Tender Sugar is a song from Silent Hill 4: The Room. The song is track 1 of the game's soundtrack and was composed by Akira Yamaoka with lyrics written by Joe Romersa and sung by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn. The song's video features Joseph Schreiber and parts of the game.
A largely ambient version of this song plays when Joseph Schreiber speaks to Henry Townshend and Eileen Galvin in Room 302 of the Past.
Symbolism[]
Joseph is seen writing on himself throughout the video and, implied through the lyrics, the song may be about Schreiber. The song's lyrics state "the sweet sugar saves me, it's the room that confines me" and about how it can't differentiate dreams from reality, which may be Joseph pleading for salvation from his room.
The "white sugar" may be White Claudia or its form PTV which has hallucinogenic properties.
The lyrics may also reference Walter Sullivan, whose possible addiction to White Claudia/PTV and filial attachment to Room 302 the Order caused. However, the "white sugar" may also be a metaphor for desiring his mother's breastmilk, implied by the line "mother's sugar always loves me".
Lyrics[]
I run, I fall
What ripped away?
Check my body now
Was it body or soul?
The darkness fades
Fades to the light
Disappearing now
Disappears from the night
And all these nightmares I once had as a child
The morning always came, it came too late
What did my mind forget? Forget to hide?
Could the nightmare be awake?
I don't know
In or out
Up or down
Never know it's an illusion
Round and round
On and on
Every day spins my confusion
Not again, not again, not again
This dream I can't awake
What is real? What is real? What is real?
It's getting hard for me to take
What I need, what I need, what I need
A little something I rely
And the white sugar gently hides me
Oh, the sweet sugar saves me
It's the room that confines me
Confines me
Sweet sugar
Yesterday
Back and forth
Broken door no longer opens
Breaking down
Need it now
Mother's sugar always loves me
Not again, not again, not again
This dream I can't awake
What is real? What is real? What is real?
It's getting hard for me to take
What I need, what I need, what I need
A little something I rely
And the white sugar gently hides me
Oh, the sweet sugar saves me
It's the room that confines me
Tender Sugar - Empire Mix[]
Tender Sugar Empire Mix
Tender Sugar - Empire Mix.
- Main article: Tender Sugar - Empire Mix
This is a faster remix of the song.