Hypocrites by Korn Lyrics Meaning – Unmasking the Facade of False Prophets
Lyrics
Your messiah was never mine
Your messiah was never mine
Your messiah was never mine
Your messiah was never mine
Your messiah was never mine
Your messiah was never mine
Your messiah was never mine
Your messiah was never mine
Your messiah was never mine
Hypocrites
Weeping rose of Jeremiah
Drops of blood drip off your petals
Representing all our tears
In a ring of burning metal
How you gonna be, what you gonna say, it
Doesn’t bother me, who you gonna pay?
Sorcerers and sadists come
To define the what and why
People travel ‘cross this earth
Over water, land, and sky
How you gonna be, what you gonna say, it
Doesn’t bother me, who you gonna pay?
Pay the ferryman, pay the fucking driver
Pay the preachers and pay the fucking liars
Pay the bitches, they’re charging all their dates, stand by
I’m not gonna pay, it’s already mine
Hypocrites, I’m gonna do it blind
Hypocrites, I’m gonna do it blind
Hypocrites, I’m gonna do it blind
Hypocrites (your messiah was never mine)
Weeping rose of Jeremiah
Purity unlike no other
Offers hope to those who need it
Don’t forget care to the brother
How you gonna be, what you gonna say, it
Doesn’t bother me, who you gonna pay?
Little old lady at home
Writing out a check to send
It’s all the money that she owns
She believes the world might end
How you gonna be, what you gonna say, it
Doesn’t bother me, who you gonna pay?
Pay the ferryman, pay the fucking driver
Pay the preachers and pay the fucking liars
Pay the bitches, they’re charging all their dates, stand by
I’m not gonna pay, it’s already mine
Hypocrites, I’m gonna do it blind
Hypocrites, I’m gonna do it blind
Hypocrites, I’m gonna do it blind
Hypocrites (your messiah was never mine)
Hypocrites
Pay the ferryman, pay the fucking driver
Pay the preachers and pay the fucking liars
Pay the bitches, they’re charging all their dates, stand by
I’m not gonna pay, it’s already mine
Hypocrites, I’m gonna do it blind
Hypocrites, I’m gonna do it blind
Hypocrites, I’m gonna do it blind
Hypocrites
Hypocrites
Hypocrites
Hypocrites
Beneath the aggressive cascade of guitar riffs and the thunderous beats in Korn’s ‘Hypocrites,’ lies a trenchant critique of moral duplicity and societal manipulation.
The song is a vehement outpour against the deceit and pretense that often masquerade as virtue, unraveling themes of religiosity, exploitation, and the pursuit of authenticity in an insincere world.
The Searing Opening Salvo: A Battle Cry Against Blind Obedience
From the onset, ‘Hypocrites’ laces its narrative with a relentless repetition of one incendiary line: ‘Your messiah was never mine.’ Here, Korn launches a full-frontal assault on the concept of imposed saviors and hollow idols, setting the tone for a song that refuses to kowtow to the dogmas laid down by self-anointed messiahs.
The repetition is far from just a stylistic choice; it is emblematic of the indoctrination that the song seeks to rebel against. In challenging the notion of a universal messiah, the band is pushing back on the idea that there is a single truth or path that must be adhered to by all, rejecting monolithic control over personal beliefs and freedoms.
Plucking the Weeping Rose: The Symbolism of Bloodied Innocence
The imagery of the ‘Weeping rose of Jeremiah’ bleeding atop its petals is a masterful blend of beauty and pain, symbolizing the suffering born from innocence exploited by the machinations of power. It suggests that the purest forms of hope, like the rose, are too often corrupted by a ‘ring of burning metal’—the encircling confines of societal structures designed to exploit faith and charity.
By situating the song’s central image in a place of spiritual context (‘Jeremiah’), Korn spares no words in showcasing the depths of disillusionment felt by those who once believed in the sanctity of religious leadership, highlighting how it becomes weaponized against the vulnerable.
Deconstructing the Marketplace of Salvation
The chorus comprises an ironic take on the economics of spirituality. By alluding to payments to ‘the ferryman,’ ‘the fucking driver,’ ‘the preachers,’ and ‘the fucking liars,’ the song underscores a world where everything, including salvation and truth, can be commodified, criticized, and sold to the highest bidder.
Korn thrusts listeners into the cacophony of commerce where what should be transcendent and altruistic is instead bargained and traded, pointing to the self-serving nature of those who peddle in promises, and the demand on the faithful to constantly foot the bill for an integrity that should be inherent.
The Hidden Heartbeat: Unveiling the Song’s Esoteric Essence
What ‘Hypocrites’ deftly conceals beneath its visceral layers is a profound sense of existential defiance. It’s not just a diatribe against corruption; the song is a manifesto for internal revolution, where the individual is summoned to seek their own path unclouded by the detritus of external judgment and deception.
The central declaration of ‘I’m gonna do it blind’ speaks to a radical acceptance of uncertainty over the counterfeit certainty offered by hypocrites. This line embodies the crux of the track, insinuating that one would rather walk in darkness than be led into the light by liars.
Memorable Lines that Sting Like Salt in the Wound
The poignant line ‘Little old lady at home / Writing out a check to send’ juxtaposes the image of vulnerability with the exploitation of faith. It paints an intimate portrait of the disillusionment that courses through the song, how the meek and the hopeful are often victims to the scam of organized belief systems.
The sheer visceral delivery of ‘Pay the bitches, they’re charging all their dates, stand by’ carries a blistering intensity that holds your attention. This lyric not only encapsulates the pervasive transactional vibe of modern-day propheteering but also adds a layer of punk rock rebellion to the entire composition, grounding its meaning in the gritty realities of dissent.
