In the past, band members dressed in outlandish makeup and costumes, and engaged in intentionally shocking behavior both onstage and off. Their lyrics often received criticism for their anti-religious sentiment and references to sex, violence and drugs, while their live performances were frequently called offensive and obscene. On several occasions, protests and petitions led to the group being blocked from performing, with at least three US states passing legislation banning the group from performing at state-owned venues. They released a number of platinum-selling albums, including Antichrist Superstar (1996) and Mechanical Animals (1998). These albums, along with their highly stylized music videos and worldwide touring, brought public recognition to Marilyn Manson. In 1999, news media, infamously, falsely blamed the band for influencing the perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacre.
As this controversy began to wane throughout the 2000s, so did the band's mainstream popularity. Despite this, Jon Wiederhorn of MTV, in June 2003, referred to Marilyn Manson as "the only true artist today". Marilyn Manson is widely regarded as being one of the most iconic and controversial figures in rock music, with the band and its lead singer influencing numerous other groups and musicians, both in metal-associated acts and also in wider popular culture. VH1 ranked Marilyn Manson as the seventy-eighth best rock band on their 100 Great Artists of Hard Rock. They were inducted into the Kerrang! Hall of Fame in 2000, and have been nominated for four Grammy Awards. In the U.S., the band has seen ten of its releases debut in the top ten, including two number-one albums. Marilyn Manson have sold in excess of 50 million records worldwide.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Manson_(band)
Studio albums
Portrait of an American Family (1994)
Antichrist Superstar (1996)
Mechanical Animals (1998)
Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) (2000)
The Golden Age of Grotesque (2003)
Eat Me, Drink Me (2007)
The High End of Low (2009)
Born Villain (2012)
The Pale Emperor (2015)
Heaven Upside Down (2017)
We Are Chaos (2020)
02. The Dope Show
Marilyn Manson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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 lot's 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
Blow, blow your mind
We're all stars, now, in the dope show
We're all stars, now, in the dope show
"The Dope Show" is a song by Marilyn Manson that critiques the effects of fame, drugs, and celebrity culture. It starts with the line "The drugs they say make us feel so hollow" which refers to the emptiness and sense of disconnection individuals may feel when they use substances to escape their problems. The second line "We love in vain Narcissistic and so shallow" suggests that the love that the people have for each other is vain because they are more concerned with themselves and their own image. The reference to narcissism highlights how our society focuses on the self and the image of the self, rather than on the actual person.
The next lines make a reference to the cops and queers, saying that if you want to be successful, you have to swallow your pride and follow the rules made by those in power (cops) and those who conform to societal expectations (queers). The line "Hate today there's no love for tomorrow" shows the fleeting nature of love which is based on the current status of fame.
The chorus "We're all stars now in the dope show" suggests that in today's society we are all part of the "dope show" which is a term coined by Manson to describe the subculture of drugs and celebrity that exists in our society. The second verse continues with the idea of hollow fame and how people who want the high life will do anything to get it, even if it means using drugs. The lines "they love you when you're on all the covers, when you're not then they love another" suggest that fame is fleeting and that people love you only when you are popular.
Overall, the song is a critique of the hollow nature of fame, celebrity culture, and drug use in our society. It highlights the narcissism, shallowness, and emptiness that can come with pursuing these things.
Line by Line Meaning
The drugs they say
According to popular belief, drugs cause a sense of emptiness in individuals.
Make us feel so hollow
It creates a void within our conscience.
We love in vain
Our love is superficial and does not come from the heart.
Narcissistic and so shallow
It is self-indulgent and lacks depth.
The cops and queers
The law enforcement and LGBTQ+ individuals.
To swim you have to swallow
To succeed, adapt and become one of them.
Hate today
Current society is filled with negativity and animosity.
There's no love for tomorrow
There will be no empathy or kindness forthcoming.
We're all stars now in the dope show
We are all equally a part of the show and performance of society.
There's a lot of pretty, pretty ones
There are many attractive people around.
That want to get you high
Those individuals who seem attractive offer the possibility of euphoria.
But all the pretty, pretty ones
However, those individuals that seem attractive will cause you to feel low.
Will leave you low
They will lead to a sense of inadequacy and worthlessness.
And blow your mind
The experience may be so intense as to cause psychological trauma.
They love you when you're on all the covers
People love you when you're in the spotlight and they receive something in return.
When you're not then they love another
Once you're out of the limelight, they will find someone else to love instead.
The drugs they say
People say drugs provide an outlet and connection to society.
Are made in California
Drugs are manufactured and distributed throughout California.
We love your face
We appreciate your appearance and want to capitalize on your looks.
We'd really like to sell you
We would like to exploit and gain profit from you.
Make good-looking models
They are ideal candidates for modeling and advertisement.
I hate today
I despise the current situation in society.
Who will I wake up with tomorrow?
Who we associate ourselves with in the future is uncertain.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Brian Hugh Warner, Jeordie White
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@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
@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
@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.