Devour

"Devour"
Song by Marilyn Manson
Album	The High End of Low
Released	May 20, 2009
Recorded	March 2008–January 2009 in Los Angeles and Hollywood, California
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	3:45
Label	Interscope
Writer	Marilyn Manson
Composer	Twiggy, Chris Vrenna
Producer	Marilyn Manson, Chris Vrenna, Twiggy, Sean Beavan

"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."

The song was written 3 days before what was planned to be a dark Romeo and Juliet murder suicide. He had planned to kill himself and his lover. In a 2009 interview with Shockhound,he revealed the "would be" tragedy, explaining the situation with mild detail, quoting that he had said "I'm going to kill you first, because I don't trust you."

Music details

“	"It's kind of murder-suicide story based on the reality of my like 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."	”
—Marilyn Manson Interview with Revolver Magazine

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."

Appearances

Albums

• The High End of Low

Versions

• "Devour" — Appears on The High End of Low
• "Devour" (Extended mix) — Appears on promotional copies of The High End of Low
• "Devour (Chew Fu Ghettohouse Fix)" — Unreleased official Remix

Lyrics

    I'll swallow up all of you
    like a big bottle of big, big pills
    but, 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
    your buried deep
    and 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 wont make me stop...

Trivia

• Devour was the first song revealed from the album, thanks to Rudy Coby in a Myspace bulletin.
• The chord progression of "Devour"'s chorus was recycled from the Goon Moon song "Apple Pie".
• 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. On October 31, 2005, in the MTV online article Manson Likens New Guitar God to Naked Woman, Manson is quoted as saying "all my records have been based around a central theme...this one is based around my pain and its ability to be unashamed to repeat itself."
• Many people cite the song as a direct rip off of the Xiu Xiu song, "I Luv the Valley, OH!".
• On promotional copies of The High End of Low, the song has an extended outro and a reprisal of the second verse.
• Devour leaked onto the internet on April 15th, 2009. The track was edited by the source of the leak to feature comical Arnold Schwarzenegger quotes upon the song. Many believe Twiggy or the band was responsible for it.
• Devour is also the most "fan-edited" Marilyn Manson song on the internet. Most edits extend the outro a few more measures or "copy and paste" the outro to an earlier part of the song as sort of an extended "chorus."