Running To The Edge Of The World by Marilyn Manson Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Apocalyptic Love Anthem
Lyrics
Up to the top of the hill?
We had our knives drawn
They were as sharp
As we were in love
If god crossed us
We’d take all his drugs
Burn his money
And his house down
And wait for the fire to spread
Sometimes hate is not enough
To turn this all to ashes
Together as one
Against all others
Break all of our wings
And make sure it crashes
We’re running to the
Edge of the world
Running, running away
We’re running to the edge of the world
I don’t know if the world will end today
I had no choice
To erase the debt of our families
Let you say goodbye
With lips like dynamite
And everyone
Turned their backs
Because they knew
When we held on tight
To each other
We were something fatal
That fell into the wrong hands
Sometimes hate is not enough
To turn this all to ashes
Together as one
Against all others
Break all of your wings
And make sure it crashes
We’re running to the edge of the world
Running, running away
We’re running to the edge of the world
I don’t know if the world will end today
We don’t see death, we see destruction
Death, we see destruction
We don’t see death, we see destruction
Death, we see destruction
We’re running to the edge of the world
Running, running away
We’re running to the edge of the world
But I don’t know if the world will end today
We’re running to the edge of the world
Running, running away
We’re running to the edge of the world
Don’t know if the world will end today
See a new beginning rise behind the sun
We can never catch up to them as fast as we run
See a new beginning rise behind the sun
We can never catch up to them as fast as we run
See a new beginning rise behind the sun
We can never catch up to them as fast as we run
See a new beginning rise behind the sun
We can never catch up to them as fast as we run
Marilyn Manson, a figure synonymous with controversy and theatrical shock-rock, has also been a crafty lyricist, weaving stories that often meld the personal with the grandiose. In ‘Running To The Edge Of The World’, the artist strips away layers of dystopian makeup to reveal a surprisingly tender, yet intense narrative.
The song serves as a confessional from the depths of an apocalyptic love story. It’s not just about rebellion; it’s about the beauty and tragedy of an all-consuming love that marches hand in hand towards oblivion.
An Apocalyptic Prelude to Love’s Last Stand
In the opening lines, Manson takes us to a precipice of memory, where love’s sharpness is equated with drawn knives. It’s a place of intensity, where love and violence blend in a dangerous pact. These lyrics set a tone of defiance, a couple against the world, but they also bleed a certain nostalgia for a time when love seemed invincible – a common feeling among those who have had to face the erosion of a passionate relationship.
The echoed challenge to a deity suggests a love so fierce it would burn every symbol of established order just to remain pure. It is an song of anarchy, the refusal to bow to anyone, even gods, when it comes to protecting what’s fiercely believed in.
A Furious Sprint Toward Destruction
‘We’re running to the edge of the world’ expresses both fatalism and urgency. Manson’s portrayal of a desperate dash to the brink suggests a search for escape and freedom, a theme that reverberates through the song. This recurring line speaks to the reckless abandon with which the characters hurl themselves into the unknown, aware that the end might be near, yet indifferent to the consequences.
The ambiguity in ‘I don’t know if the world will end today,’ adds a layer of tension. This line is a dam holding back a reservoir of uncertainty, pertinent to a generation that often feels perched on the brink of cataclysm — yet equally applicable to the microcosm of a volatile, imploding relationship.
In the Theater of War, All Bets Are Off
Manson paints a backdrop of betrayal and condemnation as ‘everyone turned their backs.’ It’s a stark image of isolation that many who’ve embarked on taboo or misunderstood love affairs can identify with. The song masterfully employs warfare imagery to mirror the internal battle faced by lovers deemed deviants by the society that surrounds them.
This fight against the world generates a forging bond, a concord that deems love a weapon so potent it becomes ‘something fatal that fell into the wrong hands.’ There is allusion here to the destructive power of love when it’s wielded irresponsibly, further complicating the typically idealistic portrayal of romance.
The Haunting Mantra of Inevitable Destruction
‘We don’t see death, we see destruction,’ Manson croons multiple times towards the song’s conclusion. This mantra-like repetition galvanizes the theme of destruction, which figures as both the literal and emotional endgame. It’s not death that’s feared, but the obliteration of what once was, the unmaking of something sacred.
Repetition is essence in music, creating an echo that reverberates beyond the song itself — echoing in the minds of listeners long after the last note has played. Manson exploits this to embed his message, ensuring it will haunt and provoke thought, compelling listeners to ponder over what facets of their world they might be running toward or away from.
Behind the Sun: The Emergence of Hope or Desolation?
In the closing lines, the song transforms, offering a glimpse of a new beginning ‘rise behind the sun.’ It’s a poetic encapsulation of rebirth, yet tainted with an inability to ever truly reach it. As emblematic as these lyrics are of potential hope, they also resign to the inevitability of never escaping the past, never fully outrunning the consequences of one’s actions.
Manson’s repetition of ‘we can never catch up to them as fast as we run’ is a sorrowful acceptance that no matter the effort, some forces, be they personal demons or the march of time, are insurmountable. It is the crux of the song’s dichotomy: the simultaneous clinging to an idealistic restart and the somber realization that some ends are inescapable.
