Sin, Shame, and Stoical Sarcasm?
It’s A Sin was first released by the Pet Shop Boys back in 1987. The song, written by Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, was a hit single on their album called Actually. Tennant said he wrote the lyrics in 15 minutes, “purging his emotions in a moment of frustration and anger.” The song became a number one hit in the United Kingdom, and was the best selling single in Europe during 1987. The song also reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. Share this link: https://vvn.net/sin/
The song is brutally honest, or stoically sarcastic – depending on how you interpret it.
One review said: “The dramatic, overblown production style of the song, loaded with synthesizers … has come to exemplify the most theatrical extremes of the Pet Shop Boys’ musical style.” The song uses samples from Latin masses, Tennant reciting the Confiteor, and other sounds echoing from locations like Westminster Cathedral.
Sinful Life – Shameful Lyrics
“When I look back upon my life
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.”
A Latin passage near the end of the song is translated 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 most grievous fault”.
Sin, Blame, Guilt, Shame
This music video (directed by Derek Jarman) explores the concepts of sin, blame, guilt and shame. It’s lyrics, sounds, and visual imagery depict the seven deadly sins — envy, pride, lust, greed, gluttony, sloth, and anger. Sinfulness describes one of the basic elements of the human condition: imperfection. Are we slaves to our evil desires? Sin has been described as the wrong we do and the root cause of the wrong that we do. If we blame our mistakes, omissions, and bad habits on someone else does it make us feel less shame and guilt?
If Satan has tricked you into being a big sinner — you might need these precious remedies against Satan’s devious devices.