- The Dope Show
Marilyn Manson Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The drugs they say
Make us feel so hollow
We love in vain
Narcissistic and so shallow

The cops and queers
To swim you have to swallow
Hate today
There's no love for tomorrow

We're all stars now in the dope show

There's a lot of pretty, pretty ones
That want to get you high
But all the pretty, pretty ones
Will leave you low
And blow your mind

They love you when you're on all the covers
When you're not then they love another

The drugs they say
Are made in California
We love your face
We'd really like to sell you

The cops and queers
Make good-looking models
I hate today
Who will I wake up with tomorrow?

There's a lot of pretty, pretty ones
That want to get you high
But all the pretty, pretty ones
Will leave you low
And blow your mind

They love you when you're on all the covers
When you're not then they love another





We're all stars now in the dope show

Overall Meaning

In "The Dope Show," Marilyn Manson addresses the entertainment industry and its relationship with drugs, particularly in California. The lyrics suggest that drugs create a void in people's lives and that people's love and relationships are shallow and narcissistic. "The Dope Show" is a commentary on the music industry's reliance on drugs, particularly the glamourization of drugs in Hollywood.


The song begins with the acknowledgement that drugs are a commonly accepted way of coping with the emptiness of modern life. The refrain "we're all stars now in the dope show" speaks to the idea that drugs help people feel like they are part of something bigger and more significant. Manson's lyrics suggest that this is a false sense of security, and that drugs only create shallow, self-centered people.


Manson paints a picture of the entertainment industry as full of shallow people, using the lines "The cops and queers / Make good-looking models" to suggest that the industry is full of people who are only concerned with their own appearance and agenda. The lyrics depict a culture that values fame and beauty over substance, going so far as to suggest that the drugs themselves are manufactured to make consumers feel better about their image and sense of self-worth.


Overall, "The Dope Show" is a scathing critique of popular culture and its obsession with drugs, image, and surface-level relationships.


Line by Line Meaning

The drugs they say
Outsiders suggest that drugs can make us feel empty


Make us feel so hollow
These substances lead to a meaningless existence


We love in vain
We yearn for love without giving it in return


Narcissistic and so shallow
We obsess over ourselves and lack depth in our character


The cops and queers
Both law enforcement and homosexuals are unaccepted by society


To swim you have to swallow
To succeed in life, you must compromise your ideals


Hate today
Feelings of anger and hostility consume us in the present moment


There's no love for tomorrow
The future is bleak and without hope for compassion


We're all stars now in the dope show
We have become a society obsessed with drugs and fame


There's a lot of pretty, pretty ones
Many attractive people try to get you to indulge in drugs


That want to get you high
They entice you with the temporary escape from reality that drugs provide


But all the pretty, pretty ones
Ultimately, these individuals will bring you down


Will leave you low
You will feel empty and unfulfilled after being used by them


And blow your mind
The intense impact of these people will overwhelm you


They love you when you're on all the covers
The public admires and glorifies individuals while they are popular


When you're not then they love another
Once they lose interest, the public moves onto the next big thing


The drugs they say
Many drugs are produced in California


Are made in California
California is known for being a hub for drug production


We love your face
Society is fixated on physical appearance


We'd really like to sell you
People are willing to exploit and profit off of others' insecurities


Make good-looking models
Society values beauty above all else


I hate today
The present is filled with animosity and negativity


Who will I wake up with tomorrow?
The future is uncertain and unpredictable




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@Elizabetdh

The drugs they say
To make us feel so hollow
We love in vain
Narcissistic and so shallow
The cops and queers
To swim you have to swallow
Hate today
No love for tomorrow
We're all stars now in the dope show
We're all stars now in the dope show
There's lots of pretty, pretty ones
That want to get you high
But all the pretty, pretty ones
Will leave you low
And blow your mind
We're all stars now in the dope show
We're all stars now in the dope show
They love you when you're on all the covers
When you're not, then they love another
They love you when you're on all the covers
When you're not, then they love another
The drugs they say
Are made in California
We love your face
We'd really like to sell you
The cops and queers
Make good-looking models
I hate today
Who will I wake up with tomorrow?
There's lots of pretty, pretty ones
That want to get you high
But all the pretty, pretty ones
Will leave you low
And blow your mind
They love you when you're on all the covers
When you're not, then they love another
They love you when you're on all the covers
When you're not, then they love another
There's lots of pretty, pretty ones
That want to get you high
But all the pretty, pretty ones
Will leave you low
And blow your mind
Go blow your mind
We're all stars now in the dope show
We're all stars now in the dope show



All comments from YouTube:

@buttmcbutt1647

1995: What a freak
2019: What a well adjusted, accomplished individual!

@fakestudios553

No matter what hes an icon

@KellyScott11

I've never experienced anyone say that. I still get weird looks at my age!

@corinnacarlson3748

Yea it's weird how time changes people's perceptions...well some people anyways.

@thecorruptversion

@@johannahaggarty9242 lol so, you are marilyn manson?

@johannahaggarty9242

@@thecorruptversion Hahaha, lol, cheers

95 More Replies...

@dimmkah

This music video was every Christian conservative parent's worst nightmare when it came out.

@wildchild6141

I was just thinking the same thing. my conservative church was postie I worshipped the devil and was going to hell

@keko7804

+Tricia Shelley i just go along with it. creeps them out

@mrwumbus2822

My dad is super Christian conservative, but this is his favorite MM song.

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