Slipknot’s “Snuff” Lyrics Meaning

On the surface, the lyrics of Slipknot’s “Snuff” tell the sad story of an unrequited love. The narrator has found someone whom he loves so dearly and even believes that she also has strong feelings of love for him. However, this apparently isn’t the case! She has not the slightest bit of love for him. And from the lyrics, it is challenging deciphering the primary reason she can’t love the narrator back.

“So if you love me, let me go
And run away before I know
My heart is just too dark to care
I can’t destroy what isn’t there
Deliver me into my fate
If I’m alone I cannot hate
I don’t deserve to have you
Ooh my smile was taken long ago
If I can change I hope I never know”

“Snuff” is based on a true story

According to Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, this is a very personal song. He said the person he’s singing to was someone very special to him who helped him survive a really dark episode of his life. He ended up falling for her and thought she had similar feelings for him. However, at the end of the day she disappointed him in a really heartbreaking fashion. Below are the exact words Corey used in describing this song during a 2008 interview he had with Kerrang!

The above explanation has led to many concluding that the song was definitely written about his broken relationship with Scarlett Stone whom he was married to from 2004 to 2007.

Not very much is known about Corey’s marriage to Scarlett. The details of the marriage are relatively private, as Corey tends not to share too many details about his personal life in the media. That said, it is known the their union produced a son named Griffin Parker before ending in divorce.

Throughout their marriage, Corey battled heavily with addiction to alcohol. It is believed that his challenges with alcoholism played a significant role in destroying the marriage.

What is the meaning of “Snuff” as used in the song’s title?

Despite being the song’s title, the word is never used in the lyrics. Snuff is actually a kind of smokeless tobacco people snort into their nasal cavity because doing so gives them a pleasurable sensation. And it is likely that Corey is referring to the addressee as his “snuff” (i.e. someone who brought him great pleasure).

A More Detailed Explanation of the Lyrics of “Snuff”: By Another Hand

Although he never said it directly per se, Corey Taylor has strongly implied that this song is romantic in nature and more specifically centered on the dissolution of a relationship he was in, which resulted in “one of the heaviest heartbreaks (he) had ever felt”.

Corey is also the sole writer and lead vocalist behind Snuff. So the lyrics are obviously personal to his experience and furthermore, as he also put forth, “pretty self-explanatory”. That is to say that the thesis sentiment being relayed, that the relationship between the vocalist and addressee has run its course, is more or less evident, especially via the first chorus.

But it is the minutia of what he’s singing about, which is more difficult to interpret, that we will attempt to grasp through this analysis.

Very Poetic Lyrics

With the above in mind, for starters, these lyrics are very large poetic/metaphorical. They aren’t to the point of being rendered incomprehensible, but here and there some liberties must be taken in the name of interpreting them. Or let’s say that making sense out of all Corey is singing is based just as much on sentiment as the words coming out of his mouth.

For example, it appears that what the vocalist is trying to get at through the first couple of lines is him being the victim of an unreciprocated love. His partner, the addressee, is burdening him with her “secrets”, ‘coming away with his innocence’ in the process, but he is left behind ‘with his sins’ intact.

Or theoretically explained otherwise, she is able to use Corey to get pertinent matters off of her chest but fails to play that same role as far as his anxieties are concerned.

“The air around me still feels like a cage”

The singer then goes on to note that “the air around (him) feels like a cage” which, though being a poetic statement, is easy to interpret, as his way of saying that he feels trapped.

The vocalist then goes on to express his disillusionment with “love”, coming to the conclusion, at least in this case let’s say, that his partner was using him. How so is not made abundantly clear. But the way he relays that sentiment, as “love” being “just a camouflage for what resembles rage”, gives the impression, as alluded to earlier, that his significant other was never really down like that to begin with but rather committed in the name of using him as an emotional crutch.

Or, considering that in the chorus that follows, Taylor refers to his own “heart” as being “just too dark”, perhaps what he’s saying is that this relationship has served as his own distraction, if you will, from the pain that lies within.

But all lyrics considered, what he’s more likely implying through that statement is it being this very romance which made him this way, though the listener coming to that conclusion would be a matter of interpretation.

“I don’t deserve to have you
Ooh my smile was taken long ago”

For instance, later in the chorus, Taylor also states his “smile was taken long ago” – perhaps, for all we know, well prior to this relationship. Or in any event, let’s bring this particular aspect of the narrative to a consensus by concluding that, as it currently stands, the vocalist is suffering from a serious, romance-related depression.

Whether or not that sentiment began as a result of the addressee’s mistreatment of him or due to his earlier romantic experiences is not clear. But what is obvious is that she definitely didn’t help the matter any but instead made it worse.

As such, what the first chorus is more clearly putting forth is the vocalist’s desire for the addressee to bounce. What’s being inferred here is that for whatever reason(s), Corey doesn’t have the wherewithal to bring this relationship to an end himself.

Indeed, from an emotional standpoint, he definitely comes off as being the weaker party throughout. So now he is placing the onus on the other to call it quits, as a final act of love so to speak, if she does truly care about him. And that way too, when she’s no longer around and therefore unable to misuse him, Taylor will have time to get over the “hate” he has developed for his former significant other.

“I still press your letters to my lips
And cherish them in parts of me that savor every kiss
I couldn’t face a life without your light (Without your light)
But all of that was ripped apart when you refused to fight”

And interestingly, it is sorta along those same lines that the second verse commences, by pointing to a time when the vocalist couldn’t even fathom not having the addressee by his side.

But “all of that was ripped apart when (she) refused to fight”. And within this context, said ‘fighting’ would likely allude to making a serious, persistent effort to keep the spark within this relationship alive.

The second chorus starts off a bit differently though, as if perhaps the addressee has tried to make peace, but at this point Corey isn’t interested in mending their union. As implied in the first chorus, he has already concluded that this relationship, or at least the romantic aspect of it, is over.

And to reiterate, this would be due to feeling wronged by the other party. In fact in this passage, it is revealed that Taylor feels so slighted that he wishes to exact revenge on his sweetheart, which we can say is a common sentiment as far as contentious breakups go. However, he cannot rationalize doing so, as they are still friends.

“So save your breath, I will not hear
I think I made it very clear
You couldn’t hate enough to love
Is that supposed to be enough?
I only wish you weren’t my friend
Then I could hurt you in the end
I never claimed to be a saint
Ooh my own was banished long ago
It took the death of hope to let you go”

What is also being theoretically implied at the end of the second chorus – as can also be hypothetically gleaned from the second line of the first verse – is that Corey may have been the first one to screw up by making some type of serious mistake, the type of which he is now compelled to clarify that he “never claimed to be a saint” to begin with.

So maybe all of this beef is found in the addressee taking vengeance too far herself. In other words, she can laden the vocalist with all of her secrets. But when he attempts likewise, to come clean if you will, she’s not hearing it, rather ‘leaving him with his sins’.

But again, most of the above is our attempt to make specific sense out of a heavily-metaphorical song.

And in terms of pinning down a definitive, comprehensive storyline the third chorus, which is arguably more poetically-complex than all of the previous passages, doesn’t really help matters much.

But perhaps we can begin bringing this analysis to a close by stating that breakups in and of themselves tend to be complex. Initially you may recognize why the relationship needs to come to an end, but as time progresses after calling it quits, those rationales start to become blurred.

Scarlett Stone

With that theory in mind, the general understanding is that “Snuff” is based on Taylor’s relationship with Scarlett Stone, his first wife, whom he divorced in 2007, i.e. three years before this track came out. But interesting to note is that according to certain sources, Scarlett was instrumental in helping Corey fight his demons, which is not how the addressee is seemingly depicted in this song.

But if this piece is in fact about their marriage, as it most logically would be, then the third chorus firmly drives home the notion that sometime along the way, things went terribly wrong. And concerning the lack of clarity of the lyrics, obviously Taylor didn’t want to go there like that. But he does imply in the third chorus that she was both uncommitted and untruthful.

In Conclusion

On that note, let’s conclude by saying that usually when a popular musician drops a breakup song based on a heartbreak they went through in real life, its lyrics would be a lot more telling that what we are met with in “Snuff”.

For example, it’s ultimately up to the listener to determine the meaning of the title, though all lyrics considered it’s probably alluding to the vocalist’s heart having been ‘snuffed’ out, i.e. him having now lost the propensity to love romantically due to the addressee.

Indeed, if there’s one definitive notion that can be gathered from this piece, it’s that whereas Corey is admittedly less than perfect, he by and large feels that it is the other party’s fault for the dissolution of this relationship.

Writing Credits

Corey Taylor is actually the primary writer of this song. He and the rest of his band members produced “Snuff” along with noted record producer Dave Fortman.

Release Date of “Snuff”

Slipknot released “Snuff” via Roadrunner Records on the 28th of September, 2009. It was the fifth and final single from their fourth studio album (“All Hope Is Gone”).

A very special song

This song is very special to Slipknot considering it was the final single they released before the tragic death of their beloved bassist Paul Gray. Gray actually died less than a year after the song was released. Corey went on to pay an emotional tribute to Gray with an acoustic version of the song. He would go on to perform this emotional version on many of his solo shows.

Your Comments and Personal Stories

Please share your thoughts and personal stories in this comment section.

“Snuff” speaks to my Soul

For me, ‘Snuff’ is the backbone of Slipknot’s ‘All Hope Is Gone’ album. I still remember how often I listened to it after its official release in September of 2009. At the time I only enjoyed it as a song without paying too much attention to the lyrics. However, all that changed with the passing of Joey Jordison in July 2021, my attachment to the song grew even stronger but this time in a more sober and reflective way.

It was only then I realized how deep the line in the song that said ‘It took the death of hope to let you go’ was. The depth and meaning behind the lyrics are what truly resonates with anyone listening to ‘Snuff’. Whether you have lost a loved one or had to let go of a dying relationship, the song speaks to the very soul of each and every one of us.”

– Ms Stacy

My Source of Solace

“‘Snuff’ has been a source of solace for me, helping me to see the bigger picture despite the pain that still lingers in my heart. My advice to anyone reading this is simple: never be with someone who makes you feel like you are hard to love.

Know your worth and when someone hurts you, don’t stoop to their level. Don’t plot revenge or give in to anger. Instead, stand tall, hold your head high and leave with dignity. I happened to watch the video for “Snuff” on YouTube and based on the comments and stories shared by a number of people there, I realized how many people are living with hurt in their hearts.

Whether you’re going through a break-up, dealing with infidelity, betrayal by a loved one or the loss of someone dear to you, I want you to know that you will get through it. It may not happen today, or tomorrow, but someday the pain will surely pass. The song should teach you that everyone goes through tough times, but the good thing about bad times is that they don’t last forever. Keep your head up and know that you’re not alone in your struggles.”

– Leila Rao