Revision as of 17:53, 20 May 2009

"Devour" is the first track from the 2009 release The High End of Low. Former roommate of vocalist Marilyn Manson, Rudy Coby, explains that the song was written after an event where, "my room [was] covered in real blood—none of it my own—and I was driven to an emergency room for the first time in my life." "Devour" was described by Coby as the first song written for the album, "but certainly not the last casualty suffered in its creation."

Manson touched on the song's inspiration and subject matter briefly in a June 2009 interview with Revolver: "It's kind of a murder-suicide story based on the reality of my life that day. The record maybe saved me, and the person I would have killed also. If somebody says they want to be with you until they die, I take that kind of seriously. It became a song...luckily."

Music details

A blog by Metal Hammer describes "Devour" as "a classic Manson-esque 'noise' track – super 8 running a loop or something. This [is] followed by a dulcet clean guitar strum up the neck, which sounds surprisingly gentle and serene – very un-Manson – more like the post-hardcore sounds [of] Isis or Russian Circles. When his voice joins the bass and guitars, it's back to the great old troubled tortured alien of Mechanical Animals – far superior and more earnest than the last album (what was it called again?). The refrain, "I will love you, if you let me" rings out before the heavy guitars and rocking drums hit the mix proper – but only after 3 minutes and only for 40 seconds. The track reaches its crescendo with the repeated phrase "I can't sleep, until I devour you" screamed over and over. This is the best Manson has been since New Shit from The Golden Age Of Grotesque."^[1]

Appearances

Albums

• The High End of Low

Versions

• "Devour" — Appears on The High End of Low

Lyrics

    I'll swallow up all of you
    like a big bottle of big, big pills
    You're the one that I should never take
    but I can't sleep until I devour you
    I can't sleep until I devour you
    
    You're a flower that's withering,
    I can't feel your thorns in my hand
    This is no embrace, you're buried deep
    you're not crying,             
    this is blood all over me                                                                             
    you're not crying,             
    this is blood all over me   
    you're not crying,             
    this is blood all over me   
    
    And I'll love you, if you let me
    And I'll love you, If you won't make me stop
    
    I used to hold your haunted neck
    I know I'll miss you if I close my eyes
    But this is loaded if I open them,
    I'll see you and I'll blow your heart to pieces
    I will blow your heart to pieces
    I will blow your heart to pieces
    I will blow your heart to pieces
    
    And I'll love you, if you let me
    And I'll love you, If you won't make me stop
    
    My pain is not ashamed to repeat itself
    My pain is not ashamed to repeat itself
    My pain is not ashamed to repeat itself
    My pain is not ashamed to repeat itself
    
    I can't sleep until I devour you
    I can't sleep until I devour you
    I can't sleep until I devour you
    I can't sleep until I devour you
    
    And I'll love you, if you let me
    And I'll love you, If you won't make me stop...

Trivia

• The line "My pain is not ashamed to repeat itself" was first used in the vocal track of the short film Doppelherz, which was recorded on April 1, 2002. This was reworked as "My pain's not ashamed to repeat itself" for the song.

References

1. ↑ Marilyn Manson 'High End Of Low' Album Track-By-Track. Metal Hammer. April 7, 2009.