Released: April 15, 2022

Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen

Producer: Kurt Vile Rob Schnapf Rob Laakso Kyle Spence Jesse Trbovich

[Verse 1]
When we fight, I wanna talk it out
You won’t say nothin’, nothin’ at all
You just sit, there you won’t open that pretty mouth
I think you like keeping my back up against the wall

[Chorus]
Wages of sin, you keep me payin’
Wages of sin for the wrongs that I’ve done and
Wages of sin, you keep me payin’
Wages of sin, one by one

[Verse 2]
I walk in the apartment, there’s clothes thrown all over the place
You’re crouched in the corner with make-up runnin’ down your face
And I don’t wanna believe what my, what my heart keeps sayin’
You keep me on the line, so you can keep me payin’

[Chorus]
Wages of sin, yеah we keep payin’
Wages of sin for the wrongs that wе’ve done and
Wages of sin, yeah we keep payin’
Wages of sin, that’s how we have our fun

[Verse 3]
I remember when I was a little boy out where cottonwoods grow tall
Tryin’ to make it home through the forest before the darkness falls
Baby, all the sounds I heard, even if they weren’t real
I was runnin’ down that broken path with the devil snappin’ at my heels

[Bridge]
And I tried so hard, so hard in every way
Swore some day I’d grow up and just throw it all away
Cried all the tears, baby, that I could cry
Stomached all my fears till they just rushed up inside
Darlin’, I’m losin' and it’s a mean game
Still, I play on and on just the same

[Chorus]
Wages of sin, yeah I keep payin’
Wages of sin for some wrongs that I’ve done and
Wages of sin, yeah I keep payin’
Wages of sin, one by one

[Instrumental Outro]

Kurt Vile

Kurt Vile is a critically acclaimed indie-rock singer-songwriter based in Philadelphia. Drawing on influences ranging from Beck and Pavement to Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, Vile has created a dreamy, ethereal sound very much rooted in classic rock. Originally a member of the band The War on Drugs, which he founded with frequent collaborator Adam Granduciel, Vile has released six solo albums. The most recent, 2015’s B'lieve I’m Goin Down…, reached #40 on the Billboard 200—his highest placement yet.

In concert, Vile is often backed by The Violators, a trio composed of guitar, bass, and drums. In addition to being a singer, guitarist, and songwriter, Vile plays the trumpet and banjo—both of which he took up before receiving his first six-string. Sometimes perceived as slacker, on account of his long hair and laid-back sounds, Vile is actually a hard-working family man who spent years tinkering with home recordings while working dead-end blue-collar jobs. He’s also a perfectionist. He once told The Guardian, “I won’t put it out if there’s even one little bit of the song that’s not right.”

In 2017, he released Lotta Sea Lice, a collaboration with Courtney Barnett.

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