Sin City
Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris Lyrics
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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
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
Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris's song "Sin City" is a powerful commentary on the corrupting nature of big cities, particularly Las Vegas. The song stresses that this 'old town' is rife with sin and temptation, and if you have any money to spare, you should head home immediately because Satan is waiting for his next victim. The scientists claim that the sin will all wash away, but the people of the town know better. They are jaded and have seen it all. They have their green mohair suits and their recruits, but they are not deluded by the promises of the city anymore.
The song talks about a friend who tried to clean up the town, but his ideas made some people mad. He spoke up and lost the best friend he ever had. The song ends on a foreboding note, with the singer acknowledging that an earthquake is coming that will leave him in the poor house. The gold-plated door on the thirty-first floor won't save them from the Lord's burning rain. This line is a metaphor for how the wealthiest people in society may try to shield themselves from the consequences of their actions, but will ultimately suffer like everyone else.
Overall, Sin City is a song about the disillusionment of big-city life and its toll on society. It talks about the idea of "selling your soul" to the city for wealth and fame, but ultimately being left with nothing but ashes.
Line by Line Meaning
This old town is filled with sin
The town is full of depravity and wrongdoing
It will swallow you in
You'll become consumed by it
If you've got some money to burn
If you have extra cash to waste
Take it home right away
Leave this place with your money
You've got three years to pay
You can take out a loan and have three years to repay it
But Satan is waiting his turn
The devil is lurking and will take his opportunity
The scientists say
Experts predict
It will all wash away
The town will be destroyed
But we don't believe any more
We no longer trust their predictions
Cause we've got our recruits
We have our own group of people
And our green mohair suits
We dress in style
So please show your I.D. At the door
We don't let just anyone into our group
This old earthquake's gonna leave me in the poor house
The earthquake will destroy my home and leave me broke
It seems like this whole town's insane
The town is crazy
On the thirty-first floor a gold plated door
A fancy door on a high floor
Won't keep out the Lord's burning rain
God's wrath will come anyway
A friend came around
A friend showed up
Tried to clean up this town
They attempted to make the town better
His ideas made some people mad
Some people didn't agree with his suggestions
But he trusted his crowd
He had faith in his supporters
So he spoke right out loud
He vocalized his beliefs
And they lost the best friend they had
But his actions cost him his friendship with some people
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER HILLMAN, GRAM PARSONS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind