Most of the band's albums, starting with their 2006 debut album Act I: The Lake South, the River North, are concept albums and a part of a common storyline, planned to conclude with a sixth album. The most recent addition is 2016's Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional. Additionally, they have released albums unrelated to the Acts; The Color Spectrum in 2011, Migrant in 2013, and the EP All Is As All Should Be in 2017.
The band began as a side project of Casey Crescenzo when he was a full-time member of The Receiving End of Sirens. The Dear Hunter was originally intended as a vehicle for music Crescenzo had written that didn't fit with the sound of The Receiving End of Sirens. In the winter of 2005 Casey recorded the Dear Ms. Leading demos. He created 10 copies on burned CDs that were circulated amongst his friends and posted online for download. While elements and characters featured on the demos would reappear on the subsequent Acts, Crescenzo has confirmed that there was a transformation in how he represented these themes and persons; while the story had its origins in his personal life, the Acts removed most autobiographical elements in favor of fiction.
The Pimp and the Priest
The Dear Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The pimp and the priest pounce on quickened cat's feet for the freshest young blood, innocence for the feast. The book will then brew what the sinful commit; while the pimp and the priest prey(pray) quietly where the precious sinners sit.
Confess oh! confess, in the chapel, or brothel, where we suffocate stress. We've got the time if you've got the scratch. (We'll cure your sins while she screams on her back!)
Faster, save me! (I've since remained hostage) Harder, I can't breath!
Confess oh! confess, in the chapel, or brothel, where we suffocate stress. We've got the time if you've got the scratch. (We'll cure your sins while she screams on her back!)
Take me to the river (repeat x2)
Faster, save me! (I've since remained hostage) Harder, I can't breath!
Sing softly, sing me to the lake. Sing softly, bring me to the lake.
Faster, save me! (I've since remained hostage) Harder, I can't breath!
Sing softly, sing me to the lake. Sing softly, bring me to the lake
The Dear Hunter's song "The Pimp and the Priest" is a dark and haunting commentary on the power dynamics and exploitation present in organized religion and the sex trade. The lyrics describe the pimp and the priest as predators who prey on the innocence and vulnerability of their victims. They are described as being quick and silent, equipped with an enigmatic front that lures in their victims. The "book" referred to in the lyrics is likely the Bible, and it is used by these men to justify the sinful acts they commit. The victims are urged to confess their sins either in the chapel or the brothel, both being places where they can escape the stress of their lives.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Confess oh! confess" over and over again, urging the victims of these men to confess their sins while they themselves are committing these terrible acts. The line "We'll cure your sins while she screams on her back" is a particularly chilling example of the power dynamic at play in this song. The victims are portrayed as powerless and helpless, while the pimp and the priest hold all the power.
The final lines of the song, "Sing softly, sing me to the lake. Sing softly, bring me to the lake," are a haunting reminder of the fate that awaits many of these victims. The lake is likely a metaphor for death or some other terrible fate, and the victim is asking to be gently led there, rather than violently dragged.
Overall, "The Pimp and the Priest" is a powerful and unsettling song that draws attention to the often-overlooked exploitation and abuse that occurs in both the sex trade and organized religion.
Line by Line Meaning
The pimp and the priest pounce on quickened cat's feet for the freshest young blood, innocence for the feast.
The pimp and the priest move quickly in search of young and innocent victims to exploit for their own gain.
The book will then brew what the sinful commit; while the pimp and the priest prey(pray) quietly where the precious sinners sit.
The religious book will condemn the sinful acts committed by the pimp and the priest, while they continue to prey on vulnerable people.
Confess oh! confess, in the chapel, or brothel, where we suffocate stress. We've got the time if you've got the scratch.
The pimp and the priest offer a false sense of relief to those who confess their sins to them in exchange for money.
(We'll cure your sins while she screams on her back!)
The pimp and the priest use sex workers to distract from the confession process and exploit them for profit.
Faster, save me! (I've since remained hostage) Harder, I can't breath!
The victim is crying out for help and struggling to escape.
Now the priest and the pimp are already equipped with an enigmatic frontage post 'We welcome walk-ins'.
The pimp and the priest use a deceitful facade to appear welcoming and approachable to their victims.
So we corner our pace and make quick for the door, to be prodded and passed from the bed to the floor.
The victims try to escape but are easily overpowered and passed from the bed to the floor for further exploitation.
Take me to the river (repeat x2)
The victim is pleading to be taken away from the traumatic experiences they are enduring.
Sing softly, sing me to the lake. Sing softly, bring me to the lake.
The victim is desperate for peace and tranquility away from the violent and abusive situation they are in.
Contributed by Nathan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.