Jonathan Davis Covers Pet Shop Boys’ ‘It’s a Sin’ for ‘Paradise City’ Soundtrack
Though there's been buzz in recent years of a potential Korn covers album, it still hasn't come to fruition. But Korn's Jonathan Davis has reached back into the '80s for inspiration, releasing a dark new cover of the Pet Shop Boys hit "It's a Sin" as a contribution for the Paradise City TV series soundtrack.
The series, which was spun off from the 2017 film American Satan, arrived earlier this year with several covers teasing the show's eventual arrival. Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker took on Edwyn Collins' "A Girl Like You," Palaye Royale's Remington Leith fronted a cover of Smashing Pumpkins' "Disarm" and Sleeping With Sirens offered interpretations of songs from Blind Melon and Zella Day.
Like many of the covers on the soundtrack, the Davis version of "It's a Sin" provides a more haunting tone than its original. The Pet Shop Boys initially released the track in 1987 as the lead single from their Actually album and while the subject matter was darker in tone, the track was presented with a danceable synth pop beat. Here, Davis leans into the somber lyrical tone, stripping back a bit of the production and relying more on backing percussion and his voice to set the tone.
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Check out the lyrics for the song and hear the track in full below.
Jonathan Davis, "It's a Sin" Lyrics
When I look back upon my life
it’s always with a sense of shame
I’ve always been the one to blame
For everything I long to do
no matter when or where or who
has one thing in common tooIt’s a, it’s a, it’s a, it’s a sin
It’s a sin
Everything I’ve ever done
Everything I ever do
Every place I’ve ever been
Everywhere I’m going to
It’s a sinAt school they taught me how to be
so pure in thought and word and deed
They didn’t quite succeed
For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
Has one thing in common tooFather forgive me
I tried not to do it
Turned over a new leaf
Then tore right through it
Whatever you taught me
I didn’t believe it
Father you fought me
‘Cause I didn’t care
And I still don’t understandSo I look back upon my life
Forever with a sense of shame
I’ve always been the one to blame
For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
Has one thing in common too
Jonathan Davis, "It's a Sin" (Pet Shop Boys Cover)
If you like what you heard, the Paradise City soundtrack is currently available here. You can also look for Davis back in more familiar surroundings when he and Korn hit the road for a late summer tour starting in August. Get more info on that here.
Paradise City Soundtrack Track Listing
1. MGK & Travis Barker - A Girl Like You
2. Palaye Royale - Nightmares in Paradise
3. Kennyhoopla - how will I rest in peace if I’m buried by a highway?//
4. Smashing Pumpkins - Ramona
5. Bones UK - Beautiful is Boring
6. Kings of Leon - Closer
7. Meg Myers - The Underground
8. City and Colour - What Makes A Man?
9. Jonathan Davis - It’s A Sin
10. Crosses - The Epilogue
11. Bad Omens - Careful What You Wish For
12. Sleeping With Sirens - Shadow Preachers
13. The Mavens - I Don’t Believe In Love
14. Night Riots - Contagious
15. The Flux - True Faith