Antichrist Superstar (song)

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This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. This article is about the song
"Antichrist Superstar"
Antichrist Superstar cover
Song by Marilyn Manson
Album Antichrist Superstar
Released October 8, 1996
Recorded 1996 at Nothing Studios in New Orleans, Louisiana
Genre Alternative metal, Industrial metal
Length 5:14
Label Nothing, Interscope
Writer Marilyn Manson
Composer Twiggy Ramirez, Madonna Wayne Gacy
Producer Trent Reznor, Dave Ogilvie, Marilyn Manson

"Antichrist Superstar" is the twelfth track on the 1996 release Antichrist Superstar. A video (see below) and a promotional version of the single were made for the track, but the single was never commercially released. Like on the album's ninety-ninth track, "Antichrist Superstar" ends with the phrase "When you are suffering, know that I had betrayed you" sampled repeatedly. The original version of the song however ended with a different phrase, "You might as well kill yourself, you are already dead." This alternate sample can be heard on the live album The Last Tour on Earth.

Appearances[edit]

Albums[edit]

Singles[edit]

Versions[edit]

Demo versions[edit]

Demo (1994)
Demo (Antichrist Final Songs)


1994 demo lyrics[edit]

  I threw my money in the wishing well
  I guess I couldn't tell you
  I threw my money in the wishing well
  I guess I couldn't tell you
  
  Repent, that's what I'm talking about
  I guess I couldn't tell you
  Repent, that's what I'm talking about
  I guess I couldn't tell you
  
  You're dead
  You're dead
  You're dead
  You'll sleep for long
  I threw my money in the wishing well
  I guess I couldn't tell you
  I threw my money in the wishing well
  I guess I couldn't tell you
  
  Repent, that's what I'm talking about
  I guess I couldn't tell you
  Repent, that's what I'm talking about
  I guess I couldn't tell you
  
  You're dead
  You're dead (now)
  You're dead
  You'll never know
  
  ...
  
  I threw my money in the wishing well
  I guess I couldn't tell you
  I threw my money in the wishing well
  I guess I couldn't tell you
  
  You're dead
  You're dead
  You're dead
  You'll sleep for long

Music video[edit]

Anti-Christ Superstar

The music video for the song, entitled "Anti-Christ Superstar", directed by E. Elias Merhige and co-directed by Manson, was filmed sometime during 1996, but remain officially unreleased. It was originally screened at the 1997 San Francisco Film Festival as part of a program titled "Newly Minted Memories". It won a Golden Gate Certificate of Merit in the "Music Video" category.

In 1996, Merhige was contacted by Marilyn Manson to produce a music video for "Cryptorchid" the day after he saw Merhige's 1991 experimental horror film Begotten. Manson and Merhige met in Los Angeles, California where they would produced the video. Merhige then expressed interest in filming a video for "Antichrist Superstar", but wanted to use a bulk of footage outtake that he had already compiled. He shot excess material featuring Manson, then edited it together with the pre-existing scenes as divulged in the interview Dramatic New Scenes for Celebritarian Needs.

Merhige used military footage from different countries and different wars that depicted the fascist aspect of the song. However, Manson was not quite sure that it represented the criticism that the subject matter deserved. Ultimately, release of the video was vetoed by Interscope, who was appalled by the quality of the cinematography. The frontman, for his part, expressed interest in seeing its release someday, quipping: "that's not to say it won't be seen but I'm not sure if [Merhige] ever had a fair chance of finishing it because of the record company."

For over 14 years the film was shelved by Interscope.[1] Despite this, on June 19, 2010, the music video was leaked in its entirety on Youtube.[1] The leaked video is 5 minutes and 43 seconds in length although, according to the title card, its total run time is 5 minutes and 23 seconds.[1] It was filmed by Merhige in black and white, incorporating footage from Begotten as well as the military warfare footage.[1] Original scenes including Manson were also filmed where he is seen playing a demagogue in a business suit tearing pages out of a bible from the top of a podium similar to his live performance of the song.[1] Henry S. Rosenthal of San Francisco-based film company Complex Corporation mentioned his involvement in the production of the video and he is indeed credited in the film's intertitle.[1]

On July 21, 2011, the video was officially released on Marilyn Manson's website.


 


Lyrics[edit]

   you built me up with your wishing hell
   I didn't have to sell you
   you threw your money in the pissing well
   you do just what they tell you
   REPENT, that's what I'm talking about
   i shed the skin to feed the fake
   REPENT, that's what I'm talking about
   whose mistake am i anyway?
   Cut the head off
   Grows back hard
   I am the hydra
   now you'll see your star
   prick your finger it is done
   the moon has now eclipsed the sun
   the angel has spread its wings
   the time has come for bitter things
   REPENT, that's what he's talking about
   i shed the skin to feed the fake
   REPENT, that's what he's talking about
   whose mistake am i anyway?
   prick your finger it is done...
   the moon has now eclipsed the sun...
   the angel has spread its wings...
   the time has come for bitter things...
   Cut the head off
   Grows back hard
   I am the hydra
   now you'll see your star
   the time has come it is quite clear
   our antichrist
   is almost here...
   it is done
   (when you are suffering, know that I have betrayed you)

Trivia[edit]

The guitar used to record "Antichrist Superstar".
  • According to photos on his MySpace profile, former Marilyn Manson guitarist Scott Putesky, better known as Daisy Berkowitz, used an Ibanez Iceman to record "Antichrist Superstar".[2] The song is written and played in a noticeably low guitar tuning, most probably B Standard or Drop B. On the Twins of Evil Tour, Twiggy and Fred Sablan seemed to use the Drop B tuning in order to be able to play the song right after King Kill 33° without having to switch instruments[3] (despite King Kill 33° being played in a slightly different key in its album version).
  • The song itself is composed of 27 rhythm guitar tracks and five lead guitar tracks.
  • The song features a passage containing the same lyrics as heard in "Cryptorchid": "prick your finger it is done/the moon has now eclipsed the sun/the angel has spread its wings/the time has come for bitter things."
  • When performed live, Manson almost always sings from a podium bearing the symbol of Manson's current "era" (eg. the shock symbol or Gun Cross) and rips or burns the bible during the repeat of the 2nd verse. He didn't use this however during the first leg of the Hey, Cruel World... tour.
  • The term "antichrist" is used in the Christian Bible to denote one who would deny Jesus Christ and deceive others into believing likewise. See I John 2:18,22; 4:3 and 2 John 1:7.

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar Official Music Video". NME. IPC Media. https://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/C1gaD5eFzbw. Retrieved 2011-07-13. 
  2. House of Guitars anniversary Ibanez Iceman - heard on Wormboy/ACS. MySpace Music. Scott Putesky.
  3. [1]