The song indeed targets religion. Specifically, the song argues that the standard of virtue promoted by religion is just not realistic or practical; people (the song argues) are naturally and unavoidably sinners.
The song describes the speaker as a bad person --- he is a "villain with an itch to scratch," or a bad guy who craves sinful actions. He reaches "out for the hand of God" but realizes that even he wouldn't shake his own hand presumably because he's so bad (i.e. "did you think you'd shake your own"). He feels the "killing field is all grown over," which hints at his desire to kill; and he "wants it wild," which hints at his desire to generally to do bad stuff.
So he's a bad guy. But instead of viewing himself as flawed (as most religious would), the speaker argues that being a sinner is simply who he is; he should therefore try to welcome and accept the notion that he is a bad person. The chorus says, "I'll never kill myself to save my soul." The meaning is that the speaker won't change who he is (i.e. a bad guy) in order to save his soul by reaching Heaven or sainthood. Correspondingly, "I'm finally holding on to letting go" means he is holding on to who he is (i.e. a bad guy); and he is thus "letting go" of the notion that he needs to be good. Hence, "You've [i.e. I've] killed the saint in me" and "I'm setting you free" signify that he's not going to suppress his bad side anymore; just let it out.
As for why he chooses to accept his badness in this way, the song argues that being a bad person is simply unavoidable and enjoyable for him--- he says near the end, "Did you think you could win?" The feeling is that he realizes that he can't get himself to stop committing bad deeds, no matter how hard he tries. He just can't win in his efforts to refrain from sin, in other words. The lines, "Pick a lord and you pray to it ... But your stories don't read for me" as well as "But your bibles don't work on me" are corroboratory. These lines hint that he has tried turning to religion to eradicate his tendency to commit sin, but it just hasn't worked: those bible "stories don't read for me" or "work on me." The overall conclusion is that he can't stop being bad through will-power or study of religious texts.
In addition, he says, "I'm not your sin, / I was all that you wanted and more, but you didn't want me." Here, the speaker hints that he ostensibly didn't want to be bad (i.e. "but you didn't want me"), but deep down, he really loved it: committing sin "was all that [he] wanted and more." Accordingly, "I'm not your sin" reasonably means that he shouldn't treat his badness as "sin," or something to be shunned and scorned. He should instead accept it and embrace it. In this thought, being bad is something thrilling and enjoyable for people. The ensuing suggestion is that people can't stop committing sin because committing sin is so pleasurable and enticing.
The song indeed targets religion. Specifically, the song argues that the standard of virtue promoted by religion is just not realistic or practical; people (the song argues) are naturally and unavoidably sinners.
The song describes the speaker as a bad person --- he is a "villain with an itch to scratch," or a bad guy who craves sinful actions. He reaches "out for the hand of God" but realizes that even he wouldn't shake his own hand presumably because he's so bad (i.e. "did you think you'd shake your own"). He feels the "killing field is all grown over," which hints at his desire to kill; and he "wants it wild," which hints at his desire to generally to do bad stuff.
So he's a bad guy. But instead of viewing himself as flawed (as most religious would), the speaker argues that being a sinner is simply who he is; he should therefore try to welcome and accept the notion that he is a bad person. The chorus says, "I'll never kill myself to save my soul." The meaning is that the speaker won't change who he is (i.e. a bad guy) in order to save his soul by reaching Heaven or sainthood. Correspondingly, "I'm finally holding on to letting go" means he is holding on to who he is (i.e. a bad guy); and he is thus "letting go" of the notion that he needs to be good. Hence, "You've [i.e. I've] killed the saint in me" and "I'm setting you free" signify that he's not going to suppress his bad side anymore; just let it out.
As for why he chooses to accept his badness in this way, the song argues that being a bad person is simply unavoidable and enjoyable for him--- he says near the end, "Did you think you could win?" The feeling is that he realizes that he can't get himself to stop committing bad deeds, no matter how hard he tries. He just can't win in his efforts to refrain from sin, in other words. The lines, "Pick a lord and you pray to it ... But your stories don't read for me" as well as "But your bibles don't work on me" are corroboratory. These lines hint that he has tried turning to religion to eradicate his tendency to commit sin, but it just hasn't worked: those bible "stories don't read for me" or "work on me." The overall conclusion is that he can't stop being bad through will-power or study of religious texts.
In addition, he says, "I'm not your sin, / I was all that you wanted and more, but you didn't want me." Here, the speaker hints that he ostensibly didn't want to be bad (i.e. "but you didn't want me"), but deep down, he really loved it: committing sin "was all that [he] wanted and more." Accordingly, "I'm not your sin" reasonably means that he shouldn't treat his badness as "sin," or something to be shunned and scorned. He should instead accept it and embrace it. In this thought, being bad is something thrilling and enjoyable for people. The ensuing suggestion is that people can't stop committing sin because committing sin is so pleasurable and enticing.