Sugar Sugar Sugar
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Lyrics

Sugar, Sugar, Sugar
This song is about the dangers of a man luring girls down a dark path through manipulation.

That man is bad
The singer recognizes how bad the man is who is leading the girls down the dangerous path.

The road he drives you down
This metaphorical road leads girls into danger and harms.

Oh sugar, it's a drag
This line emphasizes how difficult and emotional the experience of being lured down a dangerous path can be.

The road it twists
The path is not straight or clear, making it difficult to see what's ahead.

The road is crossed
The path is intersected with other paths, adding more confusion and choices to the mix.

It's down that road
This is the path that the girls go down towards danger.

A lot of little girls go lost
Many girls fall into the trap set forth by the manipulative man and are lost to the dangerous path.

He will drive ya on
The manipulative man will continue to lead girls down the dangerous path.

Until the city of right
This emphasizes how wrong and dangerous the path is, leading away from what's right.

Becomes the city of wrong
The further the girls go down the path, the more wrong and dangerous it becomes.

Man, that stretch is far
The path is long and arduous, making it even more difficult for the girls to escape.

You'll slip and slide
The path is slippery and uncertain, increasing the likelihood of girls falling into the trap.

That stretch will find you
The path is always present and can find girls even when they think they've escaped it.

Gagged and tied
This line highlights how dangerous and violent the path can become, leading to girls being physically bound and helpless.

That assembly of sin
The manipulative man and his dangerous path are akin to an assembly of sin, something that should be avoided.

Like a lamb to a knife
This analogy compares the girls to innocent lambs being led to the slaughter by the manipulative man.

You followed him in
The girls willingly follow the manipulative man down the dangerous path, unaware of the danger ahead.

He will laugh
The manipulative man takes pleasure in the harm he causes to the girls.

And hang your sheets to see
This creepy image shows how the man collects and displays tokens of the girls he's lured down the path, as trophies of his conquests.

The tokens of your virginity
The man takes pride in taking away the innocence and virginity of the girls he harms.

You'll be his queen for the night
The manipulative man will tempt girls with a false sense of power and control, making them feel like queens, but just for one night.

But in the morning you'll wake
After the night is over, the girls will wake up and realize the harm they've been subjected to.

With the lords and high ladies
This refers to the dangerous underworld that the girls have unknowingly become a part of.

Of the bottom of the lake
The dark, grim imagery of the bottom of a lake further emphasizes the danger and hopelessness of the situation.

Sugar sugar
This repetitive line adds emphasis and reinforces the luring and addictive nature of the path the girls are going down.

Honey you're so sweet
The manipulative man will use sweet talk and false kindness to lure girls in.

But beside you baby
Nothing else can compare to the false sense of control and power that the manipulative man offers the girls.

Nothing can complete
The man convinces the girls that they won't find anything else that compares to what he's offering them.

This song is about the dangers of a man luring girls down a dark path through manipulation.
This line repeats the overall message to drive it home and make it clear.

You better pray, baby
The singer is urging the girls to pray and ask for help.

Pray baby, pray baby
This repetitive line reinforces the urgency of the situation and the need for help.

Your daddy he ain't far away
This line adds a sense of protection and hope that the girls might have someone watching out for them.

Get down on your knees, and pray
This is a call to action for the girls to actively pray and seek help.

You better pray ('cause your daddy come to take you away)
This line is both a warning and a call for hope, as the girls' fathers or protectors may come to take them away from the harm and danger.

I'm an angel of god
The artist sees themselves as a savior or protector sent by God to help the girls.

He smells your innocence
The manipulative man preys on the girls' innocence and purity to lure them in.

Like a dog he comes
This analogy paints the manipulative man as animalistic and predatory, much like a dog hunting prey.

And like all the dogs he is
This line reinforces the predatory nature of the manipulative man's actions.

I shot him down
The artist takes action against the manipulative man, putting a stop to his harmful actions.

I can't explain
The harm and danger the manipulative man poses is difficult to explain or understand.

Must I kill that cocksucker everyday?
The singer recognizes that the manipulative man poses a constant threat and ponders the difficult choice of whether to keep taking action against him.

Yeah baby, you're tender prey
This line further emphasizes the vulnerability and innocence of the girls being targeted by the manipulative man.

'Cause yeah baby, you're tender prey
This line is repeated to further emphasize and drive home the message that the girls are in danger and need help.