Sins of the Father
Tom Waits Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

God said don't give me your
Tin horn prayers
Don't buy roses off the street down there
Took it all and took the dirt road home
Dreaming of Jenny with the light brown hair
Night is falling like a bloody axe
Lies and rumors and the wind at my back
Hand on the wheel gravel on the road
Will the pawn shop sell me back what I sold

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

Birds cry warning from a hidden branch
Carving out a future with a gun and an axe
I'm way beyond the gavel and the laws of man
Still living in the palm of the grace of your hand
The worlds not easy the blind man said
Turns on nothing but money and dread
Dogs been scratching at the door all night
Long neck birds flying out of the moon light

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

Smack dab in the middle of a dirty lie
The star spangled glitter of his one good eye
Everybody knows that the game was rigged
Justice wears suspenders and a powdered wig
Dark town alleys been hiding you
Long bell tolling is your waterloo
Oh baby what can you do
Does the light of god blind you
Or lead the way home for you?

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

God all mighty for righteousness sake
Humiliation of our fallen state
Written in the book of tubold Cain
A long black over coat will show no stain
Feel the heat and the burn on your back
The rip and the moan and the stretch of the rack
All my belongings in a flour sack
Will the place I come from
Take me back

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

They'll hang me in the morning on a scaffold yea big
To dance upon nothing to the tyborn jig
Treats you like a puppet when your under its spell
Oh the heart is heaven
But the mind is hell
Jesus of Nazareth told Mike of the weeds
I's born at this time for a reason you see
When I'm dead I'll be dead a long time
But the wines so pleasing and so sublime

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

Kissed my sweetheart by the chinaball tree
Everything I done is between God and me
Only he will judge how my time was spent
29 days of sinning and 40 to repent
The horse is steady but the horse is blind
Wicked are the branches on the tree of mankind
The roots grow upwared and the branches grow down
Its much too late to throw the dice again I've found

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

I'm gonna wash them [2x]
I'm gonna wash the sins of my Father
I'm gonna wash the sins of my Mother




I'm gonna wash the sins of my Brother
Till the water runs clear [2x]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Sins Of My Father" by Tom Waits are a combination of religious and worldly imagery, with a heavy focus on the concept of sin and redemption. The first verse sets the scene of a man dreaming of his lost love, Jenny, while driving along a dirt road. The references to "Tin horn prayers" and "roses off the street" suggest his attempts at religious devotion may not be sincere or effective. The second verse introduces a darker tone, with references to violence and justice, and the idea that the singer is living outside the laws of man.


The chorus of the song drives home the theme of taking on the sins of one's family members, suggesting a burden of guilt and responsibility. The verses that follow continue the theme of violence and corruption, with references to guns, justice, and blind horses. The final verse brings in a religious element, with references to God and redemption, and ends with the singer washing away the sins of his family members.


Overall, the song paints a picture of a man struggling with his past and his family's legacy, trying to find a way to make amends and move forward.


Line by Line Meaning

God said don't give me your Tin horn prayers
Don't bother me with meaningless prayers.


Don't buy roses off the street down there
Don't try to make up for your sins with cheap gifts.


Took it all and took the dirt road home
I've lost everything and gone back to where I started.


Dreaming of Jenny with the light brown hair
Thinking of the past and the love I've lost.


Night is falling like a bloody axe
Darkness is closing in on me like death.


Lies and rumors and the wind at my back
Falsehoods abound and they are carrying me away.


Hand on the wheel gravel on the road
I'm lost and struggling to keep control.


Will the pawn shop sell me back what I sold
I'm so desperate that I'm willing to buy back what I've already sold.


I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm going to take responsibility for my family's sins.


I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I'm accountable for my mother's wrongdoings.


I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
I'm responsible for the sins of my brother.


Down to the pond
I'm going to cleanse myself of these sins by going to the pond.


Birds cry warning from a hidden branch
Nature is warning me of danger.


Carving out a future with a gun and an axe
I'm trying to create a better future, but by any means necessary.


I'm way beyond the gavel and the laws of man
I've broken too many laws to expect any mercy from the justice system.


Still living in the palm of the grace of your hand
I'm still hoping for forgiveness and mercy from God.


The worlds not easy the blind man said
Life is hard, and even those who cannot see know it.


Turns on nothing but money and dread
Money is at the root of most problems and fears.


Dogs been scratching at the door all night
Something ominous is about to happen.


Long neck birds flying out of the moon light
Strange things are happening, and nature is responding.


Smack dab in the middle of a dirty lie
I'm caught in the midst of a big deception.


The star spangled glitter of his one good eye
The symbol of power is misleading.


Everybody knows that the game was rigged
The system is corrupt and it benefits only the few.


Justice wears suspenders and a powdered wig
The justice system is old-fashioned and ineffectual.


Dark town alleys been hiding you
You are hiding in the shadows.


Long bell tolling is your waterloo
Your downfall is inevitable.


Oh baby what can you do
I'm helpless and don't know what to do.


Does the light of god blind you
Would you rather remain ignorant in the face of the truth?


Or lead the way home for you?
Or show you the way towards salvation?


God all mighty for righteousness sake
God is great and just.


Humiliation of our fallen state
We are all humbled by our mistakes.


Written in the book of tubold Cain
Our fate is predetermined and written in the book of life.


A long black over coat will show no stain
Death is the only escape from sin.


Feel the heat and the burn on your back
Suffering is inevitable.


The rip and the moan and the stretch of the rack
We will all face torture and torment.


All my belongings in a flour sack
I've lost everything and own very little.


Will the place I come from Take me back
Can I return to the place where I belong?


They'll hang me in the morning on a scaffold yea big
My death is imminent and inevitable.


To dance upon nothing to the tyborn jig
I'll be hung and hanged like a common criminal.


Treats you like a puppet when your under its spell
The system can control you like a puppet when you are under its influence.


Oh the heart is heaven But the mind is hell
Our desires can lead us down the path of destruction.


Jesus of Nazareth told Mike of the weeds
Even the lowest among us can find redemption through faith.


I's born at this time for a reason you see
We are all born for a purpose and a destiny.


When I'm dead I'll be dead a long time
Death is the end and there's nothing after it.


But the wines so pleasing and so sublime
Living is hard, but there are pleasures too.


Kissed my sweetheart by the chinaball tree
Even in the midst of our troubles, we can find love and hope.


Everything I done is between God and me
Only God can judge me.


Only he will judge how my time was spent
God will decide whether I've lived a good life or not.


29 days of sinning and 40 to repent
We have limited time to make up for our sins.


The horse is steady but the horse is blind
Our stability can mask our blindness to our own mistakes.


Wicked are the branches on the tree of mankind
Humanity is flawed and fallible.


The roots grow upwared and the branches grow down
Our foundation can be shaky and our growth stunted.


Its much too late to throw the dice again I've found
It's too late to start over or undo what has already been done.


I'm gonna wash them [2x]
I'm going to cleanse myself of my sins.


I'm gonna wash the sins of my Father
I'm going to cleanse myself of my father's sins.


I'm gonna wash the sins of my Mother
I'm going to cleanse myself of my mother's sins.


I'm gonna wash the sins of my Brother
I'm going to cleanse myself of my brother's sins.


Till the water runs clear [2x]
I will continue to cleanse myself until I am free from sin.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KATHLEEN BRENNAN, THOMAS ALAN WAITS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Catherine S. Todd

God said don't give me your
Tin horn prayers
Don't buy roses off the street down there
Took it all and took the dirt road home
Dreaming of Jenny with the light brown hair
Night is falling like a bloody axe
Lies and rumors and the wind at my back
Hand on the wheel gravel on the road
Will the pawn shop sell me back what I sold

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I'm gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

Birds cry warning from a hidden branch
Carving out a future with a gun and an axe
I'm way beyond the gavel and the laws of man
Still living in the palm of the grace of your hand
The worlds not easy the blind man said
Turns on nothing but money and dread
Dogs been scratching at the door all nite
Long neck birds flying out of the moon light

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I'm gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond


Smack dab in the middle of a dirty lie
The star spangled glitter of his one good eye
Everybody knows that the game was rigged
Justice wears suspenders and a powdered wig
Dark town alleys been hiding you
Long bell tolling is your Waterloo
Oh baby what can you do
Does the light of god blind you
Or lead the way home for you?

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I'm gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

God all mighty for righteousness sake
Humiliation of our fallen state
Written in the book of tubold Cain
A long black over coat will show no stain
Feel the heat and the burn on your back
The rip and the moan and the stretch of the rack
All my belongings in a flour sack
Will the place I come from
Take me back

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I'm gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond


They'll hang me in the morning on a scaffold yea big
To dance upon nothing to the Tyburn jig
Treats you like a puppet when your under its spell
Oh the heart is heaven
But the mind is hell
Jesus of Nazareth told Mike of the weeds
I's born at this time for a reason you see
When I'm dead I'll be dead a long time
But the wines so pleasing and so sublime

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I'm gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

Kissed my sweetheart by the chinaball tree
Everything I done is between God and me
Only he will judge how my time was spent
29 days of sinning and 40 to repent
The horse is steady but the horse is blind
Wicked are the branches on the tree of mankind
The roots grow upward and the branches grow down
Its much too late to throw the dice again I've found

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I'm gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond


I'm gonna wash them
I'm gonna wash them
I'm gonna wash the sins of my Father
I'm gonna wash the sins of my Mother
I'm gonna wash the sins of my Brother
Till the water runs clear
Till the water runs clear

---


Written By
Kathleen Brennan & Tom Waits
Vocals
Tom Waits
Percussion
Bryan Mantia
Banjo
Marc Ribot
Guitar
Tom Waits & Marc Ribot
Bass
Larry Taylor
Mastered by
Gavin Lurssen
Mix
Mark Howard
Recorded By
Mark Howard
Release Date
October 5, 2004

https://genius.com/Tom-waits-sins-of-my-father-lyrics



G Mod

God said don't give me your
Tin horn prayers
Don't buy roses off the street down there
Took it all and took the dirt road home
Dreaming of Jenny with the light brown hair
Night is falling like a bloody axe
Lies and rumors and the wind at my back
Hand on the wheel gravel on the road
Will the pawn shop sell me back what I sold

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

Birds cry warning from a hidden branch
Carving out a future with a gun and an axe
I'm way beyond the gavel and the laws of man
Still living in the palm of the grace of your hand
The worlds not easy the blind man said
Turns on nothing but money and dread
Dogs been scratching at the door all night
Long neck birds flying out of the moon light

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

Smack dab in the middle of a dirty lie
The star spangled glitter of his one good eye
Everybody knows that the game was rigged
Justice wears suspenders and a powdered wig
Dark town alleys been hiding you
Long bell tolling is your waterloo
Oh baby what can you do
Does the light of god blind you
Or lead the way home for you?

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

God all mighty for righteousness sake
Humiliation of our fallen state
Written in the book of tubold Cain
A long black over coat will show no stain
Feel the heat and the burn on your back
The rip and the moan and the stretch of the rack
All my belongings in a flour sack
Will the place I come from
Take me back

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

They'll hang me in the morning on a scaffold yea big
To dance upon nothing to the tyborn jig
Treats you like a puppet when your under its spell
Oh the heart is heaven
But the mind is hell
Jesus of Nazareth told Mike of the weeds
I's born at this time for a reason you see
When I'm dead I'll be dead a long time
But the wines so pleasing and so sublime

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

Kissed my sweetheart by the chinaball tree
Everything I done is between God and me
Only he will judge how my time was spent
29 days of sinning and 40 to repent
The horse is steady but the horse is blind
Wicked are the branches on the tree of mankind
The roots grow upwared and the branches grow down
Its much too late to throw the dice again I've found

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

I'm gonna wash them [2x]
I'm gonna wash the sins of my Father
I'm gonna wash the sins of my Mother
I'm gonna wash the sins of my Brother
Till the water runs clear [2x]



All comments from YouTube:

Catherine S. Todd

God said don't give me your
Tin horn prayers
Don't buy roses off the street down there
Took it all and took the dirt road home
Dreaming of Jenny with the light brown hair
Night is falling like a bloody axe
Lies and rumors and the wind at my back
Hand on the wheel gravel on the road
Will the pawn shop sell me back what I sold

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I'm gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

Birds cry warning from a hidden branch
Carving out a future with a gun and an axe
I'm way beyond the gavel and the laws of man
Still living in the palm of the grace of your hand
The worlds not easy the blind man said
Turns on nothing but money and dread
Dogs been scratching at the door all nite
Long neck birds flying out of the moon light

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I'm gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond


Smack dab in the middle of a dirty lie
The star spangled glitter of his one good eye
Everybody knows that the game was rigged
Justice wears suspenders and a powdered wig
Dark town alleys been hiding you
Long bell tolling is your Waterloo
Oh baby what can you do
Does the light of god blind you
Or lead the way home for you?

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I'm gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

God all mighty for righteousness sake
Humiliation of our fallen state
Written in the book of tubold Cain
A long black over coat will show no stain
Feel the heat and the burn on your back
The rip and the moan and the stretch of the rack
All my belongings in a flour sack
Will the place I come from
Take me back

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I'm gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond


They'll hang me in the morning on a scaffold yea big
To dance upon nothing to the Tyburn jig
Treats you like a puppet when your under its spell
Oh the heart is heaven
But the mind is hell
Jesus of Nazareth told Mike of the weeds
I's born at this time for a reason you see
When I'm dead I'll be dead a long time
But the wines so pleasing and so sublime

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I'm gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

Kissed my sweetheart by the chinaball tree
Everything I done is between God and me
Only he will judge how my time was spent
29 days of sinning and 40 to repent
The horse is steady but the horse is blind
Wicked are the branches on the tree of mankind
The roots grow upward and the branches grow down
Its much too late to throw the dice again I've found

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I'm gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond


I'm gonna wash them
I'm gonna wash them
I'm gonna wash the sins of my Father
I'm gonna wash the sins of my Mother
I'm gonna wash the sins of my Brother
Till the water runs clear
Till the water runs clear

---


Written By
Kathleen Brennan & Tom Waits
Vocals
Tom Waits
Percussion
Bryan Mantia
Banjo
Marc Ribot
Guitar
Tom Waits & Marc Ribot
Bass
Larry Taylor
Mastered by
Gavin Lurssen
Mix
Mark Howard
Recorded By
Mark Howard
Release Date
October 5, 2004

https://genius.com/Tom-waits-sins-of-my-father-lyrics

Kevin Devine

Is there a better lyric writer than Tom? His music always fits the words to perfection.

Catherine S. Todd

"God said don't give me your tin horn prayers..." poetry perfection!

Thalassic Measure

"Everything I done is between God and me."

G Mod

God said don't give me your
Tin horn prayers
Don't buy roses off the street down there
Took it all and took the dirt road home
Dreaming of Jenny with the light brown hair
Night is falling like a bloody axe
Lies and rumors and the wind at my back
Hand on the wheel gravel on the road
Will the pawn shop sell me back what I sold

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

Birds cry warning from a hidden branch
Carving out a future with a gun and an axe
I'm way beyond the gavel and the laws of man
Still living in the palm of the grace of your hand
The worlds not easy the blind man said
Turns on nothing but money and dread
Dogs been scratching at the door all night
Long neck birds flying out of the moon light

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

Smack dab in the middle of a dirty lie
The star spangled glitter of his one good eye
Everybody knows that the game was rigged
Justice wears suspenders and a powdered wig
Dark town alleys been hiding you
Long bell tolling is your waterloo
Oh baby what can you do
Does the light of god blind you
Or lead the way home for you?

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

God all mighty for righteousness sake
Humiliation of our fallen state
Written in the book of tubold Cain
A long black over coat will show no stain
Feel the heat and the burn on your back
The rip and the moan and the stretch of the rack
All my belongings in a flour sack
Will the place I come from
Take me back

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

They'll hang me in the morning on a scaffold yea big
To dance upon nothing to the tyborn jig
Treats you like a puppet when your under its spell
Oh the heart is heaven
But the mind is hell
Jesus of Nazareth told Mike of the weeds
I's born at this time for a reason you see
When I'm dead I'll be dead a long time
But the wines so pleasing and so sublime

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

Kissed my sweetheart by the chinaball tree
Everything I done is between God and me
Only he will judge how my time was spent
29 days of sinning and 40 to repent
The horse is steady but the horse is blind
Wicked are the branches on the tree of mankind
The roots grow upwared and the branches grow down
Its much too late to throw the dice again I've found

I'm gonna take the sins of my father
I'm gonna take the sins of my mother
I"m gonna take the sins of my brother
Down to the pond

I'm gonna wash them [2x]
I'm gonna wash the sins of my Father
I'm gonna wash the sins of my Mother
I'm gonna wash the sins of my Brother
Till the water runs clear [2x]

Franks mild years

Yesterday I saw Denzel Washington's Fences 2016.. This song popped into my head

SomehowDante

do you know more of that kind of songs which gives me that „Coyote“ Blues vibes

OrianXPB

“0 Ai EA on 1”

ceferila

David Linch dancing

TAR804

...ads in the middle of a song... shame on you....

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