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.
Look At Your Game Girl
Charles Manson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time keeps on flying
Think you're loving baby
But all your doing is crying
Can you feel
Are those feelings real
Look at your game, girl
What a mad delusion
Living in that confusion
Frustration and doubt
Can you ever live without the game
The sad, sad game
Mad game
Just to say loves' not enough
it can't be true
Oh, you can tell those lies
but you're only fooling you
Can't you feel
All those feelings ain't real
Then you better stop trying
Or you're gonna play crying
Stop trying
The song "Look at Your Game Girl" by Charles Manson seems to be a message to a woman who is caught up in a destructive cycle of love and crying. The lyrics suggest that she is living in a mad delusion, confused and frustrated, and playing a sad game that is causing her pain. Manson sings about the confusion that comes with trying to find love but not being able to do it right, and the pain that follows when things inevitably fall apart. He warns the woman to stop trying if she doesn't want to end up crying.
The central message of the song is that love is not enough, and it cannot be a substitute for a happy, healthy life. The woman needs to take a step back and examine her situation, and see that she is not really living but instead just crying. The song has a haunting quality to it, with Manson's soft, high-pitched voice and the simple melody adding to the overall effect.
Interestingly, while Manson is known primarily for his criminal activities, he was also an aspiring musician, and many of his songs were recorded and released both before and after his imprisonment. "Look at Your Game Girl" was one of his most well-known songs, with some notable covers by musicians such as Guns N' Roses and Marilyn Manson. The song has sparked controversy over the years, with some people arguing that it should not be celebrated due to Manson's crimes, while others appreciate it as a standalone work of art.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a time for living
There's a time and opportunity for you to live your life in happiness.
Time keeps on flying
Time passes quickly, and it's important to make the most of it.
Think you're loving baby
You believe you are in love.
But all your doing is crying
But in reality, you're just hurting and crying.
Can you feel
Do you know and understand your emotion?
Are those feelings real
Are these emotions genuine and true?
Look at your game, girl
Take a moment to reflect on your situation and feelings.
What a mad delusion
Your current mindset is insane and unrealistic.
Living in that confusion
You're living in a state of chaos and confusion.
Frustration and doubt
You're experiencing feelings of frustration and uncertainty.
Can you ever live without the game
Can you envision a life without this specific emotional 'game'?
The sad, sad game
This emotional game is truly disheartening and sorrowful.
Mad game
This game is maddening and illogical.
Just to say loves' not enough
Merely stating that you love someone is not sufficient for a healthy and fulfilling relationship.
it can't be true
Your belief that love isn't enough is not necessarily accurate.
Oh, you can tell those lies
You might convince yourself with false truths.
but you're only fooling you
But in doing so, you're only deceiving yourself.
Can't you feel
Don't you realize and acknowledge your emotions?
All those feelings ain't real
All these emotions are inauthentic and misleading.
Then you better stop trying
Therefore, it's best if you stop trying to maintain this emotional facade.
Or you're gonna play crying
Or else you'll end up hurting and crying.
Stop trying
Put an end to this emotional struggle and seek genuine happiness.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CHARLES MANSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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