Take Me To Church Lyrics Meaning

This song is not specifically about homosexuality even if that's what the music video is about. It's about being human and how the church/religion condemns you for being just that. Lying, lust, pride, jealousy etc. are all "sins" but they are part of being human.

"My church offers no absolutes", basically saying that church/religion will not love me unconditionally, I must meet expectations, and ask for forgiveness when I do not.

"I was born sick, but I love it", the "born sick" means born with sin (just like we told when we were young), but "I love it" follows because we born unique yet flawed, and that's something worth loving because we were born human.

"Command me to be well", force me to confession, pray for my sins, force me to apologize for being human.

The Chorus

"Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life"

"Take me to church, I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies" means that religion is one rigged game because you can pour your soul out to it but you'll never be worth anything to it because you were born "sick"

"I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife" basically picture a godfather and your begging for forgiveness for a "wrong" you've committed but he's just sitting there not giving a damn because he'll kill/condemn you anyways ("you can sharpen your knife").

"Offer me that deathless death, Good God, let me give you my life". Deathless death means the eternal life mentioned in the bible, and because of this you will give the church your life because you will not sin or at least to your best not to in order to obtain your eternal life, hence “Good God, let me give you my life”.

"That's a fine looking high horse
What you got in the stable?
We've a lot of starving faithful
That looks tasty
That looks plenty
This is hungry work"

high horse is basically pride which is considered a sin, these lines shift to a different point of view, to god/religion/church, and how it's "eating" or taking people on to its side "church" because people need something to believe in for their sins "starving faithful".

"No masters or kings when the ritual begins. There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin" this basically means there is no God "masters or kings", when you die "when the ritual begins". And how being human is pure and beautiful and "sin" is part of that beauty "sweeter innocence than our gentle sin".

"Only then I am human
Only then I am clean", means only when I'm dead will I be 100% human free from religion/church.

The lines when a lover is mentioned I believe it’s a mockery towards religion like, “ooh look what I'm doing”, basically being a renegade towards the whole concept of church.

This song basically ridicules the idea of church/religion because religion it is constantly attacking human nature, it makes us feel horrible for being human, this is where the topic of homosexuality comes into play. Sex or love is a very natural act but suddenly when is a man w/ man (or woman and woman) it is not. And sex in general is also viewed as something to be ashamed of. We are human, we feel pride, lust, we feel hate and anger, we lie, we steal but we are human beings and we should not apologize and ask for forgiveness for being just that.