed him mentally, forever (shackled).
Scott has not shown any affinity for religion that I can think of. He rarely wears religious ornaments, is covered with tattoos, drinks, smokes, does drugs and has never mentioned anything about any kind of religious repentance or sudden finding of any god of any type that I can recall or find anywhere on line.
@jdieqZX Great analysis. Your close reading of the "... shackled to the shadow" line is very interesting. If your interpretation is correct, then the song becomes very powerful: religious fanatics are bound (shackled) to illusions (shadows). They are simply worshipping (God, Jesus) and condemning (Satan, Judas) ghosts - non-existent, imaginary ideas.
@jdieqZX Great analysis. Your close reading of the "... shackled to the shadow" line is very interesting. If your interpretation is correct, then the song becomes very powerful: religious fanatics are bound (shackled) to illusions (shadows). They are simply worshipping (God, Jesus) and condemning (Satan, Judas) ghosts - non-existent, imaginary ideas.
Of course, it is possible that Scott did not intend to write lyrics with such a meaning, but nonetheless, your interpretation is fascinating.
Of course, it is possible that Scott did not intend to write lyrics with such a meaning, but nonetheless, your interpretation is fascinating.
@Joe Sh1t the Ragman Thank you Joe. I've heard interviews with Scott, in which I was less then impressed, I am very objective, critical and sarcastic and I am not at all prone to hero worship. However, if you look at his other lyrics in total they are really involved and complex and take a topic to the absolute extreme.
@Joe Sh1t the Ragman Thank you Joe. I've heard interviews with Scott, in which I was less then impressed, I am very objective, critical and sarcastic and I am not at all prone to hero worship. However, if you look at his other lyrics in total they are really involved and complex and take a topic to the absolute extreme.
In STILL REMAINS "if you should die before me ask if you can bring a friend". I thought to myself, who could ever think of something like that? That a person could be that in...
In STILL REMAINS "if you should die before me ask if you can bring a friend". I thought to myself, who could ever think of something like that? That a person could be that in love, that they would join their mate in death is rare these days, but to phrase it the way he does, in an almost joyous, matter of fact, manner, as if it is a foregone conclusion that he will gladly go and make that "final decision" without thinking twice is classic Scott.
I wondered sometimes, if other band members did not assist or if there was another ghost writer as well, because he summarizes a feeling or idea so quickly and so maximally. But in the end, I think he was just a super smart, sensitive and troubled person who did this pretty much by himself.
hes guilty for all the sins he committed and is still committing. he feels like he cant be saved from what hes done
holy water clouds my thinking: all he can think about is guilt and redemption
sinking low now, keep on drinking: he cant be saved because he still hasnt repented. weiland was an alcoholic long before he did heroin, so the drinking thing makes sense. hes hit rock bottom and he knows its a sin but he still keeps on drinking
down you go, suffer long: this is his conscience telling him hes going to hell for all this and he deserves it
sin make me strong: im not sure about this line. it probably means that even though his sins are evil, theyve made him who he is today
you control me, soul you stole mine: this is kind of obvious. alcohol controls him like any other addiction. he feels like its taken his soul--hes going to hell because of the drinking and he cant even save himself. either that or its stolen his soul as in, its reduced him to a monster that does nothing but get drunk and act like an asshole. hes no longer himself (makes sense with the "sin make me strong" line)
wishful thinking six feet under: he still has hope that he can reform and kick the addiction, but he knows theres no turning back. its almost like hes dead and buried, and still thinking hes got a chance of living
now feel what were my eyes: hes realizing with total horror what hes become and how deluded he is about himself
my sins have made me blind: he can no longer see straight, everythings about sin and addiction
sink into the holes in my eyes: he feels like hes falling or sinking. his loss of sight has caused his downfall
dead by dreaming: hes been living in this dream world and blind to all the reality around him
sleep you steal mine: he cant sleep or feel at peace because he knows hes doomed
pools of cold sweat: scared
hatred burns me: he hates either his addiction or himself for getting addicted, or maybe even God for supposedly not understanding his situation
still shackled to the shadow that followed you: basically restating what he said before--hes stuck to this addiction and itll never end
when you think about it this song is incredibly depressing, especially since things got a whole lot worse for scott with the heroin a few years later. i just hope hes really done with drugs for good now
Holy water clouds my thinking Sinking low now Keep on drinking.
To me, this means getting drunk on religion with the sin being addiction to religious dogma. Just like with anything, you get too immersed in it, it becomes an addiction. Here, that addiction is religion.
interesting theory
interesting theory
fall from God in ignorance losing ones soul, then with loss of God the soul gains sight of God. The sins and the self are shackled to the soul which has left and yearns for God. man gains sight to see truth and loses ignorance, now there is accountability. Still sinning he is blinded to GODs ways on earth.
what he said
this is by faaar one of more underated stp songs for sure.... i love this song.
the solo,man, the solo
This song could be about, a man´s sin and the thing he did wrong in life that will take take him to hell. Is the eternal fight from heaven and hell .
this song in a nutshell you are probaly right
this song in a nutshell you are probaly right
All of you that think "Sin" was written as a religious metaphor couldn't be further from the truth. And why do you people waste our time writing your opinion (for which you are entitled)but as fact. That shit pisses me off. As a Heroin addict and alcoholic for 20 years (3 years in recovery now. Not that it matters) the song "Sin" is a addict /alcoholic speaking of the daily demons and torture we put ourselves through. We don't separate drugs and alcohol we will use anything we have preferences but they are all one in the same. Holy water is a metaphor for all drugs and alcohol nothing to do with religion of any sort. Sinking low keep on drinking. The further down the hole we go we increase our use. And the longer you stay alive in that place makes you strong you have to be to stay alive. Soul you stole mine. Obvious but for those of you that don't understand the demons; We (addicts) know right from wrong yet are slaves to the drug and will do anything it takes to feed it. Our conscience then makes us believe we are horrible people so we use more to smash back the conscience until there comes a time that no longer works "wishful thinking six feet under" was exactly how I felt I was convinced the world was a better place without me in it. Many addicts have the same thoughts. "so feel what were my eyes... My sins have made me blind" it must be this way otherwise the Addict wouldn't be able to live with themselves. My interpretation of "Dead by dreaming... Is speaking of Dt's or Opiate withdrawal those three lines all symptoms of withdrawal. If you have never experienced that then how could you have an opinion?" Shackled to the shadow" is nothing more than we tend to live in the past never able to forgive ourselves of our sins. It is a very simple line but the most powerful line in the song. I believe that's why they changed up the music, tempo and lyric. Many of us that are unable to forgive ourselves have a very weak chance of recovery and most of us die young as a result. I listen to this song alot and get goose bumps every time. The author is one of us and simply stating the torture he lives daily. IT'S NOT A METAPHOR FOR RELIGION... YOU ARE A DUMB ASS.
@dennygjohnson@gmail.com thanks for sharing.
@dennygjohnson@gmail.com thanks for sharing.
Your life experiences will influence your interpretation of art / music. So that you are a recovery addict is very poignant to your interpretation. Those of us that haven't been addicts are more likely to find other meanings to relate to in the song, because that is based on our life experiences.
Your life experiences will influence your interpretation of art / music. So that you are a recovery addict is very poignant to your interpretation. Those of us that haven't been addicts are more likely to find other meanings to relate to in the song, because that is based on our life experiences.
Neither are wrong, and all of us are right. So no need to act like your opinion is better than anyone else's ... because remember opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and thinks everyone else's stinks!
Neither are wrong, and all of us are right. So no need to act like your opinion is better than anyone else's ... because remember opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and thinks everyone else's stinks!
I think it's about Weiland's drug troubles...short and sweet.
scott dint do drugs till after core was finished
scott dint do drugs till after core was finished
scott wasnt into drugs until summer of 93... i dont see how this song could be possibly be about drugs
scott wasnt into drugs until summer of 93... i dont see how this song could be possibly be about drugs
This is one of my favorite STP songs. Dean's solo is awesome and Scott's voice is amazing. I don't know what it's about but I can see it being about Scott's drug problems even though they didn't seem to be that bad back in 1992 when this song came out on "Core".