The Golden Age of Grotesque by Marilyn Manson Lyrics Meaning – Decoding the Chaotic Anthem of Disillusionment
Lyrics
We drive our death crush diamond jaguar limousines
We’re not fantastic motherfuckers
But we play them on TV
It’s a dirty word Reich
Say what you like
It’s a dirty word Reich
Say what you like
We’re the low art gloominati
And we aim to depress
The scabaret sacrilegends
This is the golden age of grotesque
We’re the low art gloominati
And we aim to depress
The scabaret sacrilegends
This is the golden age of grotesque
The devils are girls with van Gogh’s missing ear
You say want you want but filth is all that they hear
I’ve got the jigger
To make all of you bigger
Ladies und gentlemen, so drop your pissroom bait
And make sure you’re not late, you tramps and lunatics
Here’s a trick that’s gonna make you
Click
We’re the low art gloominati
And we aim to depress
The scabaret sacrilegends
This is the golden age of grotesque
We’re the low art gloominati
And we aim to depress
The scabaret sacrilegends
This is the golden age of grotesque
It’s a dirty word Reich
Say what you like
It’s a dirty word Reich
Say what you like
So my bon mots, hit-boy Tommy trons, rowdy rowdies
Honey-fingered goodbye dolls
Hellzapoppin, open your third nostril
Put on your black face and your god is gone
We’re the low art gloominati
And we aim to depress
The scabaret sacrilegends
This is the golden age of grotesque
We’re the low art gloominati
And we aim to depress
The scabaret sacrilegends
This is the golden age of grotesque
We sing
La la la la la la la
We sing
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
We sing
La la la la la la la
In a world often clothed in the garb of superficial glamour and artificial celebrity, Marilyn Manson’s ‘The Golden Age of Grotesque’ emerges as a cacophonous symphony that dissects the facade of cultural decadence. Stripping down the gloss to highlight a darker underbelly of society, Manson delivers a provocative exploration of distortions served to us as entertainment.
Through a labyrinth of abrasive lyrics, ‘The Golden Age of Grotesque’ embarks on a journey illuminating the grotesquerie of modern life, challenging the listener to confront the aberrations that titillate and traumatize our collective consciousness. Each line of the song weaves a thread into the dense tapestry of rebellion and subversion which has long been a hallmark of Manson’s artistic manifesto.
A Postmodern Pandemonium: The Sardonic Symphony
The track kicks off with a blast of audacity, where ‘monkeys with monkeys’ becomes an analogy for a society obsessed with mimicry and ostentation. Manson, known for his acerbic wit and penchant for scathing social commentary, propels this image to condemn the pervasive culture of imitation and excess, where even the wildest dreams are chauffeured in ‘death crush diamond jaguar limousines.’
This sarcastic celebration of opulence twists and turns into an ironic homage to the characters society adores on the small and big screens. The characters people play, and the roles they court in the theater of celebrity, are laid bare as hollow, manipulated echoes of authenticity with the line, ‘We’re not fantastic motherfuckers, but we play them on TV.’
The Hidden Meaning: Schadenfreude & Satire
Beneath the layers of Manson’s abrasive lyricism lies a keen sense of schadenfreude, a concept the singer manipulates with precision. The ‘low art gloominati’ represent a sect of the disillusioned, who counteract the relentless push of a false utopian narrative by aiming ‘to depress.’ Manson’s portrayal of the disenchanted cognoscenti suggests a revolt against the soulless cultural hegemony.
In what Manson terms the ‘scabaret sacrilegends,’ a neologism blending ‘scandal,’ ‘cabaret,’ and ‘sacrilege,’ there’s an underlined thesis: art, in its true, provocative form, should agitate and disturb rather than placate. This era, dubbed ‘the golden age of grotesque,’ is in his view, a time when the beautiful has been subsumed by the bizarre, and people revel in the degradation of values once held sacred.
Dissecting the Devilish Details: Symbolism in Lyrics
Visual art history sneaks its way into the lyrics with references like the ‘devils are girls with van Gogh’s missing ear,’ a probable allusion to society’s selective hearing, and more broadly, the sacrifice and madness often associated with artistic genius. These lines continue the narrative of a society engrossed in the vapid and vulgar while losing the capacity to appreciate true artistic expression.
The hook of the song, ‘We’re the low art gloominati, and we aim to depress,’ repeatedly drives home the message: there exists a counterculture deeply intertwined with the shadows, which stands as a glaring antithesis to the polished mainstream. This collective takes pride in the raw and unfiltered, seen through Manson’s gothic lens.
Memorable Lines: ‘Hellzapoppin, Open Your Third Nostril’
The track is riddled with head-turning phrases, but none as vivid as ‘Hellzapoppin, open your third nostril.’ An invitation to expand one’s perception beyond the ordinary, the line compels a confrontation with the concealed, perhaps hidden aspects of reality. It suggests an awakening: to ‘put on your black face,’ not in the sense of racial mockery, but to prepare oneself for the truth of a ‘god is gone’ world.
Manson here is not just a provocateur but a pied piper leading his audience into a theater of the obscene, allowing them a glimpse behind the velvet curtain of societal convention. The command to ‘open your third nostril’ serves as a metaphor for achieving a higher state of awareness, prompting listeners to break free from the chains of sanitized conformity.
The Anthem’s Resonance and Legacy
Two decades after its release, the relevance of ‘The Golden Age of Grotesque’ persists. Its critique of societal norms and entertainment culture resonates with an audience increasingly aware of the farcical elements dictating modern life. Manson’s genius in this track lies in his ability to encapsulate a zeitgeist—the discomfort many feel in their skins, within their societies, and in the face of a superficial world order clouded by chaos and confusion.
‘The Golden Age of Grotesque’ continues to reverberate as an anthem for those disaffected by the allure of a plasticine world, serving as a sobering reminder that beneath the glitter often lies a less glamorous reality. Through this enduring piece, Manson cements himself as an anarchistic artist, a maestro of the macabre who wields his dark art to shed light on the deeper truths lurking in society’s twisted tapestry.
