Sin of the City
Duran Duran Lyrics


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Coat check girl up in Happyland
Has a violent row with a Cuban man
Julio leaves in a drunken rage -
Comes back with the gasoline
The club has no fire exit
The club only had one door
Only five people came out alive
The sin is that 89 died
89 dead! 89 dead! 89 dead! 89 dead!

The sin is that a year and a half before
The fire chief's out and he's raising cain
Brands Happyland hazzard close down but no.
No-one ever paid him no mind..
No-one ever paid him no mind..
No-one ever paid him no mind..
No-one ever paid him no mind..
No-one ever paid him no mind..

City living heavy trouble city living rough we are given angry hearts but
anger's not enough
(The sin of the city, the sin of the city)
City living heavy trouble city living rough
(The sin of the city, the sin of the city)
We are given angry hearts but anger's not enough

Daily News reviews of the landlords life
Found six thousand code ciolations light.
The city has more a hundred thousand wars
All for one of Forbes' four hundred whores.
Just one fire cracker on a big bondfire
Of self serving penny pinching wiseguy style.
Never allowing for the human condition. (hayyyeah)
Never allowing for the human condition. (hayyyeah)
Never allowing for the numen condition.
The sin is that these guys survive.

City living heavy trouble city living rough we are given angry hearts but
anger's not enough
(The sin of the city, the sin of the city)
City living heavy trouble city living rough
(The sin of the city, the sin of the city)
We are given angry hearts but anger's not enough
City living heavy trouble city living rough we are given angry hearts but
anger's not enough
(The sin of the city, the sin of the city)
City living heavy trouble city living rough
(The sin of the city, the sin of the city)
We are given angry hearts but anger's not enough
The sin of the city yehh
Stop killing your people now.
Stop wasting your people now.
Your jacking your people off
Sin of the City, yehh




Stop killing you're people how.
You're wasting you're people yeahh.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of “Sin of the City” explores the darker side of city living, specifically the occurrence of the Happy Land fire - one of the deadliest fires in New York City’s history. The song tells the story of the tragic night, when a drunken Cuban man, Julio Gonzalez, got into a violent altercation with a coat check girl at the Happy Land social club, before leaving and returning with gasoline, which he used to set the club on fire. The club, which had no fire exit, had only one door, and therefore only five people were able to escape the burning building alive. The song highlights the sin of such disaster, where 89 people lost their lives in what could have been prevented if city officials had paid heed to prior warnings raised by the fire chief. Moreover, the song draws attention to the human condition, questioning the worth of human life in the face of construction and monetary gain.


Through the use of metaphors and vivid imagery, the song brings to attention the desperate conditions and social injustice that plague many cities. The landlords' life is described and the consequences of his recklessness. The lyrics remind us that cities are filled with many who suffer, with those responsible often regarding people as expendable commodities. The song is a caution to cities to value human lives, ensure safe practices in the structures built, and protect their people from senseless tragedies like the Happy Land fire.


Line by Line Meaning

Coat check girl up in Happyland
In the club called Happyland, there was a girl who was responsible for the coat check


Has a violent row with a Cuban man
This girl had an argument with a Cuban man which was filled with aggression and possibly physical violence


Julio leaves in a drunken rage -
The Cuban man, known as Julio, left the club in a state of severe intoxication and anger


Comes back with the gasoline
Julio returned to the club with gasoline, which suggests that he was planning something dangerous


The club has no fire exit
The club did not have a proper exit in case of a fire emergency


The club only had one door
The club had no other outlet apart from the main door


Only five people came out alive
Out of everyone who was inside the club, only five could make it out safely


The sin is that 89 died
It is a terrible sin that 89 people lost their lives in the fire that took place


The sin is that a year and a half before
The deadly event could have been avoided since there were warning signs which were ignored


The fire chief's out and he's raising cain
The fire chief was warning people about the dangers and trying to raise alarm


Brands Happyland hazzard close down but no.
The club Happyland was recognized to be a hazard, which should have prompted its closure, but nothing was done


No-one ever paid him no mind..
However, the concerns raised by the fire chief were ignored, and no one paid attention to them


City living heavy trouble city living rough we are given angry hearts but anger's not enough
Living in the city is complicated, and it tends to bring out strong emotions such as anger, yet these feelings alone can't bring the necessary change


(The sin of the city, the sin of the city)
The true sin is the wrongful neglect of people's well-being by those in power


Daily News reviews of the landlords life
There were complaints about the landlord's conduct and how he managed his property


Found six thousand code ciolations light.
Upon review of the landlord's practices, six thousand code violations were found to be minor issues


The city has more a hundred thousand wars
The city suffers from many problems, with a countless number of people fighting their own battles


All for one of Forbes' four hundred whores.
Most of the problems arise due to power, money and greed, with people willing to compromise the well-being of others for their own gain


Just one fire cracker on a big bondfire
All it takes is one small mistake or incident to trigger a much larger, uncontrolled disaster


Of self serving penny pinching wiseguy style.
Many of the people who hold the power are focused on their own interests, at the cost of everyone else's well-being


Never allowing for the human condition. (hayyyeah)
The authorities never consider the vulnerabilities and needs of the people those in power are responsible for


The sin is that these guys survive.
The unjust people and corrupt authorities continue to thrive, while the working class suffers, which is the true sin


Stop killing your people now.
The authorities should stop their apathy towards the people and start protecting them effectively


Stop wasting your people now.
The misuse of resources and the corrupt lifestyle of people in power is an insult and waste of the common people's hard work and effort


Your jacking your people off
The authorities are unnecessarily exploiting the people and treating them unfairly for their own gain


Sin of the City, yehh
The song talks about how the real sin is ignoring social problems and perpetrating harmful activities, leading to suffering and loss of life


You're wasting you're people yeahh.
The people who are in power are wasting the opportunities and resources of people who are the backbone of the society and city, and not helping them to their fullest potential




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN TAYLOR, NICK RHODES, SIMON LE BON, WARREN CUCCURULLO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Richard Eden-Maughan

Found this again after a long lay off this morning. Just an extraordinary tune - from a band you might not expect it from.

Its brutal, indignant, furious and vengeful - a fitting tribute to the dreadful tragedy it draws inspiration from.

'The sin is that these guys survive...'

Thomas SHARONIARD

This track is incredible ! they probably surprised themselves during the making of the album

Carolynn Tubman

Thomas Edouard I agree with you totally

Carolynn Tubman

Still never get tired of this song - classic

Mike Landry

I think this is their best album. And this song is FIRE!!!

El profe

Así es. Tienes mucha razón. Tiene tanta fuerza, es tan dinámica que debería tener un registro en vivo.
Es un soul muy especial.

El profe

@Carolynn Tubman Estoy en diciembre del 2021 y aun me parece muy actual.

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Jonathan carter

Along with Skin Trade, this has got to be their best song and it's without doubt on their best, most creative and mature album. I would even go so far as to say that this album was in the top 3 best albums of the decade. Great stuff!. Thankyou!.

paulkazjack

Wow 25 years old.......still sounds fantastic.

Törp Mörp

paulkazjack too bad it’s more current now

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