Oh, it's carnival night
And they're stringing the lights around you
Hanging paper angels
Painting little devils on the roof

Oh the furnace wind
Is a flickering of wings about your face
In a cloud of incense
Yea, it smells like Heaven in this place

I can't eat, can't sleep
Still I hunger for you when you look at me
That face, those eyes
All the sinful pleasures deep inside

Tell me how, you know now, the ways and means of getting in
Underneath my skin,
Oh you were always my original sin
And tell me why, I shudder inside, every time we begin
This dangerous game
Oh you were always my original sin

A dream will fly
The moment that you open up your eyes
A dream is just a riddle
Ghosts from every corner of your life

Up in the balcony
All the Romeo's are bleeding for your hand
Blowing theater kisses
Reciting lines they don't understand



Lyrics submitted by amit

Track duration: 04:49

"Original Sin" as written by Elton John, Bernie Taupin

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Original Sin song meanings
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20 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:I think Good OL MC has it about right. The only difference I see is that this is a married man, since it's "his" original sin. And the line "And tell me why, I shudder inside, evertime we begin, this dangerous game" leads me to believe that they did have an actual affair that has been on again, off again (everytime we begin). But I agree with the rest of his take on this song.
    It's a beautiful song, reminiscent of the early music of Elton John that I found to be so truly brilliant and very much miss.
    Flagged Distarr60on March 31, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's about his true love who is always out of his reach, or kept at an arms length. The person is his "original sin" in that a sin represents a weakness, a vice, and his love for this person has been that for him. Other men try to romance him/her but their words and feelings are inauthentic compared to the love that he feels.
    Flag mb1818on June 25, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think he is singing about a girl in this song. He has truly loved her. The sin is sex & its sin because its out of wedlock. He still thinks that its the only original sin amongst all ( others in his life like being gay or using drugs considered sin by the society). It also looks like he returns to committing this sin time & again. Though I really thinks its about love........but pokkagreentea has also a valid pespective & for the last verse it may be his addictive personality.Any comments.......
    Whatever be the meaning this is a great song. Meaning is strong, there is sense of helplessness & the tune is lovely.

    Flag Perkson September 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I would say the first two verses are about the person he is in love with. Since Elton John is gay, i will just assume that this person is male.

    Oh, it's carnival night
    And they're stringing the lights around you
    Hanging paper angels
    Painting little devils on the roof

    Maybe my English is insufficient but could it be he is at a party (whether the religious fest or a fun fair) and he is looking at the person he is in love with. To him this person is the center of attention, and he is so perfect that "paper angels" are hanging around him. But he is aware that he shouldn't be in love with this guy, that it is regarded as wrong or judged by religion as wrong. This is expressed by the angels hanging around the guy painting the little devils. So while he is looking at something heavenly, he gradually starts realising his homosexual desires are judged as sinful and he shouldn't be in love. The painting stands for the little devils gradually appearing, the gradual realization, pulling him out of the heavenly situation.

    Oh the furnace wind
    Is a flickering of wings about your face
    In a cloud of incense
    Yea, it smells like Heaven in this place

    The guy he thinks is heavenly makes him nervous and might be making him sweat and feeling warm. I interpret (but here i am unsure about my english) the first two lines as the angels around the guy flickering their wings and making him feel warm and sweaty (the furnace wind), which would describe how nervous the guy makes him.
    The cloud of incense and smell of heaven at the same tim tell how much he likes being near the guy. Again this verse is ambivalent: the forbidden love.

    I can't eat, can't sleep
    Still I hunger for you when you look at me
    That face, those eyes
    All the sinful pleasures deep inside

    This just tells about how much he is in love with and adores the guy.

    Tell me how, you know now, the ways and means of getting in
    Underneath my skin,
    Oh you were always my original sin
    And tell me why, I shudder inside, every time we begin
    This dangerous game
    Oh you were always my original sin

    apparently he has been in love with the guy for a long time and he doesn't understand how someone can get him so mesmerized.

    I think the last two verses are about him not knowing what to do with the dreams he has about the guy, and about him feeling that he is the only one who really loves him, unlike the other guys who might think they do.

    What do you think about this interpretation? I would love to hear comments about it!
    Flag pearjuiceon October 13, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This to me is almost like mourning the loss of a lover who you regretted having yet couldn't live without and no matter what you do you are always reminded of this person.
    Flag tomposon June 21, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:nice analysis on the drug addiction, tho of course that'd never occur to me
    but hey, love is like a drug too right, hence the metaphor is extensive on many levels

    this is the song which represent my feelings for my exboyfriend the most

    first time we broke up it was the whole chaotic, long-distance collapse of relationship, n we were both very young

    then a year later, most unusual circumstances brought us back together, and we shared an ephemeral yet intoxicating short month together
    where this song was basically the 'theme song'.

    "Tell me how, you know now, the ways and means of getting in
    Underneath my skin,
    Oh you were always my original sin
    And tell me why, I shudder inside, every time we begin
    This dangerous game
    Oh you were always my original sin"

    the entire time we were back together, i thought about the 'dangerous game' in the song
    because of course, like, so many naive and confused kids, we just could not sustain that beautiful relationship

    nowdays, whenever i get nostalgic, the song always reminds of the love we did share, and obviously the somewhat addictive sentiment of love and the pain it brings.
    Flag betty123on June 20, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Ok 'Pokkagreentea' I can see how that could make sense but what about the last verse?

    Up in the balcony
    All the Romeo's are bleeding for your hand
    Blowing theater kisses
    Reciting lines they don't understand

    I don't know how that could be about heroin. (ALthough I don't know much about heroin so I could be missing somethin)
    Flag ThePrettyOneon April 24, 2007   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:You guys are waaaaaaay off. Original Sin is about Elton's relationship with heroin and his own addictive personality.
    Flag pokkagreenteaon March 30, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I don't know but maybe thinking about it from Elton John's point of view ( I know he didn't write it ) but maybe it's about being gay. He loves a guy and knows its meant to be a sin against the christian god but he can't help it. That kinda makes the imagery make sense in my head. Like the paper angels and little deivls being that the love is so sweet but It could lead him into hell. Or something like that. Although it could be about a girl.
    Flag ThePrettyOneon March 25, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is about a married man , knowing he loves someone else, and he doesnt know what or how todeal with his feelings. she is his original sin.! HE LOVES HER JUST DOESNT KNOW HOW TO BE WITH HER!!
    Flag xCoLDCoNFeSSioNon September 18, 2006   Link

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