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.
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.