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)
Thrift
Marilyn Manson & The Spooky Kids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I sit here all knowing
Knowing nothing here at all, yeah
My cuts spread slower
Pig hands reach into my sides, yeah
I hate this life you give me
I give you hate you live for me, yeah
I love the pain you give me
They go down town down town
They go
Down inside
Down inside
Down inside
They go down town down town
They go down town to sell
Down town down town
They go down town to sell
My body hangs on hooks
A cloth to society, yeah
Your dollars wet my skin
Makes me paper mache thrift, yeah
I hate this life you give me
I give you hate you live for me, yeah
I love the pain you give me
This hurting feels like love to me, yeah
They go down town down town
They go
Down inside
Down inside
Down inside
They go down town down town
They go down town to sell
Down town down town
They go down town to sell
To sell
I hate this life you give to me
I hate this life you give to me
I hate this life you give to me
I hate this life you give to me
I hate this life you give to me
I hate this life you give to me
The song "Thrift" by Marilyn Manson & The Spooky Kids is a haunting and dark commentary on the nature of society, consumerism, and the desperation of those who are forced to live on the fringes of society. The opening lines, "I sit here all knowing / Knowing nothing here at all," suggest a sense of helplessness and confusion, perhaps referencing the singer's inability to navigate the complex and oppressive systems of society.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more visceral and disturbing, with references to "cuts" and "pig hands" that seem to imply a sense of violation or abuse. The lines "My body hangs on hooks / A cloth to society" suggest that the singer is being used and exploited by those in power, reduced to little more than an object for others to use and discard.
The repeated refrain of "I hate this life you give me / I give you hate you live for me" underscores the sense of powerlessness and frustration that the singer feels, as well as the cyclical nature of the abuse and exploitation that they are trapped in. The final lines, "I hate this life you give to me / I hate this life you give to me," drive home the sense of despair and hopelessness that pervades the song.
Overall, "Thrift" is a powerful and unsettling reflection on the darker aspects of modern society, and the ways in which individuals can be crushed and consumed by the forces around them.
Line by Line Meaning
I sit here all knowing
Despite my lack of experience, I have come to understand the things that happen around me.
Knowing nothing here at all, yeah
On the other hand, I still know close to nothing about the situation I am in.
My cuts spread slower
The wounds inflicted upon my body do not pain me as much as they used to.
Pig hands reach into my sides, yeah
The people who are supposed to care for me are returning me harm instead.
I hate this life you give me
I loathe the existence that you have forced upon me.
I give you hate you live for me, yeah
I retaliate to your actions with all the anger I have, but the more I do so, the more it fuels your actions.
I love the pain you give me
Although I should not, I find myself finding solace in the pain you cause me.
This hurting feels like love to me, yeah
In fact, the sensation of being hurt feels so familiar to me that I am starting to associate it with affection.
They go down town down town
Some people, facing the same struggles as me, leave to escape their reality.
They go down inside
They delve further into their pain to cope with it, instead of facing their problems head-on.
They go down town down town
These people try to find ways to numb the pain they feel.
They go down town to sell
They resort to selling themselves or their bodies to make ends meet, or to find brief moments of happiness.
My body hangs on hooks
My physical and mental state is such that my life could be hanging by a thread.
A cloth to society, yeah
I behave and look the way society wants me to, but it does not change how I feel inside.
Your dollars wet my skin
Money, which should be a source of salvation, places me deeper into depression.
Makes me paper mache thrift, yeah
I feel like my worth is nothing more than what people are willing to pay for me.
I hate this life you give me
I resent the way you dictate my life.
I give you hate you live for me, yeah
I do not know how to retaliate in a way that will break the cycle of abuse.
I love the pain you give me
Even if I could, I am not completely sure if I should break free from the only life I have known.
This hurting feels like love to me, yeah
The pain and hurt have become so intertwined with my identity that it feels like an incomplete part of me is missing when they are not there.
They go down town down town
Others who are in similar positions to mine have lost themselves in their pain and sorrow.
They go down inside
Instead of seeking help, they choose to descend into their own personal hells.
They go down town down town
They have lost all dignity and respect towards themselves.
They go down town to sell
They trade their bodies for a moment of pleasure, ignoring how it would impact them in the long run.
To sell
The chorus ends with the repetition of these last two lines, emphasizing their relevance to the song's message.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fadelbarudi
I sit here all knowing
Knowing nothing here at all, yeah
My cuts spread slower
Pig hands reach into my sides, yeah
I hate this life you give me
I give you hate you live for me, yeah
I love the pain you give me
This hurting feels like love to me, yeah
They go down town down town
They go
Down inside
Down inside
Down inside
They go down town down town
They go down town to sell
Down town down town
They go down town to sell
My body hangs on hooks
A cloth to society, yeah
Your dollars wet my skin
Makes me paper mache thrift, yeah
I hate this life you give me
I give you hate you live for me, yeah
I love the pain you give me
This hurting feels like love to me, yeah
They go down town down town
They go
Down inside
Down inside
Down inside
They go down town down town
They go down town to sell
Down town down town
They go down town to sell
To sell
I hate this life you give to me...
@lily91109
I sit here all knowing
Knowing nothing here at all, yeah
My cuts spread slower
Pig hands reach into my sides, yeah
I hate this life you give me
I give you hate you live for me, yeah
I love the pain you give me
This hurting feels like love to me, yeah
They go down town down town
They go
Down inside
Down inside
Down inside
They go down town down town
They go down town to sell
Down town down town
They go down town to sell
My body hangs on hooks
A cloth to society, yeah
Your dollars wet my skin
Makes me paper mache thrift, yeah
I hate this life you give me
I give you hate you live for me, yeah
I love the pain you give me
This hurting feels like love to me, yeah
They go down town down town
They go
Down inside
Down inside
Down inside
They go down town down town
They go down town to sell
Down town down town
They go down town to sell
To sell
I hate this life you give to me
I hate this life you give to me
I hate this life you give to me
I hate this life you give to me
I hate this life you give to me
I hate this life you give to me
@fadelbarudi
I sit here all knowing
Knowing nothing here at all, yeah
My cuts spread slower
Pig hands reach into my sides, yeah
I hate this life you give me
I give you hate you live for me, yeah
I love the pain you give me
This hurting feels like love to me, yeah
They go down town down town
They go
Down inside
Down inside
Down inside
They go down town down town
They go down town to sell
Down town down town
They go down town to sell
My body hangs on hooks
A cloth to society, yeah
Your dollars wet my skin
Makes me paper mache thrift, yeah
I hate this life you give me
I give you hate you live for me, yeah
I love the pain you give me
This hurting feels like love to me, yeah
They go down town down town
They go
Down inside
Down inside
Down inside
They go down town down town
They go down town to sell
Down town down town
They go down town to sell
To sell
I hate this life you give to me...
@tyrellemccann1683
Im not the only one still listening to this. Rare.
@fadelbarudi
Tyrelle McCann i still listen too
@111dduffy
Me to
@ArkaeaFCL3
@Tyrelle McCann same
@Spookythereaper3
Thank you! I still love this song, although I'm currently more into bands like The Birthday Massacre and Psyclon Nine, lol.
@replacedxrobots6688
Scott was very, very creative!!!!!!!!!! Long live Scott Putesky!
@vornamenachname4589
the Riff is just superb
@shortym988
Vorname Nachname That was Daisy berkowitz he was awesome
@TheOfficerMahoney
Daisy was amazing