Released: 1996
Marilyn Manson’s ‘The Beautiful People’ is a critique of society’s obsession with beauty and power. It’s a song that challenges the listener to question societal norms and the status quo, using strong language and imagery to make its point.
The opening lines set the tone for the song, asserting the speaker’s independence and dominance. ‘And I don’t want you, and I don’t need you, Don’t bother to resist, or I’ll beat you’ is a clear statement of self-sufficiency and a warning against resistance.
‘It’s not your fault that you’re always wrong, The weak ones are there to justify the strong’ Manson points out the power dynamics in society, where the weak are often blamed and used to justify the actions of the strong.
‘The beautiful people, the beautiful people, It’s all relative to the size of your steeple’ Here, Manson is critiquing society’s obsession with beauty and wealth, suggesting that people’s worth is often measured by their physical appearance and material possessions.
‘You can’t see the forest for the trees, And you can’t smell your own shit on your knees’ Manson uses these phrases to illustrate how people can be so focused on their own issues that they fail to see the bigger picture.
‘There’s no time to discriminate, Hate every motherfucker that’s in your way’ Manson encourages the listener to reject societal norms and to resist any obstacles that stand in their way.
‘Hey you, what do you see? Something beautiful, something free? Hey you, are you trying to be mean? When you live with apes, man, it’s hard to be clean’ Manson is questioning the listener’s perception of beauty and freedom, and challenging the idea that one can remain ‘clean’ or pure in a corrupt society.
‘The worms will live in every host, It’s hard to tell which one they hate the most’ This line suggests that corruption and decay are universal, affecting everyone regardless of their status or position.
‘Capitalism has made it this way, Old-fashioned fascism, Will take it away’ Manson criticizes capitalism for creating a society obsessed with beauty and wealth, and warns that fascism, a form of extreme right-wing ideology, could be the result.
The repeated phrase ‘The beautiful people, the beautiful people’ serves as a reminder of society’s obsession with beauty and the pressure to conform to certain standards.
