It's A Sin Lyrics
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It's always with a sense of shame
I've always been the one to blame
For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
Has one thing in common, too
It's a sin
Everything I've ever done
Everything I ever do
Every place I've ever been
Everywhere I'm going to
It's a sin
So pure in thought and word and deed
They didn't quite succeed
For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
Has one thing in common, too
It's a sin
Everything I've ever done
Everything I ever do
Every place I've ever been
Everywhere I'm going to
It's a sin
Turned over a new leaf, then tore right through it
Whatever you taught me, I didn't believe it
Father, you fought me, 'cause I didn't care
And I still don't understand
Forever with a sense of shame
I've always been the one to blame
For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
Has one thing in common, too
It's a sin
Everything I've ever done
Everything I ever do
Every place I've ever been
Everywhere I'm going to - it's a sin
It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin
It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin
verbo, opere et omissione, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa)
As a lapsed catholic myself, I really undersand the song. You can't really go through life without "sinning" - this song gives catholism a kick up the arse. I love it.
I agree. This song is definitely about a person's lifelong shame and guilt over his homosexuality. This individual most likely attended parochial school due to terms like "Father forgive me" and the ending phrase in latin which translates as:
I confess to almighty God And to you my brothers That I have sinned exceedingly In thought, word, act and omission Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault
Thanks for the translation of the Latin.
Thanks for the translation of the Latin.
it isn't just homosexuality. The catholic church were annoyed with this song, and that was before he came out of the closet. He was stating that no matter what he did, where he was, what he said, he was committing one of the 7 deadly sins, it was the way he had been made to think when he was at school and he is ironically stating about how impossible it is NOT to commit a 'sin'.
@honestfi You're right, it's about the whole "we're all sinners so you constantly have to confess your latest sins and get absolved" thing. I'm sure that being queer was one of many things that they gave him a hard time about in school. Although the song is obviously about Catholicism (even quoting the "Confiteor"), if you ask me it's not just Catholicism but Christianity in general: I think the whole idea that even newborn babies are sinners, just by being human, is totally twisted.
@honestfi You're right, it's about the whole "we're all sinners so you constantly have to confess your latest sins and get absolved" thing. I'm sure that being queer was one of many things that they gave him a hard time about in school. Although the song is obviously about Catholicism (even quoting the "Confiteor"), if you ask me it's not just Catholicism but Christianity in general: I think the whole idea that even newborn babies are sinners, just by being human, is totally twisted.
One of their greatest hits, this song is as has been suggested above, the Church's predjudice against homosexuality, and how his whole life is "a sin" because the church says so. The video for this song shows Neil as a religious figure begging for forgiveness.
While originally implied to be homosexuality, it can be just as easily broadened further, due to the vague open ended lyrics, to include pretty much anything in which the person "sinned", but in that the "sin" in question is referring not to an actual "sin", so much as just not conforming to social expectations at the time.
Anything which is taboo, goes against cultural social norms, and so on, would fit just as snugly into the "sin" that's phrased here.
This song is really about the religeous and cultural prejudice against male homosexuality. In the eyes of society[and the church of couse], if you're gay than you're inherently Bad(sinful) and there's nothing you can do yo redeme yourself.
You're half-right there. Christians do believe homosexuality is sinful, but they also believe it can be cured by faith.
You're half-right there. Christians do believe homosexuality is sinful, but they also believe it can be cured by faith.
I've always thought this song was probably about Neil's early life when homosexual acts were illegal in the UK (and elsewhere). The narrator is confronting the reality that everything he feels and wants is, literally, 'a sin'. He begs for forgiveness for feelings he can do nothing about. The 'father' is very ambiguous and could be God, a parent or a lover, and is probably all three. It's a very subversive yet very moving and profound song.
After years, listening back I suddenly hear the geniality of this song. Hidden in the bit outdated sounds lies a beautiful arrangment. It's a classic!! But that's not all of my point. The lyrics strike me as very honest and profound. It touched me. In my opinion, the singer talks about the results of his catholic upbringings, not so much about the upbringing itself. How shame, acquiered in your early youth, still works as a toxic poison, lingers through all aspects of your life, defining it. Sexuality, work, friendships, family relations. Even when you don't have a clue. For all people who recognise this, I can strongly advise to read Alan Downs book: The Velvet Rage. It unraffels into great detail how shame influences gay men in a very unobtrusive yet toxic way. A must read!! This book deals with all things the Pet Shop Boys bring here into this wonderful song. Thank you, PSB!!
Yeah... I think that it is about Homosexuality, as well as doing things that the "Moral Majority" percieves as sinful and wrong.
I vaguely recall having read somewhere that the Catholic school Neil Tennant attended got so mad about this song that they openly complained in the media or something like that. Anybody know anything about this? (Disclaimer: I could easily be remembering wrong or thinking of something else or something. It's been a while.)