Dope Hat (song)
- This article is about the song. For the single, see Dope Hat (single).
"Dope Hat" | ||
---|---|---|
Song by Marilyn Manson | ||
Album | Portrait of an American Family | |
Released | July 19, 1994 | |
Recorded | August–December 1993 at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, California, The Village Recorder and Pig | |
Genre | Alternative rock | |
Length | 4:21 | |
Label | Nothing, Interscope | |
Writer | Marilyn Manson | |
Composer | Marilyn Manson, Daisy Berkowitz, Madonna Wayne Gacy | |
Producer | Marilyn Manson, Trent Reznor |
"Dope Hat" is the third and final single and the sixth track of the first album Portrait of an American Family. The earliest recording of this song dates back to the band's The Family Jams cassette, released in 1992. While Madonna Wayne Gacy was given a music credit for the song on Portrait of an American Family, curiously his name is absent from the credits of The Family Jams and Refrigerator, two cassettes a demo of "Dope Hat" had appeared on beforehand.
Contents
Appearances
Cassettes
Albums
Singles
The Family Jams Version
Versions
- "Dope Hat" — Appears on The Family Jams.
- "Dope Hat" — Appears on Refrigerator.
- "Dope Hat" — Appears on Portrait of an American Family.
- "Diary of a Dope Fiend" (Remix) — Appears on Smells Like Children and the "Dope Hat" single.
- "Dance of the Dope Hats" (Remix) — Appears on Smells Like Children and the "Dope Hat" and "Sweet Dreams" singles.
Music video
The music video, directed by Tom Stern, features the band riding a boat through a psychedelic tunnel directly inspired by the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, which happens to be one of Manson's favorite films. In the video, the band members perform with many children and people resembling the "Oompa-Loompas" from Willy Wonka aboard the boat.
Lyrics
I peek into the hole I struggle for control The children love the show But they fail to see the anguish in my eyes Fail to see the anguish in my eyes I scratch around the brim I let my mind give in, yeah yeah The crowd begins to grin But they seem to scream when darkness fills my eyes Seem to scream when darkness fills my eyes It's no surprise Fail to see the tragic Turn it into magic My big top tricks will always make you happy But we all know the hat is wearing me My bag is in the hat It's filled with this and that My vision's getting fat The rabbit's just a monkey in disguise Stars and pills and needles dance before our eyes They will bite the hand If it is slower than The quickness of their scrutinizing eyes Fail to see the tragic Turn it into magic My big top tricks will always make you happy But we all know the hat is wearing me Chicanery will always make you happy But we all know the hat is wearing me
Trivia
- According to photos on his MySpace profile, former Marilyn Manson guitarist Scott Putesky, better known as Daisy Berkowitz, used a 1965 Tiesco DelRey to record the solos heard on the album version of "Dope Hat".[1]
Review by J7
- This section is only for archive purposes and has not been confirmed by any authority, and is only J7's interpretation written for your pleasure.
The third and final single from Portrait of an American Family, Dope Hat is probably the most unmistakeable track off the album. Many people assume from the lyrics that the song is superfluous; about Manson’s drug addiction. But the main point Brian was trying to illustrate, using his fascination with the 1971 film Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, was how he saw Willy Wonka in the role of the Satanic archetype. In other words, a higher power that leads people to their destruction through temptation. The line, “We all know the hat is wearing me” implys that Wonka was controlled by some extant force, or the determination to see who would take over his company, at any cost. Manson alludes to men and women who allow themselves to be turned away from actual work with constant distractions set up by the rich and powerful, hinting at the this behavior in the line “I let my mind give in, yeah yeah.” The song is one of the most loaded on the album, accompanied by audio samples from various old television shows aimed at children. This integration of sampling with industrial rock can be a bit jarring at first, but in the right mood, in blends in together with sinister perfection. Whether you see it as a song about dope or a comment on the deception of the powerful, Dope Hat is a playful menage of the darkness and the fanciful.
References
- ↑ 1965 Tiesco DelRey - heard in the solos on Dope Hat. MySpace Music. Scott Putesky.