Revision as of 07:56, 10 June 2011

This article is about the song. For the demo album, see Lunchbox (demo). For the single, see Lunchbox (single).

"Lunchbox"
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	4:32
Label	Nothing, Interscope
Writer	Marilyn Manson
Composer	Daisy Berkowitz, Gidget Gein
Producer	Marilyn Manson, Trent Reznor

"Lunchbox" is the second single and the third track of the first album Portrait of an American Family. It was inspired by a piece of legislation dating back to 1972, which makes it illegal to have metal lunchboxes in schools. The song tells the story of a school age child who is bullied and uses his own lunchbox as a weapon in retaliation, waiting for the day he can "grow up to be a big rock & roll star" who is never intimidated by others. The earliest recording of this song dates back to the band's After School Special cassette tape, released in January 1991.

The album version of "Lunchbox" samples the Crazy World of Arthur Brown song "Fire".

Appearances

Cassettes

• After School Special
• Live as Hell
• Refrigerator

Albums

• Portrait of an American Family
• Lest We Forget (The Best of)
• Lost & Found

Singles

• Lunchbox
• Tourniquet

Spooky Kids Version

Live as Hell

Genesis of the Devil

The Manson Family Album Version

Versions

• "Lunchbox" — Appears on Portrait of an American Family, Lest We Forget (The Best of), Lost & Found and the "Lunchbox" single.
• "Next Motherfucker" (Remix) — Appears on the "Lunchbox", "Sweet Dreams" and the "Tourniquet" singles.
• "Brown Bag" (Remix) — Appears on the "Lunchbox" single.
• "Metal" (Remix) — Appears on the "Lunchbox" single.
• "Lunchbox (Highschool Drop-outs)" — Appears on the "Lunchbox" single.
• "Lunchbox" — Appears on After School Special.
• "Lunchbox" (Live) — Appears on Live as Hell.
• "Lunchbox" (Live) — Appears on Refrigerator.
• "Lunchbox" (Live) — Appears on Dead to the World.
• "Lunchbox" (Live) — Appears on The Last Tour on Earth.
• "Lunchbox" (Live) — Appears on the Guns, God and Government World Tour DVD.

Music video

Manson face to face with the boy

The music video directed by Richard Kern, features a boy being bullied by two older students. The boy goes home, fed up with the way he is treated, and shaves his head and prepares for any future retaliation against the bullies with his metal lunchbox. The boy later goes to the rollerskating rink where Marilyn Manson is performing. The boy gives Manson his lunchbox, which Manson lights on fire and parades around. The video ends with the boy staring into the burning lunchbox. It is one of the few music videos with Manson performing without wearing makeup.

Lyrics

    on we plow
    the big bully try to stick his finger in my chest
    try to tell me, tell me he's the best
    but I don't really give a good goddamn cause
    i got my lunchbox and I'm armed real well
    i got my lunchbox and I'm armed real well
    i got my lunchbox and I'm armed real well
    i wanna grow up
    i wanna be a big rock and roll star
    i wanna grow up
    i wanna be
    so no one fucks with me
    i got the pencils in my pocket, try to put me down
    wanna go out, gotta get out
    to the playground, gonna throw down at the playground
    i wanna go out
    next motherfucker gonna get my metal
    next motherfucker gonna get my metal
    next motherfucker gonna get my metal
    next motherfucker gonna get my metal
    pow pow pow, pow pow pow, pow pow pow, pow pow pow
    i wanna grow up
    i wanna be a big rock and roll star
    i wanna grow up
    i wanna be
    so no one fucks with me

Trivia

• During the Dead to the World (tour) the line "I wanna be a big rock and roll star" was often sang with updated lyrics "I wanna be Antichrist Superstar"
• During the Rape of The World tour sections of the song were used as an outro to Sweet Dreams (are made of this). Once Tim Skold left the band however, it was replaced with Rock & Roll Nigger.

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 earliest recording of Lunchbox dates back to January 1991, inspired by a piece of legislation established in 1972 which makes in illegal for children to bring metal lunchboxes to school. Because of the sampling of “Fire” by singer Arthur Brown, the intro with the child, and the song’s story, Lunchbox is sometimes regarded as “adequate” despite becoming a popular single and played at numerous concerts. While the track has a catchy chorus, like many Manson songs, it addresses issues deeper than the premise. Lyrically it is about a bullied boy who comes to school with a metal lunchbox to use as a weapon against his attackers, desiring to become better than they’ll ever be. But Lunchbox particularly draws attention to what kind of morality should be attributed to youth rebellion, if there is any to begin with. In the song, Manson repeats the words “POW POW POW” which is universally known as the sound a gunshot makes. It seems anything can become a weapon in the eye of the American conservative consciousness, and any hint of rebellion must be stifled. It’s a fun song which takes charge against the shell America encapsulates its youth in, and how important it is for kids to break out of that shell and become, as it’s written in child-speak, “a big rock and roll star.”