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)
The Way I Am
Marilyn Manson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's like a carnival, or state fair
Skin is cotton candy
So easy to melt in my mouth
Don't wanna know
Don't need to know
You got champagne problems
Don't need to know
You got champagne problems
I need a raincoat for tomorrow
I need a raincoat for tomorrow
It's about how much people cry
When you die
It's not about the storm of tears
That you make when you're alive
Half-way and one step forward
Past the points of no return
Half-way and one step forward
Past the points of no return
Ring all the bells you can ring
There's a crack in everything
That's how the sunlight gets in
Ring all the bells you can ring
There's a crack in everything
That's how the sunlight gets in
Don't wanna know
Don't need to know
You got champagne problems
Don't wanna know
Don't need to know
You got champagne problems
Half-way and one step forward
Past the points of no return
Half-way and one step forward
Past the points of no return
Half-way and one step forward
Past the points of no return
Don't wanna know (half-way and one step forward)
Don't need to know (past the points of no return)
You got champagne problems (half-way and one step forward)
Don't wanna know (half-way and one step forward)
Don't need to know (past the points of no return)
You got champagne problems (half-way and one step forward)
Past the points of no return
The lyrics to "The Way I Am" by Marilyn Manson are both unsettling and captivating, as Manson's music often is. The opening lines of "Smell your blood, it's like a carnival or state fair, skin is cotton candy, so easy to melt in my mouth" paint a graphic image of a person's flesh being consumed. The use of references to a carnival or state fair invoke a sense of whimsy and childlike wonderment which contrasts sharply with the gruesome and macabre imagery of the preceding lines. This dichotomy is a hallmark of Mansons' music, as he often juxtaposes seemingly unrelated emotions and ideas to create a feeling of unease and tension within the listener.
The following lines are an unapologetic refrain of "Don't wanna know, don't need to know, you got champagne problems" which seem to indicate a dismissive attitude towards the concerns and problems of others. The repetition of this phrase throughout the song gives it a sense of urgency and importance. Manson is acknowledging that he is aware of the problems of others but chooses to ignore them. This could be seen as a commentary on the apathetic nature of society as a whole or Manson's personal philosophy on life.
The final lines of the song are repeated twice: "Half-way and one step forward, past the points of no return." This phrase could indicate that Manson is aware of the consequences of his actions and is choosing to move forward anyway. Alternatively, it could also mean that he is aware of his own mortality and choosing to live life to the fullest despite the risks. The final lines of the song, "Ring all the bells you can ring, there's a crack in everything, that's how the sunlight gets in" could be seen as a message of hope. Despite the darkness that Manson often portrays, he acknowledges that there is always a sliver of light that can illuminate even the darkest corners of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Smell your blood
Seductive and dangerous, like a carnival game that encourages you to lose.
It's like a carnival, or state fair
The experience of smelling someone's blood is similar to the frivolous atmosphere of a carnival or state fair.
Skin is cotton candy
Their skin is soft and delicate, evocative of the nostalgic treat of cotton candy.
So easy to melt in my mouth
The skin is so fragile that it's effortless to 'consume' them sexually, like melting candy in one's mouth.
Don't wanna know
The singer doesn't care for the details of their partner's problems.
Don't need to know
Their partner's issues are irrelevant and won't affect the singer's desire for them.
You got champagne problems
Their partner's problems are shallow but too luxurious for the singer to deal with or care about.
I need a raincoat for tomorrow
The singer is predicting the need to prepare for an upcoming emotional tragedy and wants to protect themselves.
It's about how much people cry
The singer is commenting on how one's death affects others by measuring their tears of sorrow.
When you die
The subject of the singer's comment is the person who perished.
It's not about the storm of tears
The level of emotional outpour while alive doesn't reflect how someone will be remembered after they pass.
That you make when you're alive
People may emote intensely during life, but it doesn't guarantee people will miss them after they die.
Half-way and one step forward
The singer has made some progress but is not fully completed with their journey.
Past the points of no return
The singer has already taken irreversible steps towards their goal, for better or for worse.
Ring all the bells you can ring
The singer is encouraging someone to take advantage of every possible opportunity to be happy.
There's a crack in everything
Everything beautiful and perfect is flawed.
That's how the sunlight gets in
It's the little imperfections that make something or someone brilliantly beautiful.
Don't wanna know
The singer still doesn't want to know about their partner's problems.
Don't need to know
Their partner's issues are trivial and aren't necessary information to continue the singer's desire for them.
Half-way and one step forward
The singer has made some progress but is not completely done.
Past the points of no return
The singer has already taken irreversible steps towards their goal.
Don't wanna know
The singer still doesn't want to know about their partner's problems.
Don't need to know
Their partner's issues are trivial and aren't necessary information to continue the singer's desire for them.
You got champagne problems
Their partner's issues are luxurious, meaning that they don't mind them but don't want to hear about them.
Half-way and one step forward
The singer has made some progress but is not completely done.
Past the points of no return
The singer has already taken irreversible steps towards their goal.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Brian Warner, Shooter Jennings
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@B_11
Man, whatever
Dre, just let it run
Ayo, turn the beat up a little bit
Ayo, this song is for anyone...
Fuck it, just shut up and listen, ayo
I sit back with this pack of Zig-Zags and this bag
Of this weed, it gives me the shit needed to be
The most meanest MC on this on this Earth
And since birth I've been cursed with this curse to just curse
And just blurt this berserk and bizarre shit that works
And it sells and it helps in itself to relieve all this tension
Dispensing these sentences, getting this stress
That's been eating me recently off of this chest
And I rest again peacefully
But at least have the decency in you
To leave me alone, when you freaks see me out
In the streets when I'm eating or feeding my daughter
To not come and speak to me
I don't know you, and no, I don't owe you a mothafuckin' thing
I'm not Mr. N'Sync, I'm not what your friends think
I'm not Mr. Friendly, I can be a prick if you tempt me
My tank is on empty, no patience is in me
And if you offend me, I'm lifting you ten feet in the air
I don't care who was there and who saw me just jaw you
Go call you a lawyer, file you a lawsuit
I'll smile in the courtroom and buy you a wardrobe
I'm tired of all you, I don't mean to be mean
But that's all I can be, it's just me
And I am whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news, every day I am
Radio won't even play my jam
'Cause I am whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news, every day I am, huh
I don't know, it's just the way I am
Sometimes I just feel like my father
I hate to be bothered with all of this nonsense, it's constant
And, oh, it's his lyrical content, the song Guilty Conscience
Has gotten such rotten responses
And all of this controversy circles me
And it seems like the media immediately points a finger at me
So I point one back at 'em, but not the index or pinkie
Or the ring or the thumb, it's the one you put up
When you don't give a fuck, when you won't just put up
With the bullshit they pull, 'cause they full of shit too
When a dude's getting bullied and shoots up his school
And they blame it on Marilyn and the heroin
Where were the parents at? And look where it's at!
Middle America, now it's a tragedy
Now it's so sad to see, an upper-class city
Havin' this happenin'
Then attack Eminem 'cause I rap this way
But I'm glad, 'cause they feed me the fuel that I need
For the fire to burn and it's burning, and I have returned
And I am whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news, every day I am
Radio won't even play my jam
'Cause I am whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news, every day I am
I don't know, it's just the way I am
I'm so sick and tired of being admired
That I wish that I would just die or get fired
And dropped from my label, let's stop with the fables
I'm not gonna be able to top on "My Name Is"
And pigeon-holed into some poppy sensation
To cop me rotation at rock-n-roll stations
And I just do not got the patience
To deal with these cocky Caucasians
Who think I'm some wigger who just tries to be black
'Cause I talk with an accent, and grab on my balls
So they always keep asking the same fucking questions
What school did I go to, what hood I grew up in
The why, the who, what, when, the where and the how
'Til I'm grabbing my hair and I'm tearin' it out
'Cause they driving me crazy, I can't take it
I'm racin', I'm pacin', I stand and I sit
And I'm thankful for every fan that I get
But I can't take a shit in the bathroom
Without someone standing by it
No, I won't sign you an autograph
You can call me an asshole, I'm glad, 'cause...
I am whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news, every day I am
Radio won't even play my jam
'Cause I am whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news, every day I am
I don't know, it's just the way I am
@klevi1031
This is the real Bad meets Evil.
@jakethefox9439
this would be Evil Meets Evil
@general00.84
Cala essa boca
@austinwillhelm3612
😂😂 a year later still hilarious
@hanadoyle8984
don't disrespect Royce like that man
@zkprintf
Evil meets Devil
@heavymetalheretic5386
The King of Shock rocks and the King of Shock rap.
@therollingreviewer6379
I will not call eminem a king compared to ll cool j.
@therollingreviewer6379
@EndOfTheNight I'm not going to be someone like you. So I send love your way.
@datboi-kn5us
@The Rolling reviewer ur right he's better in every way compared to ll cool J