Revision as of 20:40, 21 May 2010

"Four Rusted Horses" is the fourth track from Marilyn Manson's 2009 release The High End of Low. Its title was revealed on March 10, 2009, in a MySpace blog entry by producer Sean Beavan.

Music details

"Four Rusted Horses" contains a riff originally written by Twiggy in 2007, for the Goon Moon song "SomewheretoHide".

A blog by Metal Hammer describes "Four Rusted Horses" as "Sounding like Seasick Steve, the track opens with an Americana-inspired acoustic guitar and foot-stomp. Manson's voice soon joins the ensemble – along with synth strings – reminiscent of 'Coma White'. The track keeps you anticipating a massive chorus as the chorus bridge teases you with what we all love – huge searing soaring Manson screams and ma-hoo-sive guitars. The track builds from the bottom up, with layers being added and added, only to be stripped down again. Fucking, tease. Manson has always been good at autobiographical catharsis by spinning an extended metaphor (dare we say 'concept') It's less clear here what that might be, but the lyrics "Everyone will come to my funeral to make sure I'm dead" hint at a faux-persecution complex (though Manson's history of complex narrative, allegory and irony it'll be nearly impossible to tell until he tells us). Sadly the massive money-shot climax never happens and the track just fades into amp feedback and disappears. Sonically this is another step forward for Manson, but musically the song lacks the peaks we crave."^[1] Reviewing for The Quietus, John Robb highlighted the song's "stripped down bluesy" acoustics, "pounding back beat" and "gutter poetry." Robb urged that "This is the one for the mobile phones to flicker in the night air," and went on to explain how the song reminded him of material from The Doors.^[2]

In his review for Allmusic, Phil Freeman, who was unsatisfied by the album, criticized the song's lyrics "Everyone will come to my funeral to make sure that I stay dead" for feeling "like [Manson]'s trying to convince himself as much as the audience."^[3]

Appearances

Albums

• The High End of Low

Versions

• "Four Rusted Horses" — Appears on The High End of Low
• "Four Rusted Horses (Opening Titles Version)" — Appears on the "We're from America" single and the deluxe edition of The High End of Low

Lyrics

    Who'll ride this dying carousel?
    four rusting horses strangled by their own rope.
    What children love a singing wheel,
    now that their tight hearts it broke?
    now that their tight hearts it broke.
    
    everyone will come
    everyone will come to my funeral to make sure that i stay dead
    everyone will come
    everyone will come to my funeral to make sure that i stay dead
    dead
    
    i can see the coffin shining through my tinted window
    I must have missed the signs that said it was a fire sale
    i can see the coffin shining through my tinted window
    I must have missed the signs that said it was a fire sale
    
    everyone will come
    everyone will come to my funeral to make sure that i stay dead
    everyone will come
    everyone will come to my funeral to make sure that i stay dead
    dead
    
    you can't take this from me
    forbidden in heaven
    and useless in hell
    you cant' take this from me
    forbidden in heaven and useless in hell
    
    useless in hell
    
    i can see my coffin shining through my tinted window
    must have missed the signs that said it was a fire sale
    i can see my coffin shining through my tinted window
    must have missed the signs that said it was a fire sale
    
    everyone will come
    everyone will come to my funeral to make sure that i stay dead
    everyone will come
    everyone will come to my funeral to make sure that i stay dead
    dead
    
    you can't take this from me
    forbidden in heaven
    and useless in hell
    you cant' take this from me
    forbidden in heaven and useless in hell
    you can't take this from me
    forbidden in heaven
    and useless in hell
    you cant' take this from me
    forbidden in heaven and useless in hell
    
    useless in hell
    
    Who'll ride this dying carousel?
    four rusted horses strangled by their own rope.
    What children love a singing wheel,
    now that their tight hearts it broke?
    now that their tight hearts it broke.

Trivia

• The main riff was recycled from a youtube video uploaded by Twiggy for the Goon Moon song "somewheretohide".

References

1. ↑ Marilyn Manson 'High End Of Low' Album Track-By-Track. Metal Hammer. April 7, 2009.
2. ↑ Marilyn Manson's High End Of Low Reviewed Track-By-Track. John Robb. The Quietus. May 12, 2009
3. ↑ The High End of Low. Phil Freeman. Allmusic. May 16, 2009.