In 1989, Brian Warner was a college student working toward a journalism degree, and gaining experience in the field by writing music articles for a South Florida lifestyle magazine, 25th Parallel. It was in this capacity that he was able to meet several of the musicians to whom his own band would later be compared, including My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.
He met Scott Putesky shortly afterward and, after showing him some lyrics and poems he had written, proposed that they form a band together. Warner, guitarist Putesky, and bassist Brian Tutunick recorded their first demo tape as Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids in late 1989, taking on the stage names of Marilyn Manson, Daisy Berkowitz and Olivia Newton Bundy, respectively. They were soon joined by keyboardist Perry Pandrea, also known as Zsa Zsa Speck, who shortly left the band after the fourth show. Stephen Bier, who called himself Madonna Wayne Gacy, was his replacement; Bundy was replaced by Gidget Gein in 1990, born Brad Stewart. In 1991, drummer Fred Streithorst joined the band, with the stage name Sara Lee Lucas.
The stage names used by each member were representative of a concept the band considered central: the dichotomy of good and evil, and the existence of both, together, in every whole. "Marilyn Monroe had a dark side," explained Manson in his autobiography, "just as Charles Manson has a good, intelligent side." Images of both Monroe and Manson, as well as of others equally famous and notorious, were common in the band's early promotional materials.
The Spooky Kids' popularity in the area grew quickly, largely because of radio DJ Scott David of WYNX-FM, an early fan who eagerly played songs from the band's demo tapes on the air; and because of the band's highly visual concerts, which drew from performance art and used many shock techniques. It was not uncommon to see onstage naked women nailed to a cross, a child in a cage, or bloody animal body parts; Manson, Berkowitz, and Gein variously performed in women's clothing or bizarre costumes; and, for lack of a professional pyro-technician, they would occasionally set their own stage props on fire.
The band would dramatically contrast these grotesque theatrics with elements drawn from the culture of the members' youth in the 1970s and 1980s: characters from that era's children's television made regular, often somewhat altered, appearances on Marilyn Manson flyers and newsletters, and were frequently sampled in the music. They continued to perform and release cassettes—shortening their name to Marilyn Manson in 1992—until the summer of 1993, when the band drew the attention of Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, who at the time had just founded his own record label, Nothing Records. They would go on to release their debut album Portrait of an American Family under the name 'Marilyn Manson' in 1994.
The Spooky Kids members:
Marilyn Manson - vocals (1989-present)
Daisy Berkowitz - guitar (1989-1996)
Olivia Newton Bundy - bass (1989-1990)
Zsa Zsa Speck - keyboard (1989-1990)
Gidget Gein - bass (1990-1993)
Madonna Wayne Gacy - keyboard (1990-2006)
Sara Lee Lucas - drums (1991-1995)
Discography as Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids:
1990 - The Raw Boned Psalms (demo)
1990 - The Beaver Meat Cleaver Beat (demo)
1990 - Big Black Bus (demo)
1990 - Grist-O-Line (demo)
1991 - After School Special (demo)
1991 - Lunchbox (demo)
1992 - Live as Hell (live)
2004 - Lunch Boxes & Choklit Cows (compilation)
2004 - Thrift (single)
Sam Son of Man
Marilyn Manson & The Spooky Kids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rise up Son of Man
New York cities' Son of Sam
With a gun in hand
He reaps the wimen of our land
Blood and family does his death depravity
Keep out of his way
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 vengeance
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...
The lyrics of Marilyn Manson's song Sam Son Of Man deal with the notorious serial killer David Berkowitz, also known as Son of Sam, who terrorized New York City in the late 1970s. The song presents a chilling portrait of Berkowitz as a ruthless and bloodthirsty killer who takes pleasure in the murder of innocent women. The opening lines urge him to rise up and continue his killing spree, while the chorus repeats his moniker as the Son of Sam.
The song also touches on the psychological and emotional motives behind Berkowitz's crimes. It alludes to his troubled childhood and dysfunctional family background, which may have contributed to his deep-seated anger and thirst for revenge. The lyrics suggest that the killer was driven by a twisted sense of loyalty to his "blood and family," and that he saw his victims as agents of his own pain and suffering.
Overall, Sam Son Of Man is a haunting and disturbing portrayal of one of America's most notorious killers. Through its lyrics, the song seeks to shed light on the complex and twisted mind of a serial murderer and the devastating impact of his crimes on his victims and on society at large.
Line by Line Meaning
Son of Man
Addressing the subject of the song, the 'Son of Sam', a notorious serial killer in New York City.
Rise up Son of Man
Encouraging the 'Son of Sam' to continue his killing spree.
New York cities' Son of Sam
Identifying the specific killer in question.
With a gun in hand
The weapon used by the killer to commit his murders.
He reaps the women of our land
The killer's victims are exclusively female.
Blood and family does his death depravity
The killer's actions go against the norms of society and his own family.
Keep out of his way
An advisory statement not to involve oneself with the killer.
Live to lie another day
It's better to deceive the killer than to confront him and take the risk of being killed.
He picked up a .44 caliber gun
The specific type of firearm the killer used.
To shoot her down, down
The killer's use of the gun to commit murder.
He was told to kill
The possibility of the killer having been instructed to commit murder.
Dogs and Demons gave him will
The killer was influenced by evil and demonic forces.
Fear and roaming nights
The killer's state of mind and the time of day he committed his murders.
Some remember hating life
The killer's motivations or mindset that led him to commit murders.
Now the time is here
The killer is anticipating continuing his murder spree.
For Son of Sam to spread fear
Refers to the killer and his actions which instilled fear in the city.
Father holy ghost, wicked son who kills the most
A reference to the Holy Trinity and the antithesis to it, with the killer as the wicked son who kills the most.
Nobody wants him
The killer's status as an outcast from society.
He just stares at the world
The killer's sense of disillusionment or general animosity toward society.
Planning his vengeance
The killer is formulating a plan of revenge.
That he will soon unfurl
The killer intends to exact his revenge very soon.
They just turn their heads
People's willful ignorance of the killer's presence.
Nobody helps him
No one is willing to assist the killer.
Now he has his revenge
The killer has taken revenge on those who ignored or wronged him.
Down, down, down...
A repetition of the word 'down', likely symbolizing either the sinking feeling of dread or the sound of gunshots.
Gunshots full of lead
Detailing how the murders themselves were carried out.
Fills his victims full of dread
The terror his victims would have felt during the attack.
Running as fast as they can
The victims' attempts to escape but failing.
Son of Sam killed again!
A declaration of the killer's continued success in carrying out more murders.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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