Antichrist Superstar (song)

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This article is about the song. For the album, see Antichrist Superstar (album), for the unreleased single see Antichrist Superstar (single).
"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

Albums

Singles

Versions

Music video

The music video for the song, 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

[VERSE1]

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


[HOOK]

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?


[CHORUS]

Cut the head off

Grows back hard

I am the hydra

Now you'll see your star


[VERSE2]

Prick your finger, it is done

The moon has now eclipsed the sun

Angel has spread its wings

The time has come for bitter things


Prick your finger, it is done

The moon has now eclipsed the sun

Angel has spread its wings

The time has come for bitter things


[HOOK]

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?


[CHORUS]

Cut the head off

Grows back hard

I am the hydra

Now you'll see your star


[BRIDGE]

Time has come, it is quite clear

Our Antichrist is almost here

(x3)


[CHORUS]

Cut the head off

Grows back hard

I am the hydra

Now you'll see your star


[OUTRO]

When you are suffering, know that I have betrayed you

Trivia

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. On the Twins of Evil Tour, Twiggy and Fred Sablan seemed to use this tuning, as it would let them 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.
  • 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

Template:References
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