9 Crimes by Damien Rice Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Layers of Betrayal and Regret
Lyrics
This is not what I do
It’s the wrong kind of place
To be thinking of you
It’s the wrong time
For somebody new
It’s a small crime
And I’ve got no excuse
Is that alright, yeah?
Give my gun away when it’s loaded?
Is that alright, yeah?
If you don’t shoot it how am I supposed to hold it?
Is that alright, yeah?
Give my gun away when it’s loaded?
Is that alright yeah?
With you?
Leave me out with the waste
This is not what I do
It’s the wrong kind of place
To be cheating on you
It’s the wrong time
But she’s pulling me through
It’s a small crime
And I’ve got no excuse
And is that alright, yeah?
Give my gun away when it’s loaded? (Is that alright, yeah?)
Is that alright, yeah?
If you don’t shoot it how am I supposed to hold it? (Is that alright, yeah?)
Is that alright, yeah?
If I give my gun away when it’s loaded? (Is that alright, yeah?)
Is that alright
Is that alright with you?
Is that alright, yeah?
If I give my gun away when it’s loaded? (Is that alright, yeah?)
Is that alright, yeah?
You don’t shoot it how am I supposed to hold it? (Is that alright, yeah?)
Is that alright with you?
If I give my gun away when it’s loaded? (Is that alright, yeah?)
Is that alright?
Is that alright with you?
Is that alright, yeah? (Give my gun away when it’s loaded)
Is that alright, yeah? (If you don’t shoot it how am I supposed to hold it?)
Is that alright, yeah? (Give my gun away when it’s loaded)
Is that alright? Is that alright?
Is that alright with you?
No
In the tender landscape of musical storytelling, few songs resonate with the trembling heartstrings of forbidden love and moral ambiguity quite like Damien Rice’s ‘9 Crimes.’ The song, a haunting duet between Rice and Lisa Hannigan, emerged as a poignant ballad from Rice’s 2006 album ‘9’ that explores the raw edges of infidelity and the intricacies of human emotion in the aftermath of a transgression.
The melodic ache expressed through piano and soft, stirring vocals has cemented ‘9 Crimes’ as not just another break-up song, but as a profound narrative of personal reflection and relational decay. As we delve deep into the lyrics, the emotional weight of the crimes committed becomes poignantly clear, beckoning listeners into a world of inner turmoil and the search for redemption.
The Paradox of Intimacy and Isolation
Damien Rice eloquently crafts a narrative that exists in the interstitial void between closeness and seclusion. ‘Leave me out with the waste, this is not what I do,’ the song begins, mapping out the juxtaposition of being involved with someone while feeling utterly distant. It’s a confession, a repudiation of the act that has led the character to this no-man’s land of the heart.
These opening lines lure us into the protagonist’s world, one where they grapple with their presence in the ‘wrong kind of place,’ a metaphorical domain where even their sense of timing feels misplaced. The contradictory impulses are palpable – yearning for connection yet beset by the isolation wrought by their own ‘small crime,’ underscoring the internal chasm that such indiscretions create.
The Loaded Gun: A Metaphor for Potential Harm
The crux of ‘9 Crimes’ hinges on an evocative metaphor: ‘Give my gun away when it’s loaded?’ repeated throughout the song as a rhetorical question, striking at the audience’s conscience. In its essence, the ‘loaded gun’ represents volatile potential, the unexploded bomb of betrayal that’s already been placed into the hands of another.
The ginger handling of this loaded gun – the trepidation and the implied danger – is a nuanced way Rice and Hannigan discuss the transference of the burden of guilt. It’s a potent image of playing with emotional artillery and the brinkmanship involved in such relations, where the risk of pulling the trigger looms over every momentary lapse in judgment.
The Duality of Apology and Accusation
What makes ‘9 Crimes’ rivetingly complex is the duality embedded within the lyrics. The apologetic tone is layered with subtle accusation – ‘Is that alright, yeah?’ – delivered almost challengingly. It represents the push-and-pull between seeking forgiveness and questioning the complicity of the other party. Are they akin to an accomplice in this unfolding drama?
This heightens the emotional battlefield where the characters negotiate their positions. By entwining justification with the demand for approval (‘Is that alright with you?’), Rice’s lyrics force us to consider the delicate balance of responsibility in relationships when lines have been crossed and the reckoning that awaits when such delicate balances are upset.
Unearthed from Silence: The Song’s Hidden Meaning
Beyond the superficial wounds of infidelity, ‘9 Crimes’ might be hinting at a deeper, existential betrayal – the one we commit against our true selves. Each time the question ‘Is that alright, yeah?’ is posed, the listener is compelled to address not just the pain inflicted upon another, but the gravity of self-deception and the spiritual dissonance that occurs when living out of alignment with one’s values.
The ‘crimes’ thus extend beyond acts of unfaithfulness to a core sense of integrity and the haunting reality of forfeiting one’s moral compass. The song becomes an introspective dialogue, a mournful admission of the myriad of ways we betray and fail not just our partners but more fundamentally, ourselves.
The Poignancy of Repetition: Breakdown of Memorable Lines
Damien Rice’s minimalist approach to lyricism in ‘9 Crimes’ lends weight to every word, with repetitions serving as a vehicle for deeper meaning. ‘If you don’t shoot it, how am I supposed to hold it?’ These words, reforged through each iteration, become more desperate, more laden with the weariness of remorse and the struggles for absolution.
The remorseful refrain ‘Is that alright?’ evolves as the song progresses, shifting from a place of seeking validation to one of profound doubt – the musical equivalent of a plaintive cry in the dark, seeking but not finding comfort. This line weaves through the song’s fabric, standing as a stark and unforgettable testament to the haunting conditions we pose when seeking forgiveness, a reminder that in matters of the heart, there are no simple absolutions.
