Don't read to much into the details here. This song includes a bunch of nonsense that was deliberately included just to piss off as many people as possible at one time. It's got something for everyone: Suicide! Abortion! Rape! The N word!
Manson was always acutely aware of his position as a rockstar and the kind of stupid public reactions that happen when people like the PMRC (which was still a big deal at the time, seeing as how it was headed up by the Vice President Gore's wife) take music too seriously. There were a lot of adults who really believed that teenagers were nothing more than lemmings who would follow a rockstar off a cliff without a second thought. Hence Manson whispers "I better not say this. Better not tell." Meaning I better not give my honest opinion because somebody might take it too seriously.
But on top of the nonsense, you have the Ayn Rand reference "sell you suicide" that Autoerratica pointed out and you also have a reference to the similar philosophies that Anton LaVey writes in the Satanic Bible: "I am the animal who will not be himself." The "Hey Victim" lines also reflect this same philosophy of supremacy of the ego and independence as the highest morality.
So overall you get this tongue-in-cheek criticism of people who are stupid enough to take rock music literally accompanied by a sort of self-doubt questioning if he's any better than they are "I am the idiot who will not be himself"
Oh, and for the record, the strategy worked. There was a lot of press coverage and parents protesting at shows and things like that. This song in particular was written on purpose to provoke that reaction.
Don't read to much into the details here. This song includes a bunch of nonsense that was deliberately included just to piss off as many people as possible at one time. It's got something for everyone: Suicide! Abortion! Rape! The N word!
Manson was always acutely aware of his position as a rockstar and the kind of stupid public reactions that happen when people like the PMRC (which was still a big deal at the time, seeing as how it was headed up by the Vice President Gore's wife) take music too seriously. There were a lot of adults who really believed that teenagers were nothing more than lemmings who would follow a rockstar off a cliff without a second thought. Hence Manson whispers "I better not say this. Better not tell." Meaning I better not give my honest opinion because somebody might take it too seriously.
But on top of the nonsense, you have the Ayn Rand reference "sell you suicide" that Autoerratica pointed out and you also have a reference to the similar philosophies that Anton LaVey writes in the Satanic Bible: "I am the animal who will not be himself." The "Hey Victim" lines also reflect this same philosophy of supremacy of the ego and independence as the highest morality.
So overall you get this tongue-in-cheek criticism of people who are stupid enough to take rock music literally accompanied by a sort of self-doubt questioning if he's any better than they are "I am the idiot who will not be himself"
Oh, and for the record, the strategy worked. There was a lot of press coverage and parents protesting at shows and things like that. This song in particular was written on purpose to provoke that reaction.