Son of Man
Marilyn Manson Lyrics


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Rise up Son of Man
New York cities' Son of Sam
With a gun in hand
He reaps the women of our land

Blood and family does his death depravity
Keep out of his way
Live to lie another day

He picked up a .44 calibur gun
To shoot her down, down

He was told to kill
Dogs and Demons gave him will
Fear and roaming nights
Some remember hating life

Nobody wants him
He just stares at the world
Planning his vengance
That he will soon unfurl

Now the time is here
For Son of Sam to spread fear
Father holy ghost, wicked son who kills the most

Nobody wants him
They just turn their heads
Nobody helps him
Now he has his revenge

Down, down, down...

Gunshots full of lead
Fills his victims full of dread
Running as fast as they can
Son of Sam killed again!





Down, down, down...
Down, down, down...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Marilyn Manson's song "Son of Man" describe the real-life case of the "Son of Sam" serial killer, David Berkowitz, who terrorized New York City in the summer of 1977. The song highlights the violence and depravity that characterized Berkowitz's murders, as well as his defiance of institutional authority and his belief in satanic forces that compelled him to kill.


The opening line, "Rise up Son of Man," refers to the biblical figure of Jesus Christ and transforms Berkowitz, who styled himself as the "Son of Sam," into a dark messiah figure whose mission is to wreak havoc on the world. The lyrics go on to describe how Berkowitz carried out his killing spree with a .44 caliber gun, targeting young women who he saw as representative of his mother and her rejection of him. The chorus repeats the refrain of "nobody wants him," emphasizing Berkowitz's sense of alienation and rejection from society.


The song concludes on a note of despair, as the people who could have stopped Berkowitz failed to do so, and he continued to kill until he was finally caught. The repeated refrain of "down, down, down" suggests a descent into darkness and chaos that cannot be escaped, despite the efforts of the song's narrator to resist it.


Line by Line Meaning

Rise up Son of Man
Get up and start causing chaos


New York cities' Son of Sam
The epitome of fear and destruction


With a gun in hand
Holding a weapon to kill


He reaps the women of our land
He murders women without mercy


Blood and family does his death depravity
His deeply rooted issues stem from his family and bloodline


Keep out of his way
Stay away from him for your own safety


Live to lie another day
Survive and deceive to continue living


He picked up a .44 caliber gun
He chose a powerful weapon to kill with


To shoot her down, down
He brutally murders his victim


He was told to kill
He is following someone else's orders to commit murder


Dogs and Demons gave him will
He is under the influence of evil forces


Fear and roaming nights
His dark thoughts terrorize him during sleepless nights


Some remember hating life
His actions push others to despise their own existence


Nobody wants him
Society rejects him and his actions


He just stares at the world
He watches the world around him as a spectator


Planning his vengeance
He is plotting to get revenge


That he will soon unfurl
He is about to reveal his evil plan


Now the time is here
It's time for him to take action


For Son of Sam to spread fear
His goal is to instill terror


Father holy ghost, wicked son who kills the most
He is acting like a perverse religious figure, killing the most people


They just turn their heads
Society ignores his presence and actions


Nobody helps him
People refuse to assist him or change his path


Now he has his revenge
He finally obtains the satisfaction he longed for after his revenge


Gunshots full of lead
He kills his victims with guns


Fills his victims full of dread
His victims suffer greatly before their death


Running as fast as they can
The victims manage to escape but he catches up soon


Son of Sam killed again!
His murderous rampage continues




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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SabrinaOnlineFan96


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