Slipknot’s “Snuff” Lyrics Meaning
On the surface, the lyrics of Slipknot’s “Snuff” tell the sad story of an unrequited love. The narrator has found someone whom he loves so dearly and even believes that she also has strong feelings of love for him. However, this apparently isn’t the case! She has not the slightest bit of love for him. And from the lyrics, it is challenging deciphering the primary reason she can’t love the narrator back.
“So if you love me, let me go
And run away before I know
My heart is just too dark to care
I can’t destroy what isn’t there
Deliver me into my fate
If I’m alone I cannot hate
I don’t deserve to have you
Ooh my smile was taken long ago
If I can change I hope I never know”
“Snuff” is based on a true story
According to Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, this is a very personal song. He said the person he’s singing to was someone very special to him who helped him survive a really dark episode of his life. He ended up falling for her and thought she had similar feelings for him. However, at the end of the day she disappointed him in a really heartbreaking fashion. Below are the exact words Corey used in describing this song during a 2008 interview he had with Kerrang!
The above explanation has led to many concluding that the song was definitely written about his broken relationship with Scarlett Stone whom he was married to from 2004 to 2007.
Not very much is known about Corey’s marriage to Scarlett. The details of the marriage are relatively private, as Corey tends not to share too many details about his personal life in the media. That said, it is known the their union produced a son named Griffin Parker before ending in divorce.
Throughout their marriage, Corey battled heavily with addiction to alcohol. It is believed that his challenges with alcoholism played a significant role in destroying the marriage.
What is the meaning of “Snuff” as used in the song’s title?
Despite being the song’s title, the word is never used in the lyrics. Snuff is actually a kind of smokeless tobacco people snort into their nasal cavity because doing so gives them a pleasurable sensation. And it is likely that Corey is referring to the addressee as his “snuff” (i.e. someone who brought him great pleasure).
A More Detailed Explanation of the Lyrics of “Snuff”: By Another Hand
Although he never said it directly per se, Corey Taylor has strongly implied that this song is romantic in nature and more specifically centered on the dissolution of a relationship he was in, which resulted in “one of the heaviest heartbreaks (he) had ever felt”.
Corey is also the sole writer and lead vocalist behind Snuff. So the lyrics are obviously personal to his experience and furthermore, as he also put forth, “pretty self-explanatory”. That is to say that the thesis sentiment being relayed, that the relationship between the vocalist and addressee has run its course, is more or less evident, especially via the first chorus.
But it is the minutia of what he’s singing about, which is more difficult to interpret, that we will attempt to grasp through this analysis.
Very Poetic Lyrics
With the above in mind, for starters, these lyrics are very large poetic/metaphorical. They aren’t to the point of being rendered incomprehensible, but here and there some liberties must be taken in the name of interpreting them. Or let’s say that making sense out of all Corey is singing is based just as much on sentiment as the words coming out of his mouth.
For example, it appears that what the vocalist is trying to get at through the first couple of lines is him being the victim of an unreciprocated love. His partner, the addressee, is burdening him with her “secrets”, ‘coming away with his innocence’ in the process, but he is left behind ‘with his sins’ intact.
Or theoretically explained otherwise, she is able to use Corey to get pertinent matters off of her chest but fails to play that same role as far as his anxieties are concerned.
“The air around me still feels like a cage”
The singer then goes on to note that “the air around (him) feels like a cage” which, though being a poetic statement, is easy to interpret, as his way of saying that he feels trapped.
The vocalist then goes on to express his disillusionment with “love”, coming to the conclusion, at least in this case let’s say, that his partner was using him. How so is not made abundantly clear. But the way he relays that sentiment, as “love” being “just a camouflage for what resembles rage”, gives the impression, as alluded to earlier, that his significant other was never really down like that to begin with but rather committed in the name of using him as an emotional crutch.
Or, considering that in the chorus that follows, Taylor refers to his own “heart” as being “just too dark”, perhaps what he’s saying is that this relationship has served as his own distraction, if you will, from the pain that lies within.
But all lyrics considered, what he’s more likely implying through that statement is it being this very romance which made him this way, though the listener coming to that conclusion would be a matter of interpretation.
“I don’t deserve to have you
Ooh my smile was taken long ago”
For instance, later in the chorus, Taylor also states his “smile was taken long ago” – perhaps, for all we know, well prior to this relationship. Or in any event, let’s bring this particular aspect of the narrative to a consensus by concluding that, as it currently stands, the vocalist is suffering from a serious, romance-related depression.
Whether or not that sentiment began as a result of the addressee’s mistreatment of him or due to his earlier romantic experiences is not clear. But what is obvious is that she definitely didn’t help the matter any but instead made it worse.
As such, what the first chorus is more clearly putting forth is the vocalist’s desire for the addressee to bounce. What’s being inferred here is that for whatever reason(s), Corey doesn’t have the wherewithal to bring this relationship to an end himself.
Indeed, from an emotional standpoint, he definitely comes off as being the weaker party throughout. So now he is placing the onus on the other to call it quits, as a final act of love so to speak, if she does truly care about him. And that way too, when she’s no longer around and therefore unable to misuse him, Taylor will have time to get over the “hate” he has developed for his former significant other.
“I still press your letters to my lips
And cherish them in parts of me that savor every kiss
I couldn’t face a life without your light (Without your light)
But all of that was ripped apart when you refused to fight”
And interestingly, it is sorta along those same lines that the second verse commences, by pointing to a time when the vocalist couldn’t even fathom not having the addressee by his side.
But “all of that was ripped apart when (she) refused to fight”. And within this context, said ‘fighting’ would likely allude to making a serious, persistent effort to keep the spark within this relationship alive.
The second chorus starts off a bit differently though, as if perhaps the addressee has tried to make peace, but at this point Corey isn’t interested in mending their union. As implied in the first chorus, he has already concluded that this relationship, or at least the romantic aspect of it, is over.
And to reiterate, this would be due to feeling wronged by the other party. In fact in this passage, it is revealed that Taylor feels so slighted that he wishes to exact revenge on his sweetheart, which we can say is a common sentiment as far as contentious breakups go. However, he cannot rationalize doing so, as they are still friends.
“So save your breath, I will not hear
I think I made it very clear
You couldn’t hate enough to love
Is that supposed to be enough?
I only wish you weren’t my friend
Then I could hurt you in the end
I never claimed to be a saint
Ooh my own was banished long ago
It took the death of hope to let you go”
What is also being theoretically implied at the end of the second chorus – as can also be hypothetically gleaned from the second line of the first verse – is that Corey may have been the first one to screw up by making some type of serious mistake, the type of which he is now compelled to clarify that he “never claimed to be a saint” to begin with.
So maybe all of this beef is found in the addressee taking vengeance too far herself. In other words, she can laden the vocalist with all of her secrets. But when he attempts likewise, to come clean if you will, she’s not hearing it, rather ‘leaving him with his sins’.
But again, most of the above is our attempt to make specific sense out of a heavily-metaphorical song.
And in terms of pinning down a definitive, comprehensive storyline the third chorus, which is arguably more poetically-complex than all of the previous passages, doesn’t really help matters much.
But perhaps we can begin bringing this analysis to a close by stating that breakups in and of themselves tend to be complex. Initially you may recognize why the relationship needs to come to an end, but as time progresses after calling it quits, those rationales start to become blurred.
Scarlett Stone
With that theory in mind, the general understanding is that “Snuff” is based on Taylor’s relationship with Scarlett Stone, his first wife, whom he divorced in 2007, i.e. three years before this track came out. But interesting to note is that according to certain sources, Scarlett was instrumental in helping Corey fight his demons, which is not how the addressee is seemingly depicted in this song.
But if this piece is in fact about their marriage, as it most logically would be, then the third chorus firmly drives home the notion that sometime along the way, things went terribly wrong. And concerning the lack of clarity of the lyrics, obviously Taylor didn’t want to go there like that. But he does imply in the third chorus that she was both uncommitted and untruthful.
In Conclusion
On that note, let’s conclude by saying that usually when a popular musician drops a breakup song based on a heartbreak they went through in real life, its lyrics would be a lot more telling that what we are met with in “Snuff”.
For example, it’s ultimately up to the listener to determine the meaning of the title, though all lyrics considered it’s probably alluding to the vocalist’s heart having been ‘snuffed’ out, i.e. him having now lost the propensity to love romantically due to the addressee.
Indeed, if there’s one definitive notion that can be gathered from this piece, it’s that whereas Corey is admittedly less than perfect, he by and large feels that it is the other party’s fault for the dissolution of this relationship.
Writing Credits
Corey Taylor is actually the primary writer of this song. He and the rest of his band members produced “Snuff” along with noted record producer Dave Fortman.
Release Date of “Snuff”
Slipknot released “Snuff” via Roadrunner Records on the 28th of September, 2009. It was the fifth and final single from their fourth studio album (“All Hope Is Gone”).
A very special song
This song is very special to Slipknot considering it was the final single they released before the tragic death of their beloved bassist Paul Gray. Gray actually died less than a year after the song was released. Corey went on to pay an emotional tribute to Gray with an acoustic version of the song. He would go on to perform this emotional version on many of his solo shows.
Your Comments and Personal Stories
Please share your thoughts and personal stories in this comment section.
“Snuff” speaks to my Soul
For me, ‘Snuff’ is the backbone of Slipknot’s ‘All Hope Is Gone’ album. I still remember how often I listened to it after its official release in September of 2009. At the time I only enjoyed it as a song without paying too much attention to the lyrics. However, all that changed with the passing of Joey Jordison in July 2021, my attachment to the song grew even stronger but this time in a more sober and reflective way.
It was only then I realized how deep the line in the song that said ‘It took the death of hope to let you go’ was. The depth and meaning behind the lyrics are what truly resonates with anyone listening to ‘Snuff’. Whether you have lost a loved one or had to let go of a dying relationship, the song speaks to the very soul of each and every one of us.”
– Ms Stacy
My Source of Solace
“‘Snuff’ has been a source of solace for me, helping me to see the bigger picture despite the pain that still lingers in my heart. My advice to anyone reading this is simple: never be with someone who makes you feel like you are hard to love.
Know your worth and when someone hurts you, don’t stoop to their level. Don’t plot revenge or give in to anger. Instead, stand tall, hold your head high and leave with dignity. I happened to watch the video for “Snuff” on YouTube and based on the comments and stories shared by a number of people there, I realized how many people are living with hurt in their hearts.
Whether you’re going through a break-up, dealing with infidelity, betrayal by a loved one or the loss of someone dear to you, I want you to know that you will get through it. It may not happen today, or tomorrow, but someday the pain will surely pass. The song should teach you that everyone goes through tough times, but the good thing about bad times is that they don’t last forever. Keep your head up and know that you’re not alone in your struggles.”
– Leila Rao
An Emotionally Overwhelming Performance
In March of 2022, I had the opportunity to watch Slipknot perform at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota. I was fortunate enough to be at the front row when they performed “Snuff.” It happened to be one of my favorite songs from them. However, the emotions I experienced on that particular night were unlike any other. I was so overwhelmed with excitement that I found myself screaming uncontrollably, almost to the point of passing out. It was a bittersweet moment, as I couldn’t help but wish Joey and Paul could have been there to take part in such an incredible performance. May their gentle souls rest in peace.”
– Brian Collins
A Song about being Haunted by Past Mistakes
“I believe ‘Snuff’ talks about people who are haunted by past mistakes or are unable to move on from failed relationships. The chorus of the song is a plea for their loved ones to leave them and run away or give them some space before they become too attached (‘And run away before I know‘). This is because they are too broken and dark to love genuinely (‘My heart is just too dark to care‘).
The song also encourages listeners to reflect on the consequences of their actions and the importance of taking responsibility for their mistakes. It also highlights the destructive nature of holding onto negative emotions and the need to find ways to let go and move on.”
– Amanda Lee
“Snuff” is a very special song
“Slipknot’s usual repertoire features heavy guitar riffs, intense screaming, and profanity; however, ‘Snuff’ deviates from that pattern. Instead, it evokes a range of emotions that is absent from their other songs. Personally, I find it to be an exceptional song, and I appreciate its deviation from typical Slipknot style. The song reminds every listener of something or someone they’ve lost before.”
– Thomas Alade
“Snuff” is very relatable
Corey Taylor did a spectacular job as the composer of ‘Snuff’. The song is absolutely stunning as it showcases the ability of heavy metal artists to create truly beautiful pieces. It is a song that anyone could listen to repeatedly without ever growing tired of it. Interestingly, I discovered this song in 2010, after my parents kicked me out of the home and I had to fend for myself. It was a difficult period in my life, but listening to this song helped me through those trying times.
Even after that phase of my life passed, I continued to appreciate the song. It is one of those rare compositions that you can relate to regardless of the situation you find yourself in, whether you’re experiencing good or challenging times.”
– Bentli Adams
“Snuff” might have inspired XXXTentacion’s “I’m Not Human”
Has anyone else noticed the first line of XXXTentacion’s “I’m Not Human” and that of “Snuff” are the same? Both songs start with “Bury all your secrets in my skin” For me, this is a testament to the late rapper’s excellent taste in music and that he actually appreciated this masterpiece. It’s a shame that he was taken from us too soon. May his soul rest in peace. I shed tears whenever I listen to this song because it reminds me of ‘I’m Not Human’ and XXXTentacion, my favorite rapper of all time.”
– Brenda Shelton
Being with a person who just uses you to fill the void in them
“‘You never needed any help’ and ‘you sold me out to save yourself”. I keep wondering how Corey Taylor came up with those incredibly powerful lines. If you’ve been in a relationship with someone who only dated you to fill a void in their life, then you can completely relate to what the song is saying. It’s about being with someone who used you for their own selfish purposes, like a puppet on strings, without ever truly caring for you or wanting you for who you are. Instead, they simply wanted someone to fill a void in their life and make them feel alive. I know it’s a painful realization that many people can relate to, and Corey brilliantly captures this feeling in the song’s lyrics.”
– Ella Frimpong
You ever just have to say “that’s enough”? Say it fast like you really talk. Snuff
Yes
I just learned Corey’s acoustic version, I love playing it and love the song.
WOW a SNUFF FILM is an obviously illegal video of someone being murdered. WOW. You completely missed the point and the true darkness of the song tho it’s in the video. WOW. Ya it’s a smokeless tobacco too but cmon. Really?? An easy fact check is 8MM, the 1999 Nicolas Cage movie, but I mean it was a thing way before that.
Thank you for that obvious point… and it’s that kind of oblique darkness that sucks people into songs like this. *Maybe* it’s about snuff (ever tried Copenhagen smokeless? It’s like worm dirt), but *maybe* it’s about murder on film, Corey knows. Either way… steer your life away from this junk, especially if you’re young.
metal is life especially for a 14 year old
Music is life for a 14 year old. Not metal for me in my opinion.
For me, Jimi Hendrix and Red Hot Chili Peppers all the way.
Really ? Dude…. it’s a song ! Not go take your dental floss theory and kick rocks. Snuff is an excellent song.
The song is about a girl he had deep feelings for. He thought she felt the same way. She helped him through some sh-t in his life, but realized she didn’t feel the same way about him….so snuff gives u great pleasure when sniffed, like a sensation through the nose. So she was that great feeling he got, …..she left him on to far…that hurts so much, . Anyways have a good night, Much love 💕
Your 100% right, he even said this in an interview.
He literally smells the shoe deeply in the video so your take makes the best sense.
Excuse you these songs have helped me through so much they have way more meaning than your stupid trash you call music today go listen to the words it hits hard man
Snuff also means to extinguish. Like a fire with wind. So Corey might have named it Snuff because his unrequited love for the girl with no heart snuffed him out emotionally. Or it could have multiple meanings on purpose
There is many layers to the song and it’s hard for him to sing the song. You need to acknowledge the first comment by Corey that he was in a very dark place and was likely had nothing to live for so at this point the title is Snuff in terms not wanting to be alive.
It evolves when he is essentially made the decision to take his own life and he is ‘saved’ by a women who becomes his soul reason for living. Their relationship isn’t exactly equal in terms of how they view each other. While she does have feelings for him she has her own issues that mean she will never be able to be what Corey wanted her to be. How he saw her as this perfect angel forming the light of his life in her mind she was struggling with her own personal demons. She realises that she has to deal with her own issues so has to snuff out the light which Corey is being blinded by and can’t see the reality of her situation.
In breaking this mistaken facade that Corey had of her and snuffing/diminishing the light he saw to see once again return to the darkness snuffing out all light in his life.
While they are able to accept they will always love each other it’s a fantasy and they both have to accept that and move on while also dealing with that darkness that Corey had initially with her in a similar place but for different reasons. They come to accept this new reality each in their own way separately then end up becoming a couple more of mutual convenience but Corey still has significant feelings for her while she doesn’t. At some point she meets someone new and moves on without really ever breaking up with Corey. Now we have the Snuff as in tobacco etc. to become a substitute for the loss he feels.
There is a period of time where they haven’t seen or even spoke to each other when for some reason she appears back but everything has changed she is married and actually has a child and a life that she loves she found her light. Corey held on to a glimmer or light in the form of hope she would return to him. However, what he now become aware of was that it was never going to happen and she was clearly happier and better so he had to be happy for her and acknowledge he had to let her go and snuff out any possibilities of a connection between them.
In doing this Corey snuffs out the lights and goes back to that dark place but now while he doesn’t have his own reason to go personally he understood that he had to live only to ensure that she would not have to ever deal with thoughts like guilt or remorse if he did take his own life her new happy life can’t be corrupted by that taint hence while he can’t and will never have any form of relationship with her; he has to live for her.
Yeah this song is Dark complex and in terms of Corey he likely still actually even now has feelings for this woman that he knows he can’t ever have a relationship with but also can’t be the catalyst which causes any harm to her or the happy life she has now..
Is that complex and twisted enough for you?? This song is very very emotional and raw for corey and this is why he really finds it hard to sing after all he still loves this woman and likely always will. The song takes him back through all the hurt and events of the events that transpired between them to the reality of now and the situation he finds himself in.
As I think and imagine everything while reading this, I start to relate to my own life. It happened quite a while ago but my situation was similar yet not similar to Mr Taylor’s situation. It’s almost all identical except the part where she finds someone else and that I still have feelings for her. I’ve not been able to share this anywhere but I thank you for letting me share this here.
You have it spot on. I think this is exactly the situation in this song, but also I keep feeling like the girl has passed away. It seems to me that he keeps looking up in his solo acoustic performance.
Dude, you f”ing nailed it. One can’t possibly understand this soul-wrenching song without having a similar personal experience of loving someone THAT much… so much, in fact that it’s easier to completely cut them out of their life rather than experience the loss every time love rears it’s ugly head. “I won’t let this build up inside of me”(Vermillion pt.2) and “If you still care don’t ever let me know”. Same chick? I gotta go with “yeah”. .same chick
Thc_kissesthis comment ⬆️⬆️
That is the one. I mean there could actually be MORE than one reason behind the song title. But fact here, is that no matter why the title is Snuff, it is gonna forever be one of the best & Corey is amazing singing it ❤️
To “snuff” out a life.????
I love your voice, the emotion you have and the beautiful but sad lyrics. I can understand some in personal ways myself. Keep the music coming.
And Remember Revelations 21:4
Sorry I don’t remember any biblical verse .,.
For all those without their Bible handy :
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more.”
Corey Taylor is easily one of the greatest metal vocalists, especially in psychosocial how he goes from metal screaming to singing
I love this song it makes me feel a lot of emotions: sadness, regret, relief. It makes me feel not alone in heartbreak. I understand him so much. Its a great song and i love listening to it on repeat.
bro i listen to it because im depressed and my grandpa and great grandma died
MK Ultra is a Hell-of-a Drug. A Pretty dark place.
How is this Slipknots slowest song but heaviest.
they cast you away, they’re too cold to stay with you through all the pain, so the rain flows steadily on for a lifetime. it consumes you from the inside out and sends you on the path of the downtrodden dark soul where the light does not go
this song is making a lot of sense right now, killer quenn broke me
It was me. Ozzfest 1999. You can say my name now. Your welcome.
“you knew you weren’t supposed to be together but there was just something there that’s felt so good and when it was ripped away from you, it just felt like there’s a hole in your chest” – Corey
His greatest heartbreak 🙁
It is really scary to fall in love.
Personal and very emotional song. Just perfect. <3
A lot of ridiculous comments here I see….
Fact is, .1.) This is one of the most beautifully written and performed songs ever made.
2.) Corey is a Rock God.