Misery Machine

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"Misery Machine"
Misery Machine cover
Song by Marilyn Manson
Album Portrait of an American Family
Released July 12, 1994
Recorded August–December 1993 at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, California, The Village Recorder and Pig
Genre Alternative metal, Noise rock, avant-garde metal
Length 4:48 (13:10 full version)
Label Nothing, Interscope
Writer Marilyn Manson
Composer Gidget Gein, Daisy Berkowitz, Madonna Wayne Gacy
Producer Marilyn Manson, Trent Reznor

"Misery Machine" is the thirteenth and final track on the 1994 release Portrait of an American Family.

Appearances[edit]

Cassettes[edit]

Albums[edit]

Singles[edit]

Versions[edit]


Live As Hell version
The Manson Family Album version


Lyrics[edit]

   man in the front got a sinister grin, careen down highway 666
   we wanna go, crush the slow, as the pitchfork bends the needles grow
   my arms are wheels, my legs are wheels, my blood is pavement
   we're gonna ride to the abbey of thelema, to the abbey of thelema
   blood is pavement
   the grill in the front is my sinister grin, bugs in my teeth make me sick sick sick
   the objects may be larger than they appear in the mirror
   my arms are wheels, my legs are wheels, my blood is pavement
   we're gonna ride to the abbey of thelema, to the abbey of thelema
   blood is pavement
   "when you ride you're ridden, when you ride, you're ridden"
   i am fueled by filth and fury
   do what I will, I will hurry there, there
   my arms are wheels, my legs are wheels, my blood is pavement
   blood is pavement

Trivia[edit]

  • The title of the song is a reference to the Mystery Machine from the animated series Scooby-Doo. Imagery from the cartoon was prevalent in the early years of the band, having been used in various flyers among other similar cartoon characters.
  • "We're gonna ride to the abbey of thelema" is a reference to Aleister Crowley's Abbey of Thelema, which was used as the headquarters from which the doctrines of Thelema would be spread throughout the world.
  • The sample, "Go home to your mother! Doesn't she ever watch you!? Tell her this isn't some Communist day-care center! Tell your mother I hate her! Tell your mother I hate you!" is spoken by Mink Stole from the John Waters 1977 film Desperate Living. After this, a telephone can be heard ringing very quietly for several minutes, which is then followed an irate answering machine message, presumably from a parent of a Manson fan saying "I want my son off of your mailing list, I have already contacted the post office about your pornographic material that is being received in the mail, my next stop is my attorney. I do not want this number called anymore, and I do not want anything delivered to my address. If I receive anything else from this band, or this group, my next phone call will be my attorney, and you will be contacted. Thank you and good-bye!"