The Church and the Dime

 
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Introduction

Though we’ve gotten plenty of insight into the ploys of our antagonist, this song is a proper introduction to his lairs. Acting as a Priest at the Church during the day and a Pimp and the Dime at night, he manipulates his clients between each location, profiting off of their insecurities. Hunter has just made his way to the City after his curious encounter with the Oracles. He’s wandered in the direction of the church bells, and found himself face to face with the Church, which is not to far from the Dime.


Into The Lyrics

Lyrics

She prayed to the man
With the twin in a mask
But the world is numb and cold
And the boy all alone
Casually wandering home
Unaware of sobering reality

Faster, save me, harder, I can’t-

Breathe in, Breathe out
Let them all fold, let them all fold
Breathe in, Breathe out
Let them all fold, let them all fold

Hearts finish here, love decays while call girls perform
He waits alone, playing roles to suit lovers flue
The lust and the sighs, the Church and the Dime
The cryptic clientele all careening inside
The puzzling facade steers pure from the divine

Breathe in, Breathe out
Let them all fold, let them all fold
Breathe in, Breathe out
Let them all fold, let them all fold

Many wishes of hunger were wronged
By the Pimp and Priest’s thirst for a fault
All the anger from a lover’s lament
Force fed in the stomach of sin
Welcome to the world

Analysis

Hunter faces the building with it’s illuminated stained glass windows, wondering what it must be. An inscription on the doorway reads ‘EST. 1878’. As Hunter comes across the titular buildings, Casey takes this opportunity to elaborate the nature of the Pimp/Priests life. Most of that was explained already in my post on his character, so for this I’ll just take note of any lyrics that stand out or have special meaning to the story.

Faster, save me, harder, I can’t-’ calls back to The Pimp and the Priest. It leads into the chorus where it goes to another important symbol, breathing. The Pimp/Priest has these people under his control, and can contort their desires, limiting their freedom. ‘Let them all fold’ is repeated, and is another symbol in the story. Everyone bends to his whim, no one standing against him. Being in power in both religion and people’s personal lives makes him an authority by proxy that no one wants to oppose.

The last line, ‘Welcome to the world’ is a really fitting one for Hunter at this point.


Into The Music

There’s not much in the music here that adds to the story, other than one point with Casey’s vocals. In the line ‘The lust and the sighs, the Church and the Dime’, he nods at the Pimp/Priests descending chromatic theme. In case you didn’t get that this song was about him.


Personal Thoughts

I was actually surprised that we hadn’t visited the Church or the Dime in the story since City Escape. Most of the events in Hunter’s life have been shaped by the Pimp/Priest and he has no idea. And that’s not going to change any time soon. The story slowed down a bit in this song, but will pick right back up as we get into the multiple part sequence that is The Bitter Suite.

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