It's no secret that Gram Parsons dearly loved the music of the Louvin Broth… Read Full Bio ↴It's no secret that Gram Parsons dearly loved the music of the Louvin Brothers, the classic country duo who wrapped their beautiful, close harmonies around ravaged tales of sin, heartbreak, and regret, and "Sin City" often sounds like a half-parody, half-tribute to the Louvins' greatest music. While there's the slightest hint of a wink and a nudge in its depiction of Satan as a car dealer (and a bit of a smile in Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman's harmonies in the original recording), there's a sense of apocalyptic dread that's all too real in the earthquakes and fiery rain Parsons imagined would one day level the Los Angeles he both loved and despised. "Sin City" would go on to be covered by a number of left-of-the-mainstream country and rock acts, including Beck, Uncle Tupelo, and a dueting Dwight Yoakum and k.d. lang. Commendably, most of the folks who've covered it (especially Uncle Tupelo) sang it just a bit straighter than the Burritos, making it sound like the warning fable Parsons doubtless meant it to be.
by Mark Deming

"THIS old town's filled with sin, it'll swallow you in...." Chris Hillman woke up with the words in his head one morning in early 1969 and, as he made his way to the kitchen of his rented house just off Ventura Boulevard, a few more lines came to him: "If you got some money to burn, take it home right away. But Satan is waiting to take his turn." The former member of the Byrds made a cup of coffee, but the words kept coming and he couldn't wait any longer. He woke up his roommate, Gram Parsons, who was drowsy but quickly found a tune to go with the words; it was a loping lament, like those old Baptist hymns the pair loved so much.
Geoff Boucher, Los Angeles Times, April 22, 2007

Sin City
Flying Burrito Brothers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

This old town is filled with sin
It will swallow you in
If you've got some money to burn
Take it home right away
You've got three years to pay
But Satan is waiting his turn

The scientists say

It will all wash away
But we don't believe any more
Cause we've got our recruits
And our green mohair suits
So please show your I.D. at the door

This old earthquake's gonna leave me in the poor house
It seems like this whole town's insane
On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
Won't keep out the Lord's burning rain

A friend came around
Tried to clean up this town
His ideas made some people mad
But he trusted his crowd
So he spoke right out loud
And they lost the best friend they had

This old earthquake's gonna leave me in the poor house
It seems like this whole town's insane
On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
Won't keep out the Lord's burning rain

On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
Won't keep out the Lord's burning rain

Overall Meaning

The Flying Burrito Brothers' song Sin City is a social commentary on the sin and corruption that runs rampant in Los Angeles. The opening line of the song, "This old town is filled with sin," sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics. The song speaks of the dangers of materialism and the consequences of indulging in it. The line "It will swallow you in if you've got some money to burn" is a warning that the lure of the city is great, but indulging in it can lead to destruction.

The song also comments on the idea of trust and betrayal. The second verse tells the story of a friend who came to clean up the city but was met with resistance and ultimately lost the trust of his crowd. The lyrics "And they lost the best friend they had" speak of the consequences that can come with speaking out against corruption and the dangers of challenging the status quo.

The chorus of the song, "This old earthquake's gonna leave me in the poorhouse, it seems like this whole town's insane," speaks to the idea that even natural disasters like earthquakes cannot change the corruption that runs deep in the city. The line "On the thirty-first floor, a gold-plated door won't keep out the Lord's burning rain" is a metaphor for the idea that wealth and material possessions cannot protect one from the consequences of their actions.

Line by Line Meaning

This old town is filled with sin
The town is morally corrupt and has bad influences.

It will swallow you in
The town can consume and corrupt people who are not cautious.

If you've got some money to burn
If you have extra money and want to spend it all.

Take it home right away
It's best not to spend your money in this town.

You've got three years to pay
Credit is available here but has a deadline for repayment.

But Satan is waiting his turn
The devil is lurking behind the pleasures of this town.

The scientists say
Experts claim that this town will eventually be washed away.

It will all wash away
The town will eventually disappear, regardless of its sins.

But we don't believe any more
We don't trust the experts anymore.

Cause we've got our recruits
We have our own group of followers who trust in us.

And our green mohair suits
We present ourselves stylishly to the people of this town.

So please show your I.D. at the door
We need to confirm your loyalty to our group before allowing you into our inner circle.

This old earthquake's gonna leave me in the poor house
The earthquake will leave me poor and destitute, financially.

It seems like this whole town's insane
The town appears to be mad and irrational due to its wickedness.

On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
The rich can try to hide behind their wealth, but it won't protect them from God's fury.

Won't keep out the Lord's burning rain
God's anger and punishment will fall upon this town regardless of how grand the people's possessions are.

A friend came around
A well-intentioned person attempted to make this town a better place.

Tried to clean up this town
This person attempted to rid the town of its bad influences and improve it.

His ideas made some people mad
Some residents were angered by the proposals to improve the town.

But he trusted his crowd
The person had faith in the people of the town and their desire to make it better.

So he spoke right out loud
He spoke up about his plans and ideas for the town, unafraid of opposition.

And they lost the best friend they had
Unfortunately, the people of the town lost a valuable ally when the person was met with hostility.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: THOMAS BROWN, ERIKA TATIANA KARHONDA HAMILTON, MALIK YUSEF EL SHABA JONES, VICTORIA MONET MCCANTS, TRAVIS SCOTT, CHE SMITH, TEYANA MESHAY TAYLOR, CYDEL CHARLES YOUNG, JOSEPH III YOUNG

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