Just as Skillet was the band that introduced me to Christian rock, this breakdown of Skillet’s “Monster” will be my introduction to Beyond the Lyrics.
In this post, I’m going to go through the lyrics of “Monster” and explain how the song connects to Christianity.
Photo of current Skillet members (Atlantic Records, 2023).
Skillet is one of the more well-known Christian hard rock artists since they’ve been around since the 90’s (and continue to stay relevant) and have had multiple singles reach mainstream popularity.
“Monster” is one of these singles. It’s from Skillet’s 2009 album, Awake, and is one of the band’s most popular songs. You might’ve even heard it being played in the background at sporting events.
Here is the official music video for the song, so give it a listen if you haven’t heard it before.
You might be asking the same question that my mom asked the first time she heard me listening to this song: How is this Christian? Well, let’s dive into the lyrics.
The secret side of me
I never let you see
I keep it caged, but I can't control it
So stay away from me
The beast is ugly
I feel the rage, and I just can't hold it
It's scratching on the walls
In the closet, in the halls
It comes awake, and I can't control it
Hiding under the bed
In my body, in my head
Why won't somebody come and save me from this?
Make it end
This song is about the nature of sin. The “secret side” and “beast” that’s mentioned refer to our sinful nature as humans. It’s “ugly,” pervasive (“in my body, in my head”) and violent (“scratching on the walls”). Even as Christians, we have to choose daily to not give into sin. The line “Why won’t somebody come and save me from this?” serves as a call out to God asking for help.
I feel it deep within!
It's just beneath the skin!
I must confess that I feel like a monster!
I hate what I've become!
The nightmare's just begun!
I must confess that I feel like a monster!
I, I feel like a monster!
I, I feel like a monster!
The lead singer of Skillet, John Cooper, told Christianity Today in an interview: "In a theological sense, the song is about original sin. You are born into the human race, you're guilty or sinful, no matter what you hope to be. 'Monster' is about the fact that there is somebody we know we don't want to be. Some people call it the old man or the old self. That guy wants to creep out when you're driving and somebody cuts you off. You wonder as a Christian, how do I keep it at bay? I liken it to the idea of a '50s horror film of this beast inside you coming alive."
My secret side I keep
Hid under lock and key
I keep it caged, but I can't control it
'Cause if I let him out
He'll tear me up, break me down
Why won't somebody come and save me from this?
Make it end!
Many people try to hide their struggle with sin (“My secret side I keep”), and the line “he’ll tear me up, break me down” refers to how sin can destroy us.
It's hiding in the dark!
Its teeth are razor-sharp!
There's no escape for me, it wants my soul, it wants my heart
No one can hear me scream
Maybe it's just a dream
Maybe it's inside of me
Stop this monster!
I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin
I must confess that I feel like a monster
Sin “wants my soul, it wants my heart.” It wants to corrupt us and turn us away from God. If we give into sin, we can feel hopeless and alone (“There’s no escape for me … No one can hear me scream”). The end of the song -- “I must confess that I feel like a monster! I, I feel like a monster!” -- shows the speaker admitting that they are struggling with sin in their life.
Image of Awake retreived from Skillet's official website (Atlantic Records, 2023).
The lyrics of the song echo Romans 7:21-24, in which Paul writes, “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?”
“Monster” reflects this struggle of wanting to do good yet having to combat sin “waging war against” us and trying to make us “prisoner[s] of the law of sin at work within.” And
Skillet's lyric, “Why won’t somebody come and save me from this?” resembles Paul’s question of “Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?”
But there is hope! The following verse, Romans 7:25a, says, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Likewise, although “Monster” ends here, Skillet’s other songs, such as “Awake and Alive” from the same album, talk about how we have been delivered and are alive in Christ.
Atlantic Records. (2023). Skillet Music - top songs and discography. Skillet Official Website. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://www.skillet.com/music
Genius. (n.d.). Skillet – Monster. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://genius.com/Skillet-monster-lyrics
Songfacts. (n.d.). Monster by Skillet. Songfacts. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from https://www.songfacts.com/facts/skillet/monster