The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Eight, seven, six, six, six
Five, four, three, two, one, zero
Yeah
I'm a popstar threat and I'm not dead yet
Got a super dread bet with an angel drug head
Like a dead beat winner, I wanna be a sinner
An idolized bang for the industry killer
A hideous man that you don't understand
Throw a suicide party and I'm guaranteed to fucking snap
It's evil sonic, it's pornoholic
Breakdowns, obscenities its all I want to be
If you're 555, then I'm 666
If you're 555, I'm 666
But if you're 555, I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic?
If you're 555, I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic?
Everybody's so infatuated
Everybody's so completely sure of what we are
Everybody defamates from miles away
But face to face they haven't got a thing to say
I bleed for this and I bleed for you
Still you look at my face like I'm somebody new
Toy, nobody wants anything I've got
Which is fine because you're made of everything I'm not
If you're 555, then I'm 666
If you're 555, I'm 666
Well if you're 555, I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic?
If you're 555, I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic? Yeah
Heretic, yeah
Thirty seconds, sixteen, eight, four, lemme tell you why
I haven't the slightest, I'm teaching your brightest
They're listening, clamoring
All the money in the world can't buy me
Go ahead, lie to me
Tell me again how you're tortured
I want to know how you fallowed your orders so well
You're full of shit
You had a dream, but this ain't it
If you're 555, I'm 666
If you're 555, I'm 666
If you're 555, I'm 666
If you're 555, I'm 666
If you're 555, then I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic?
If you're 555, then I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic?
If you're 555, I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic?
If you're 555, then I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic?
Heretic, yeah
Five, four, three, two, one, zero
Yeah
I'm a popstar threat and I'm not dead yet
Got a super dread bet with an angel drug head
Like a dead beat winner, I wanna be a sinner
An idolized bang for the industry killer
A hideous man that you don't understand
Throw a suicide party and I'm guaranteed to fucking snap
It's evil sonic, it's pornoholic
Breakdowns, obscenities its all I want to be
If you're 555, then I'm 666
If you're 555, I'm 666
But if you're 555, I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic?
If you're 555, I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic?
Everybody's so infatuated
Everybody's so completely sure of what we are
Everybody defamates from miles away
But face to face they haven't got a thing to say
I bleed for this and I bleed for you
Still you look at my face like I'm somebody new
Toy, nobody wants anything I've got
Which is fine because you're made of everything I'm not
If you're 555, then I'm 666
If you're 555, I'm 666
Well if you're 555, I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic?
If you're 555, I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic? Yeah
Heretic, yeah
Thirty seconds, sixteen, eight, four, lemme tell you why
I haven't the slightest, I'm teaching your brightest
They're listening, clamoring
All the money in the world can't buy me
Go ahead, lie to me
Tell me again how you're tortured
I want to know how you fallowed your orders so well
You're full of shit
You had a dream, but this ain't it
If you're 555, I'm 666
If you're 555, I'm 666
If you're 555, I'm 666
If you're 555, I'm 666
If you're 555, then I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic?
If you're 555, then I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic?
If you're 555, I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic?
If you're 555, then I'm 666
What's it like to be a heretic?
Heretic, yeah
Lyrics submitted by smurf620, edited by Newton3788, nisling9000, GamingBoss65478
The Heretic Anthem Lyrics as written by Corey Taylor Christopher Fehn
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think this song is about the music industry and how it's a load of shit. I think that they realised that they were becoming more popular and mainstream and this is them saying that they aren't going to end up like the rest of the crap you hear on the radio or whatever.
"I'm a pop star threat and I'm not dead yet" They're saying that they're a threat to other mainstream artists, that other artists only care about the money and lifestyle, not so much about the music.
"A hideous man that you don't understand" They're missunderstood. Most people who don't listen to metal would think "Oh, they play metal, they wear masks, they must be satanists" When they aren't...
"If you're a 555, then I'm a 666 If you're 555, I'm 666 (What's it like to be a heretic?)" I'm not too sure about what "If you're 555, then I'm 666" means, but "What's it like to be a heretic?" could be Slipknot asking other musicians what it's like to be sell-outs, and why they only care about the money.
"I bleed for this and I bleed for you Still you look in my face like I'm somebody new" They made good music and they still do, but because they became more mainstream and popular, some fans didn't like that (no idea why). They're saying that they're the same people they were before they were a sucess.
"All the money in the world can't buy me" They're saying that they won't become sell-outs, they'll always be about the music and not about the money.
"You're full of SHIT You had a dream, but this ain't it" Again, he's saying that the people in the mainstream music scene started out with a dream of just being good musicians, but now they only care about money.
So yeah, I think the song is about the music industry and how MOST mainstream musicians are nothing but sell-outs and don't give a shit about the music.
Some things I forgot to mention.<br /> <br /> "Everbody's so infatuated<br /> Everbody's so completely sure of what we are"<br /> People think they know Slipknot, when they don't. No one does.<br /> <br /> "Everbody defamates from miles away<br /> But face to face, they haven't got a thing to say"<br /> There are these Slipknot hates that say their fans are fat emo teens and that the band are a bunch of fags, but if they actually met Slipknot they wouldn't say shit.
@SpongeMuffin willowsoul.com/blogs/numbers/4-reasons-why-you-are-seeing-555-the-meaning-of-555
If you 555 then I'm 666 (555 is the Hollywood phone number that everyone uses in movies so it's represents the Hollywood pop snobs