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)
Dope Hat
Marilyn Manson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The children love the show but they fail to see the anguish in my
eyes
Fail to see the anguish in my eyes
The crowd begins to grin but they seem to scream when darkness fills
my eyes
Seem to scream when darkness fills my eyes it's no surprise
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
My vision's getting fat, the rabbit's just a monkey in disguise
Stars and pills and needles dance before our eyes
They will bite the hand if it is slower than the quickness of their
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
The lyrics to Marilyn Manson & The Spooky Kids' song "Dope Hat" speak of a performer struggling for control over his own mind and emotions. The children who watch his show are enamored by the spectacle, but they do not see the pain and anguish in his eyes. The performer scratches around the brim of his hat, letting his mind give in as the crowd begins to grin. But when darkness fills his eyes, they scream in terror. Despite this, the performer turns his pain into magic and his big top tricks always make the audience happy. However, it is revealed that the hat is wearing him and his bag is filled with a mix of stars, pills, and needles. The performer is trapped in a cycle of chicanery and the hat is slowly consuming him.
The song can be interpreted as a commentary on the nature of performance and entertainment. The performer is willing to suffer for the sake of his audience's enjoyment, but his suffering is hidden behind the facade of the show. The lyrics also suggest that the audience is complicit in the performer's suffering, as they fail to see the tragedy behind the magic. The inclusion of the symbols of pills and needles adds to this interpretation, suggesting that the performer may be using drugs to cope with his pain or that drug use is a part of the entertainment industry as a whole.
Line by Line Meaning
I peek into the hole I struggle for control
I look into the void and try to maintain my composure
The children love the show but they fail to see the anguish in my eyes
My audience enjoys my performance, but they can't see the pain I'm feeling
Fail to see the anguish in my eyes
They are blind to my distress
I scratch around the brim I let my mind give in
I nervously fiddle with my hat, then give in to my thoughts
The crowd begins to grin but they seem to scream when darkness fills my eyes
The audience is entertained, but becomes frightened when I lose control
Seem to scream when darkness fills my eyes it's no surprise
It's unsurprising that they're scared of my inner turmoil
Fail to see the tragic turn it into magic
They ignore my sadness and see my performance as entertainment
My big top tricks will always make you happy
My elaborate acts will always entertain you
But we all know the hat is wearing me
I am not in control, my persona consumes me
My bag is in the hat, it's filled with this and that
I keep my belongings in my hat, a variety of unknown items
My vision's getting fat, the rabbit's just a monkey in disguise
My perspective is getting distorted, the familiar now seems strange
Stars and pills and needles dance before our eyes
Drugs and other vices are always present in our lives
They will bite the hand if it is slower than the quickness of their scrutinizing eyes
Critics will be harsh if they sense any weakness or vulnerability
Chicanery will always make you happy
Trickery and deceit will continue to entertain you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BRIAN WARNER, SCOTT MITCHELL PUTESKY, STEPHEN BIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tinomorales9780
I peek into the hole, I struggle for control
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, yeah, yeah
The crowd begins to grin
But they seem to scream when darkness fills my eyes
Seem to scream when darkness fills my eyes, it's no surprise
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
My vision's getting fat
The rabbit's just a monkey in disguise
Stars and pills and needles
Dance before our eyes
They will bite the hand if it is slower than
The quickness of their 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.
@rachelb5297
I remember listening to this as a teen in my room at a very low volume so that my mom wouldn't hear. Manson helped so many of us awkward kids eventually let our freak flags fly. 36 now. Will always come back.
@MC-bz3mt
I'm from Italy and, as a kid, I always wondered "how can native english speakers listen to the english music that i listen to, with their parents at home understanding the lyrics"? Now you've answered :D
Btw Manson helped me a lot back then, as for you. Love remembering those days, still at 33
@duggiedug9148
Weird I did the same thing with Antichrist Superstar. Then I started blasting it and my step dad got so pissed he took my cd and threw it in the street and a car rolled over it. So I had to buy another and listen on low volume again. When Mechanical Animals came out I thought it was so different my parents wouldn't know, then my sister ratted on me Lol.
@missomario81
Same. Same fuckin SAME (38 yrs old)
@nativeskin7819
I lived with my dad. Although he wasn't a fan he still allowed me to listen to it and be myself
@clank2269
I'm 18 and Manson is amazing
@mauricioreal7384
This is my favorite era of Manson, when the band acted, sounded and played like a band and all the members were unique and noticeable. Not to mention the sound was more hard rock.
@jasonmoyer
Their presentation got so stupid after Sweet Dreams took off that I forgot they just looked like a fun horror glam metal band around this time. This record still holds up surprisingly well too, they still had a pile of ideas and there are ton of fun samples and great riffage.
@jessedefrancisco1410
Love this alvum. Rest is meh. Antichrist has some good songs
@sorcerersupreme3345
This is by far their best album