Meaning of "The Skin Thief" by Nekrogoblikon
"The Skin Thief" by Nekrogoblikon explores the theme of an individual's longing for their lost innocence and the drastic measures they are willing to take to attain it. The house on a hill symbolizes the thief's inner psyche, with the thief inside representing his inner desires and nostalgia for his childhood. He is in search of a coat that will bring back the comfort and security he felt as a child. His repeated plea to try on the coats reveals his yearning for a simpler time. However, the thief's pursuit of this idealized childhood is tainted by his obsession and destructive tendencies.
The lyrics suggest that the thief has already committed heinous acts, as he is haunted by the memory of blood on his hands and screams in his ears. The use of the phrase "covered in skin" implies that he has gone to extreme lengths to fulfill his desires. The thief sees himself as the "skin thief," a fate he cannot escape, as he has become consumed by his twisted obsession.
The narrative takes a turn when it is revealed that the thief has a traumatic childhood experience, where he had sought out a coat but was denied by his mother. This event serves as the catalyst for his descent into darkness. The rejection he experienced from his mother and the lack of warmth and comfort from not having a coat prompt him to take matters into his own hands, literally. The thief resorts to making coats from human skin, a grotesque and unsettling expression of his desire to reclaim what he feels was taken from him.
The song captures the conflicting emotions of the skin thief, as he laughs at his fate but also acknowledges the torture he experiences. Each stolen skin represents a twisted attempt to regain a sense of belonging and identity. However, the ultimate irony lies in the fact that the thief's actions only further distance him from his desired goal. The skins become a symbol of his dark reality instead of the innocence he yearns for.