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)
Diary of a Dope Fiend
Marilyn Manson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I struggle for control
And the children love the show
But they fail to see the anguish in my eyes
Fail to see the anguish in my eyes
I scratch around the brim
I let my mind give in
But they seem to scream when darkness fills my eyes
Seem to scream when darkness fills my eyes
It's no surprise
And I know, and I'm coming down
Fail to see the tragic turn it into magic
My big top tricks will always make you happy
But we all know the hat is wearing me
My bag is in the hat
It's filled with this and that
And my visions getting fat
The rabbits just a chicken in disguise
Stars and pills and meatballs dance before our eyes
They will bite the hand, if it is slower than
The quickness of there scrutinizing eyes
Fail to see the tragic, turn it into magic
My big top tricks will always make you happy
But we all know the hat is wearing me
Chicanery will always make you happy
But we all know the hat is wearing me
In Marilyn Manson's "Diary of a Dope Fiend," the singer is struggling with addiction and the negative effects it has on his life. The first verse describes the feeling of looking into a "hole" and trying to control the situation. The second verse refers to the singer's mind giving in and the crowd enjoying his suffering. He understands that he is coming down from a high, but the audience fails to see the tragic reality behind the performance.
The chorus "Fail to see the tragic turn it into magic" indicates that the singer is attempting to transform his addiction into something that can entertain and please the crowd. Despite the fact that the audience enjoys the show, the singer knows that his "big top tricks" are only covering up the underlying issues. He explains that "the hat is wearing me," meaning that he has become a puppet to his addiction.
The final verse mentions the singer's bag filled with drugs, and his visions becoming distorted. The rabbits and chickens metaphorically represent the singer's distorted perception and inability to trust those around him. The line "They will bite the hand if it is slower than the quickness of their scrutinizing eyes" can be interpreted as a warning to not get too close to addicts, as they may turn on you.
Line by Line Meaning
I peek into the hole
I look into the void
I struggle for control
I try to retain my sanity
And the children love the show
The public enjoys my pain
But they fail to see the anguish in my eyes
They don't understand my suffering
I scratch around the brim
I search the surface for a way out
I let my mind give in
I surrender to addiction
And the crowd begins to grin
The audience is entertained
But they seem to scream when darkness fills my eyes
They don't like it when I show my pain
It's no surprise
This is what they came to see
And I know, and I'm coming down
I'm aware of my situation and the consequences
Fail to see the tragic turn it into magic
People don't see the pain behind the performance
My big top tricks will always make you happy
My showmanship is successful
But we all know the hat is wearing me
My addiction controls me
My bag is in the hat
My drugs are my only escape
It's filled with this and that
My addiction takes many forms
And my visions getting fat
My addiction is growing
The rabbits just a chicken in disguise
My illusions are fake
Stars and pills and meatballs dance before our eyes
We hallucinate and see things that aren't there
They will bite the hand, if it is slower than
Addiction can take over if you give it a chance
The quickness of their scrutinizing eyes
The speed at which addiction can take hold
Chicanery will always make you happy
Trickery can be entertaining
But we all know the hat is wearing me
But my addiction is controlling me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Marilyn Manson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SabrinaOnlineFan96
on Use Your Fist and Not Your Mouth
I woke up today and wished for tomorrow, I don't wanna be like anyone else!
DrJKintobor
on The Speed of Pain
This song reminds me of Shadow the Hedgehog falling to Earth. The lyrics "I hope we die holding hands, always" refers to him and Maria.
DrJKintobor
on Spade
This is the saddest song on the album.
SabrinaOnlineFan96
on Cyclops
Correction, this song makes me think of the dark night.
SabrinaOnlineFan96
on HALF-WAY & ONE STEP FORWARD
This song is so dark, it makes me think of Endora from Sabrina Online: Skunk's Day Out.
SabrinaOnlineFan96
on I Want to Disappear
This is Zaphod Beeblebrox's theme from Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy.
SabrinaOnlineFan96
on Posthuman
This song reminds me of the Mike Teavee Oompa Loompa song from the 2005 Willy Wonka movie, which is funny since Johnny Depp is friends with Marilyn Manson.
SabrinaOnlineFan96
on Tattooed In Reverse
This song gives me Blitzo from Helluva Boss vibes.
SabrinaOnlineFan96
on Long Hard Road Out of Hell
This song reminds me of Shadow the Hedgehog.
DrJKintobor
on Killing Strangers
Me when my dog is killed by Russian gangsters.