Sloth

Album: Confessions (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is a track from Confessions, an album based on the seven deadly sins. Frontman Josh Todd based the album's lyrics on his childhood and transformation into adulthood and this song was inspired by his father's suicide. Speaking with Loudwire, Todd elaborated on its subject matter. "There was a point in my life when I was a youth when I lost a family member," he explained, "and I acted out in my grieving process through the deadly sins, so that's kind of what the story's about on the record. I think the seven sins are timeless and that everybody struggles with them in their daily lives all the time."
  • Speaking with Classic Rock Revisited, Todd explained how he drew on his life experience for this track: "'Sloth' is about the most slothful act that anyone can do, which is to commit suicide," he said. "That song is actually about the day my dad died. It was a very hard song for me to get through. I wanted to be honest and I thought it was time for that. I've really grown up since then and evolved and done a lot of work on myself. I was ready to tell the story and to tell the story in a cool way. There is a lot of uplifting stuff on the record, but that one tells the story of that day."
  • The album is part of a larger vision that includes a film written by Todd about his father's suicide. This song provides the cornerstone of the film. "It's loosely based on my life," Todd told Noisecreep. "When that tragic event happened in my life, with my father, I was 10. But the character in the short film is like 17 and he's in high school.
    "The movie starts with him coming home and finding his father dead and then he acts out the seven sins in the grieving process. And while he's doing that, he meets a love interest at school. She kind of is the polar opposite of him and it softens him up a little bit. By the end of the film, he learns how to forgive his father and rides off into the sunset with his girl."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.

Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

Art Alexakis of Everclear

Art Alexakis of EverclearSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer of Everclear, Art is also their primary songwriter.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.