Slither – Unraveling the Raw Power of Personal Battles
Lyrics
Hey
Hey
When you look you see right through me
Cut the rope, fell to my knees
Fallen, broken every single time
Always keep me under finger
That’s the spot where you would chew me
But I see sometime pleasure in my mind
Yeah, here comes the water
It comes to wash away the sins of you and I
This time you see
Hey
Hey
Hey
When you seek me you destroy me
Rape my mind and smell the poppy’s
Fallen blood in every single time
Always keep me under finger
That’s the spot where you might linger
But I see sometime the pleasure in my mind
Yeah, here comes the water
It comes to wash away the sins of you and I
This time you see
Like holy water
It only burns you faster than you’ll ever dry
This time with me
When you look, you see right through me
Cut the rope, fell to my knees
Falling and bloating every single time
Yeah, here comes the water
It comes to wash away the sins of you and I
This time you see
Like holy water
It only burns you faster than you’ll ever dry
This time with me
Hey
Hey
Hey
In the world of rock, few songs capture the raw essence of internal struggle as poignantly as Velvet Revolver’s ‘Slither.’ This track, from their debut album ‘Contraband,’ is a testament to the band’s ability to weave storytelling through aggressive riffs and haunting melodies.
But what lies beneath the surface of this seemingly straightforward rock hit? Delve deeper into the fibres of ‘Slither,’ and you’ll uncover a rich tapestry of meaning—a personal battle with demons, the troubles of dependency, and the perpetual cycle of pain and redemption.
The Tumultuous Dance of Dominance and Submission
The visceral imagery in ‘Slither’ evokes a sense of struggle and containment. The repeated line, ‘Always keep me under finger,’ suggests being controlled or dominated, while the phrase, ‘That’s the spot where you would chew me,’ implies a painful, consuming relationship. It’s this dance between dominance and surrender that gives the lyrics their biting edge, challenging the listener to consider their own experiences of power and control.
This tension is further amplified by the music itself; the driving guitars and pounding drums create a soundscape that’s relentless and overpowering—mirroring the lyrical themes of being unable to escape from someone else’s grip.
The Inescapable Allure of Self-Destruction
Scott Weiland, the late frontman of Velvet Revolver, was no stranger to the allure of self-destructive behavior. ‘Slither’ seems to articulate this fraught relationship with the self, with references to being knocked down to one’s knees and a haunting mention of ‘smell the poppy’s’—a nod to the seductive yet destructive nature of opiates.
The song captures the essence of addiction, the cyclical nature of relapse and recovery, and the sense of knowing that you’re engaging in something harmful yet finding a twisted pleasure in it.
A Cycle of Sin and Redemption Washed in Holy Water
The chorus of ‘Slither’ stands out as a stark moment of clarity among the chaos of the verses, employing the metaphor of water as a purifying force. It ‘comes to wash away the sins of you and I’, suggesting a desire for cleansing and renewal. Yet there is also an acceptance of the inevitable—’it only burns you faster than you’ll ever dry’—hinting that there might be no true escape from one’s own nature or past.
The duality of water as both a life-giving and a potentially destructive force parallels the themes of duality present throughout the song—pleasure and pain, control and helplessness, sin and redemption.
Memorable Lines That Cut to the Core
‘When you look you see right through me/Cut the rope, fell to my knees’—these lines resonate with a chilling vulnerability, eloquently encapsulating the feeling of being laid bare, cut loose and dropping into an abyss of one’s own insecurities and fears.
It’s this ability to turn a personal confession into a universal one that empowers ‘Slither’ with such raw emotional resonance, allowing each listener to see a reflection of their own internal battles within the lines.
Unveiling the Song’s Hidden Meaning – The Human Experience
‘Slither’ may read like a reflection on personal demons, addiction, and the struggle for purity in a world that’s constantly tempting us back into the fray. But at its core, the song is an exploration of the human condition; the conflicting emotions that bind us, the vulnerabilities that expose us, and the search for redemption amidst our imperfections.
Velvet Revolver taps into a universal truth: we are all in a state of perpetual motion—falling, rising, wrestling with our desires, and yearning for absolution. This shared experience is what connects listeners to ‘Slither,’ turning it into more than just a song, but a mirror of the soul.
