At the time the Family began to form, Manson was an unemployed ex-convict who had spent half of his life in correctional institutions for a variety of offenses. Before the murders, he was a singer-songwriter on the fringe of the Los Angeles music industry, chiefly through a chance association with Dennis Wilson, drummer and founding member of The Beach Boys. Manson believed in what he called "Helter Skelter", a term he took from the Beatles' song of the same name to describe an impending apocalyptic race war. He believed the murders would help precipitate that war. From the beginning of his notoriety, a pop culture arose around him in which he ultimately became an emblem of insanity, violence and the macabre. After Manson was charged with the crimes of which he was later convicted, recordings of songs written and performed by him were released commercially, starting with Lie: The Love and Terror Cult (1970). Various musicians have covered some of his songs.
Manson was originally sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted to life with the possibility of parole after California invalidated the state's death penalty statute in 1972. He served out his life sentence at California State Prison in Corcoran and died at age 83 in 2017.
On March 6, 1970 (the day the court vacated Manson's status as his own attorney),:258–269 LIE, an album of Manson music, was released. This included "Cease to Exist", a Manson composition the Beach Boys had recorded with modified lyrics and the title "Never Learn Not to Love". Over the next couple of months, only about 300 of the album's 2,000 copies sold.
Since that time, there have been several releases of Manson recordings – both musical and spoken.[69] One of these, The Family Jams, includes two compact discs of Manson's songs recorded by the Family in 1970, after Manson and the others had been arrested. Guitar and lead vocals are supplied by Steve Grogan:125–127 additional vocals are supplied by Lynette Fromme, Sandra Good, Catherine Share, and others. One Mind, an album of music, poetry, and spoken word, new at the time of its release, in April 2005, was put out under a Creative Commons license.
According to a popular urban legend, Manson unsuccessfully auditioned for the Monkees in late 1965; this is refuted by the fact that Manson was still incarcerated at McNeil Island at that time.
In 2010, Manson recorded an album of acoustic pop songs with additional production by Henry Rollins, titled Completion. Only five copies were pressed; two belong to Rollins, while the other three are presumed to have been with Manson. The album remains unreleased.
Don't Do Anything Illegal
Charles Manson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beware of the eagle
That's right in the middle of your back
Don't be the eagle
Got you in the back
They got you in a sack
And they keep you lookin' back
Beware of the eagle
It's got you by the neck
Don't do anything you shouldn't
And you never can say aw heck
I don't wanna do that
I gotta see your ID my friend
I gotta see your ID my friend
I got to see where you begin
I gotta see your ID my friend
Every time I go to the store
I gotta have an ID with me
I got to have an ID with me
I refuse, so they can see
What they wanna be
Free, I'm free
I got to see your ID my friend
When you come out of the hole
And you're up and down the highway
You got to have an ID
If you don't you can't go sideways
The lyrics of Charles Manson's song "Don't Do Anything Illegal" speak about the consequences of breaking the law and getting caught. The repeated warning to "beware of the eagle" symbolizes law enforcement that can come after you at any point and arrest you for any illegal act. The eagle represents the government that flies high and watches over everything, waiting for their prey to make a mistake so they can strike.
The message of the song is clear: don't do anything illegal and avoid getting caught by the eagle. The imagery used in the lyrics of being "got in a sack" and "keep you looking back" convey a sense of imprisonment and paranoia. It urges listeners to be cautious of their actions and always make sure to have their identification with them.
The repeated line, "I gotta see your ID my friend," may refer to the need for identification to be able to move freely and avoid getting stopped by law enforcement. It also relates to the idea of being labeled and having one's identity documented, suggesting that it can be a form of control over individuals.
Overall, the song sends a warning to individuals to be mindful of their actions, avoid breaking the law, and to always have proper identification to avoid getting caught.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't do anything illegal
Make sure to obey the law and stay out of legal trouble
Beware of the eagle
Be cautious and careful of those in power who may be watching and waiting to catch you doing something wrong
That's right in the middle of your back
The authorities are watching and waiting to catch you if you step out of line
Don't be the eagle
Don't be the one in power who takes advantage of those who are weaker or more vulnerable
Got you in the back
The authorities are waiting to catch you making a mistake
They got you in a sack
Once caught, the authorities have the power to control and manipulate you
And they keep you lookin' back
Being afraid of getting caught will cause you to constantly worry and live in fear
Don't do anything you shouldn't
Make moral and ethical decisions by avoiding actions that could lead to negative consequences
And you never can say aw heck
Avoid making decisions on a whim that you may later regret
I don't wanna do that
Make a conscious choice to not engage in activities that are potentially illegal
I gotta see your ID my friend
The authorities require identification as a way to keep track of and control individuals
I got to see where you begin
Authorities want to know personal information about individuals so that they can exert control over them
Every time I go to the store
Every time I leave my house I am subject to the control of the authorities
I gotta have an ID with me
I am required to carry identification with me at all times as a measure of control
I refuse, so they can see
I am willing to stand up to authority and resist control by not carrying identification
What they wanna be
Authorities want to know everything about individuals so that they can categorize and control them
Free, I'm free
I am claiming my right to personal freedom and resisting control by the authorities
When you come out of the hole
If you are just released from prison, it is necessary to carry identification in order to re-enter society
And you're up and down the highway
When you travel on public roads and highways, authorities require identification for control purposes
If you don't you can't go sideways
Without identification, it is impossible to traverse society and authorities have the power to restrict personal freedom
Contributed by Connor V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Corey
on I'm Free Now
"I'm Free Now" Charles Manson - The Commemoration
There is a song,
I've been searchin for; ill find it
it's here, it's the song i wanted to
write down for you
but i just cant seem to think about anything to do
an old forgotten thing i should've remembered
i even, have trouble, remembering you
so if i see your mark on the road
if i see a smile on your face
you know in my soul know i know
it's just another world another place
keeps on; don't hold on; free
be your friend; your what you got
and you can let the peace pour in
no soul is forever now free now
free now free now free now free now
TO PROVE IM FREE i must act like a fool get a gun and bust someone in the He-he-head
walk along, saying better leave me alone or .... ima let ya play dead
I wanna be free to be, the one I see
just walking along in the sunshine
Live my life and be mine, Lead someone that's blind
Oh, if I could help an old bug off a bush or a tree
Keep on saving, the one im saving me,
ya know i've been here forever now
if im here right now
its cuz you couldn't get me killed
you sorry motherfukin dogs
witches on bitch that run on logs
but ya keep on frying my blood
keep on raising my bird from the mud
keep on stompin me to the the ground
keep on hitting me in the eye
find out where your going
"just watch it there"
see where it's goin; you know it's there
you keep on trusting something that's not even you
in case something happens you think you'll know what to do
NOw you wanna keep on playing on the fake side
They keep on playin on the night side , hide light
Yellow movin on, i see my yellow movin on,
I see my yellow and my yellow and my yellow and my yellow moving on
China man talkin on takin on bills on bills on bills
on someones desk, card check the credit pit
Got a french poodle baby, i pet the french poodle baby,
or, talk about, making it into a hamburger
*Whistles***
"Right about now, ladies and gentleman i'm supposed to give you something you can identify with. Something that would be in that world you call the past. But if i did, i wouldn't be the first and I would't be the last."
Lyrics by: Corey Amond