This song is a deeply personal expression of James' feelings. It's a song that any person who has experienced religious abuse would really relate to.
Regardless of how you personally may feel about religion there are always people who use it as a way of controlling others and that is what this song is about. It's about having a father who judges and punishes you for having a flaw built into your nature.
"Forgive me father, for I have sinned. Find me guilty of the life I feel within."
It's such a powerful line describing how some will use religion to shovel blame, guilt and negativity onto others. Whether it's accusing someone of being bad for the type of music they listen to or the length of their hair or the books they read religion can be used to shame someone rather than to inspire and set them free. The idea of being stifled is often expressed in Metallica songs.
As often happens in these kind of abusive relationships a kid can get picked on repeatedly by a domineering parent who might keep the true extent of how abusive they are being as a secret from the rest of the family, leaving the kid feeling like they are a sin and they are living in a state of constant punishment.
"I do your time, I take your fall, I'm branded guilty for us all."
This kind of abuse is a sin itself and so the author of the song ends up paying for the sins of the abuser. As often happens the child becomes the black sheep of the family, the scapegoat when things go wrong.
It's a powerful indictment of the religious concept that sin is inherent in us and we must suffer to overcome it. Rather than viewing our behaviours as natural responses to our environment this idea that we are fundamentally flaw and must be punished to pay a penance is common among the religiously inclined.
This song is a deeply personal expression of James' feelings. It's a song that any person who has experienced religious abuse would really relate to.
Regardless of how you personally may feel about religion there are always people who use it as a way of controlling others and that is what this song is about. It's about having a father who judges and punishes you for having a flaw built into your nature.
"Forgive me father, for I have sinned. Find me guilty of the life I feel within."
It's such a powerful line describing how some will use religion to shovel blame, guilt and negativity onto others. Whether it's accusing someone of being bad for the type of music they listen to or the length of their hair or the books they read religion can be used to shame someone rather than to inspire and set them free. The idea of being stifled is often expressed in Metallica songs.
As often happens in these kind of abusive relationships a kid can get picked on repeatedly by a domineering parent who might keep the true extent of how abusive they are being as a secret from the rest of the family, leaving the kid feeling like they are a sin and they are living in a state of constant punishment.
"I do your time, I take your fall, I'm branded guilty for us all."
This kind of abuse is a sin itself and so the author of the song ends up paying for the sins of the abuser. As often happens the child becomes the black sheep of the family, the scapegoat when things go wrong.
It's a powerful indictment of the religious concept that sin is inherent in us and we must suffer to overcome it. Rather than viewing our behaviours as natural responses to our environment this idea that we are fundamentally flaw and must be punished to pay a penance is common among the religiously inclined.