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.
I Once Knew A Man
Charles Manson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So love he was to be
I once knew a man
Whose heart open you could see
Sadder than a dream
Is that he should pass us by
Sadder than the scheme
Lonelier than I
Could I ever dream of a place to go
Much further than before
Time as it seems would be passive
If it were knocking at your door
Why wonder why dream in a night
Why argue hate and fight
The love that grows in the hearts of the men that I see
Is happenin' is comin' home forever
In the path I should wander alone
And a dream would not be mine to say
And a dream no the dream
Never do more than it seems should I obey
The love in my heart says
Give yourself away
The love in my heart says
You're loose today
Now is forever lasting constant in the mind
Illusions with memories scheming at my end of the mind
All the time
One and one are one if you find
A man who's got to find
Of the man who lives behind the gun
Of the man that lives behind the gun
Where has his love gone and come from
He is your brother
He is your loved one
The lyrics to Charles Manson's "I Once Knew A Man" appear to reflect on the power of love and the consequences that can occur when love is not present or is lost. The song starts by describing a man who was once so full of love that his heart and soul were open for all to see. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that this love has disappeared or has been taken away, leaving a deep sense of sadness and loneliness.
The lyrics suggest that the loss of love is a greater tragedy than any scheme or dream that never came to fruition. The singer reflects on the pain that he feels at the thought of never finding love again or ever having a place to call home. In his despair, he questions why people engage in hate and violence instead of embracing love and compassion.
The song's chorus speaks to the inevitability of time and change, suggesting that everything in life is temporary and will eventually pass. However, the power of love is what endures and can connect us all. The singer implores listeners to give themselves away to love and embrace the presence of others in their lives, even the ones they may deem to be their enemies.
Line by Line Meaning
I once knew a man
I had once met someone
So love he was to be
He was a very loving person
I once knew a man
I had once met someone
Whose heart open you could see
He was very open and honest with his emotions
Sadder than a dream
It is even more depressing than a fictional scenario
Is that he should pass us by
It is unfortunate that he is no longer with us
Sadder than the scheme
It is an even worse situation
Is in the dreams within the sky
When our aspirations are unrealistic
Lonelier than I
More isolated than myself
Could I ever dream of a place to go
I can't even imagine a place where I would feel more alone
Much further than before
A greater distance than previously experienced
Time as it seems would be passive
Time appears to move slowly and without purpose
If it were knocking at your door
If time was a person needing your attention
Why wonder why dream in a night
Why should we bother dreaming when we could experience reality
Why argue hate and fight
Why waste time bickering over negative emotions
The love that grows in the hearts of the men that I see
The affection I witness in others
Is happenin' is comin' home forever
It will always exist and endure
In the path I should wander alone
If I am to journey alone
And a dream would not be mine to say
I would not be able to dictate my aspirations
And a dream no the dream
It is not what I had hoped for
Never do more than it seems should I obey
I should not disregard reality when dreaming
The love in my heart says
My heart tells me
Give yourself away
Be selfless in your actions
You're loose today
You have more freedom today
Now is forever lasting constant in the mind
The present is persistent in thought
Illusions with memories scheming at my end of the mind
Delusions mingling with recollections at the forefront of my brain
All the time
Constantly
One and one are one if you find
Two become unified if done correctly
A man who's got to find
A person who must seek themselves
Of the man who lives behind the gun
The true emotions of the person wielding the firearm
Of the man that lives behind the gun
The individual carrying the weapon
Where has his love gone and come from
What caused his love to vanish and where did it originate
He is your brother
He is still a member of humanity
He is your loved one
He may still be significant to someone
Contributed by Makayla W. 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