The Nobodies

Album: Holy Wood (In The Shadow Of The Valley Of Death) (2000)
Charted: 34
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song deals with the quest for acceptance and the desire to find one's place in the world. The "nobodies" are the downtrodden and ignored:

    We are the nobodies
    Want to be somebodies
    When we're dead
    They'll know just who we are
  • Like several of the songs on the album, this makes reference to the Columbine shootings:

    Some children died the other day
    We fed machines and then we prayed


    The mass media attempted to blame Manson's influence on the tragedy, despite evidence to the contrary. Like a lot of his lyrics, this deals with Manson's perception that the media tend to martyr and deify those who die within the public eye. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Stefano - Old Bridge, NJ
  • The video was directed by Paul Fedor, who got some attention for the Alice in Chains "Get Born Again" video, where his creepy characters have odd appendages. Manson and the folks in the "Nobodies" video take a number of forms, sometimes blending into their surroundings and other times bursting forth.

Comments: 47

  • Brian from Niagara, OnHopefully I don't start a feud with this but for all the comments and stuff about Manson being a Satanist and his lyrics I have a few points.

    First, to anyone who says he is a satanist obviously doesn't know a lot about Marilyn Manson considering he has on multiple occasions expressed his opinion on religion of any kind. It is basically that religion is a form of control through fear and the cause of too many problems in the world.

    Secondly, as for his lyrics and the meanings behind them, I see them not as "Go kill people, kill yourself, and hate the world" but as an insight to the world we live in. Guess what? people kill each other every damn day. suicide rates are always on a high all over the world. So i take his lyrics more as a "Wake up and see whats around you", sort of like an awareness thing and I think that is why people are scared, disturbed and frightened off by his lyrics, because ultimately they speak truth to the world we live in and more so, the odd obsessions the world has (which is sort of the basis of his name, Marilyn Monroe, a celebrity icon from the 1960's and Charles Manson, a murder conspirator that is also an icon of the 1960's.) To me, his lyrics expose me to the reality of people and society, which I don't view as a bad thing. It's better then being shocked when you can't just "pause" or "turn off" reality.

    So in a nutshell, I believe the world fears and rejects and BLAMES him for stuff such as Columbine because he is "the poster boy" for the things society fears. This is also the reason I love his music, image and everything he stands for and talks about. I hate lies and worse, the truth sugar coated. Give me the real truth on something or nothing at all.
  • Jax from Redwood, CaThis song was featured on the "From Hell" soundtrack.
  • Estel from 303, CoYay for people who actually know what the frik they're talking about. Columbine was nowhere near Manson's fault, yet everyone still pointed fingers at him and every goth kid after the massacre. People like to choose someone to blame so they don't get blames themselves. The press and media sources were allowed to run wild through the unbelievable corruption in Littleton. They labeled little differences as 'murderous' and 'suspicious'. Kids were suspended and even expelled for stupid things like dying their hair blue and pointing a chicken nugget at a teacher and saying "pow". It was ridiculous. Sure, these kids (Harris and Klebold) wanted attention, "we're the nobodies, wanna be somebodies" but who doesn't want to be somebody? If you want some real Manson opinion, look for the article he wrote for the Rolling Stone magazine in June of 99 I think. It's really breathtaking, and all you stupid, misinformed people can get better informed.
  • Diogo from Urasss, Portugalone of the two smartest people in the music world! simply amaesing
  • Michael from London, United KingdomMarilyn manson is one of the most smartest artists out there of this genre and i STRONGLY DSAGREE that he is responible for suicide/murder if some idiot goes and kills someone or themselves then they are mis-interpretating his lyrics and NEED to listen to them and not read into them that much *rant over* :)
  • Skylar from Den Bosch, NetherlandsI love this song. Maybe it's not even just for the columbine shootings.
    no one picked on them. they just had the feeling they weren't worth anything.
    but I think this song is to everybody who feels like a 'nobody' sometimes.
  • Raven from Bobville, CoThe only reason the Columbine shootings happened was because a pair of parents weren't mature enough to take care of their children and take the blame of their actions. Not once have I heard that Mr. Manson caused suicide/murder thoughts in some other person. And for being a satanist, let him be what he wants to be. If he is one or not, just respect his religion and move on. P.S. Love ya Manson!
  • Eddie from Troy, Misarah: how could he be responsible for suicide and murder? its not his fault that people are crazy enough to actually go out and murder people.
  • Amy from Nunyabiz, Alryan from melbourne australia: dylan & eric never specifically named being bullied as a reason they killed all those people. & columbine wasn't supposed to be just a shooting it was meant to be a mass bombing but they didn't wire their bombs right. eric & dylan hated society & when they entered the school they didn't care who they killed. their "hit list" existed but officials said that the people on it weren't really targets. as in if they got them ok but they weren't hunting them down over the school. eric & dylan didn't even listen to marliyn manson but society blamed him anyway to keep the blame from themselves. no i never knew eric & dylan but i bet that nothing anyone would've said or done would've changed their minds about killing everyone. i've done extensive research on several websites but the one i've been on recently is http://www.answers.com/topic/columbine-school-massacre#Warning_signs
    so before anyone gets on here throwing out random crap like kees did get the facts straight. & don't be asswipes to people who don't deserve it. it's not that hard. it might just prevent another school shooting that's worse in so many ways than columbine.
  • Sarah from Fairway, KsMarilyn Manson is not responsible for this because those boys DIDN'T listen to his music.

    Though I do have to say that Manson is partially repsonsible for things like suicide/murder. He is not encouraging anybody and he isn't "EVIL" but people (obviously)have a hard time interpreting his songs. are hard to interpret. Heck, i had to look up the meaing behind his songs-hence this website-

    There is a such thing as normal-normal is the what the majority of something is like. Even if that majority is screwed up or not.

    Adults do have hard time admitting what is their fault. They need to be in control and often believe they are better/smarter/more correct than us. Which is often true-but then adults are more corrupt. They are already lost while kids are still trying to interpret what's right and wrong.

    The problem is it IS most parents' faults besides overexposure to media. It's always parents-they raise you.


    Also I just got into two of Manson's songs. Even though he scares the crap outta me-not- a couple of his songs r pretty good. It's not like i hate them but i just don't feel ANYTHING when i hear them-except sometimes shock. His songs r hard to interpret. Now that i bought them my parents r all over me.-which annoys me and kinda makes me wonder: Do i really like these songs or did i get them for another reason? I hope its the first.
  • Ryan from Melbourne, AustraliaIt's amazing how many people pointed the finger at goths and Marilyn Manson, but NOT ONE dragged out every jock at that school who bashed and teased Dylan and Eric and asked them if they were happy now, did their bullying pay off? Or drag the parents out and ask them where they went wrong. No, that would be "wrong". Just point your ignorant fingers at a singer, hide behind your bible and that way you don't ever have to even consider the horrifying truth of Columbine: Those twisted kids will not be the last to kill their classmates, because the cause of the problem is still allowed to continue.
    It's also hilarious (and kinda disturbing) reading some of the hillbilly Christian comments here. I checked out Johnny Lee Clary. The KKK video on the home page told me everything I needed to know there. Only in America...
  • Marla from Los Angeles, CaFist: Marilyn Manson is a genius and makes my life complete. I agree with every one who thinks MM is not to blame. The words have been said so I won't repeat them, but to Tyler from NY, I got to say this...why hate on Eminem? I'm obsessed with MM, but my sister is OBSESSED with Eminem, so I know that he gets just as much hatred from the media has Marilyn does. They both aren't afraid to speak their minds and express their views on life, which is why society persecutes them...as a Manson fan you should know better than to hate on an Artist.
  • Amy from Nunyabiz, AlWow alot of comments on Columbine. This song's great. Kees, just because someone says something about suicide/murder in a song doesn't mean go do it. That's just like playing violent videogames that you can kill any & everyone you like. Doesn't mean you can do it in real life. People just like to blame anyone but themselves for things like this. & music's not the only place that kids can be exposed to stuff like this. Have you watched tv lately? I mean omg even kids shows have violence. & living in rocky situations at home can cause stuff of this sort. Eric & Dylan from Columbine needed help. It's not Manson's fault their own parents didn't realize it.
  • Cortney from Grand Junction, CoOk i just wanted to say that Marilyn Manson is not nor will he EVER be responsible for what happened at columbine!he didnt put a gun to those kids heads and tell them to shoot.The only reason those people died was because those kids had serious problems and not because of the music the shooters listened to.Mansons lyrics come from deep thought and the heart and to me they are beautiful.They put so much meaning into music and this is one of his best songs!ROCK ON MANSON U RULE!
  • Kyle from Egmondville, CanadaUm... Yeah i just want to say that Kees is ridiculous for believing that website. I'm not even going to start on the lies on that site...

    Even if Manson is a Satanist, Satanism isn't about killig. It barely has anything to do with most people's idea of Satan at all. Satanism is basically about selfishness and treating yourself like number one, even at other people's expense. Does Manson do anything like this? Not really. He does it just as much as anyone else, and that doesn't mean everyone is Satanist.

    Basically, people need to get some facts straight and some research done before they start spreading this crap.
  • Jade from Belleville, NjOkay ppl honestly....I have done a 45 minute presentation on this subject. He or any other artist is IN NO WAY responsible for the columbine tragedy. Theses kids were obviously severely troubled and it's horrid that they had no one to listen to them and help them. But why make Manson poster boy? Why protest his concerts? He did not hand them the gns and say "meh go shoot 'em up in there. I'm bored and blood makes me happy"

    Honestly...i grew up listening to Manson and some artists "worse" than him and i nor my friends have never or will ever do such a thing. Really....his lyrics aren't even violent. It's all metaphorical.

    So to those of u STILL blaming him...grow up, will u?
  • Matthew from St. Paul, MnMaybe Manson is the normal one and everyone else is messed up. Who can define normalicy? Ignorant people have no right to publicly ostracize him for making music. No one is forcing kids to listen to him, no one is forcing kids to shoot up schools it's their own free will. And has anyone looked at the how maybe the depression meds that Eric Harris was taking played into it. If you are going to blame someone blame drug companies not Manson.
  • Chris from Leeds, EnglandKees, u've got ur facts straight? So ur saying that the things JohnnyLeeClary wrote about manson on that site of his are true? ive scrolled through that site quickly and the things he says in there are not only not true, their laughable, a few examples maybe? okay, Marilyn Manson and Trent Reznor of satanic band "Nine Inch Nails" had sexual intercourse. haha this one has got to be the funniest.. And he says if ur gothic go to this site christiangoth.com, oh yeah, everything thats got the word christian in it is good, of course. And then he says that marilyn manson tells ppl who listen to his music to hate christianity,well i listen to his music and ive never heard him say to hate christianity, the only msg i know he tries to send across to ppl is to think for themselves, but i guess the whole idea of that is against christianity isnt it. Its ppl like this guy that makes me dislike christianity, always trying to shove so called "facts" down your throat, he sounds so sure of himself with everything he says about manson in there and yet shows not one reliable source.
  • Cole from San Jose, CaSuch a simple song with a really powerful message. The columbine shooting is such a scary topic. But yeah it's about the two gunmen wanted to be remembered by blowing up the school
  • Lindsay from Orangeburg, ScI love this song. I really can't see why they would blame Manson if the two guys hated him alot.I mean whats the deal, I listen to Manson but I dont want to kill people, I want to go to Medical school! Thats not wierd at all! Just leave Marilyn Manson out of it, the real people to blame are most likely the parents.
  • Nash from Clinton, Inthis song is kick a**..i love the keyboarding in the beginning!!!!!!!!
  • Natasha from Waco, Txwhy are people blaming manson for the Columbine shooting there is no point. He had nothing to do with it. music does not lead to violence. People that are saying all these horrible things about manson need to stop because he has done nothing wrong. He is my favorite singer but that doesn't make me want to go out and kill everybody I don't like.
  • Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScThere's a Jimi Hendricks quote that says:  "It's funny how most people love the dead. Once you're dead you're made for life." In this case, that doesn't apply because the Columbine shooters were depressed, confused, and angry, and messed up. But ta the same time, this quote does apply because there are those who become famous after death. I have never really heard any of Manson's music, but reading the song description made me think of this quote.
  • Tyler from Buffalo, NyI cant believe they tried tto take this song because of a few words look at that rapper eminem he calls his mom a who*e and he told some guy to murder and he isnt critizied like manson i hate that they always blame the goths because we dont blend in but we are more normal than the druggie-murderer-gangsters manson will sing about suicide and death but @ least he doesnt tell u to murder.
  • Raven from Melbourne, Australiaand another thing... the media tried to blame manson because he wore gothic makeup and clothing... in so many articles written by unknown or overrated journalists, it stated that 'eric and dylan were fans of... white faces and jet black lipstick... holding hands when they walked down corridors, professing their homosexuality.... said survivor of the shootings as he stood outside the Catholic Church of Light...'... i noticed how when they said sh*t like that, they NEVER said who the source was... in all the pictures of eric and dylan, only a few have them in trenchcoats, and none in the makeup. eric was dating girls, and dylan took a FEMALE friend to the prom.. the whole 'eric and dylan were goths' thing is a lie - the media just place everyone in 1 of 2 categories - good and evil. since manson is gothrock which is dark, they consider him to be evil. simple as that.
  • Raven from Melbourne, Australiabefore AOL took it down, eric harris had a site there... in that site, he had many blogs, one of which was called 'know what i hate'. there were four entire pages of what he hated - marilyn manson was 3rd on his list. in eric's writings, he often said 'kill mankind. nobody should survive - we dont care because we're going to die too'. manson had nothing to do with the shootings - he didnt make them hate mankind, he didnt buy the guns illegally for them, he didnt raise the guns or pull the triggers or teach them how to make pipe bombs.
  • Caleb from Oromocto, Canadain my opinion there is no way to define normal, people are what they are, there is no model for what a "normal" person should be
  • Matt from Valrico, Flwww.johnnyleeclary.com/manson.htm
    "All Email is screened and email defending Manson will never be read by Johnny."
    that article made me laugh
    mansons songs are making fun of violence, not promoting it
    also, this album was somewhat based on the seires of numbers 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ect.
    listen to those tracks and the pattern goes on in them
    its pretty sweet
  • Mansonfreak from Hell, OhThe lyrics "when we're dead, they'll know just who we are." are so true because before the shooting, the kids really "nobodies" and know everyone know about them or of them.
  • Ushetra from San Diego, CaYes Manson was a satanist but what does that matter, he has his religion, you have yours, and I think Manson music only will influence you to do things like commit suicide if you are already mentally ill or take everything he says too seriously. What his music does is encourage people to think for themselves and if he encourages you to do that, thats good even if you dont agree with everything he says, which is truly thinking for yourself.
  • Melissa from Montrose, MiI'm doing a purseasive essay on how Marilyn Manson was blamed for the Columbine Shooting. (I definitly dont think they can rightfully blame him for that). Anyone want to give me some good cites to check out. I've got a few. But most of everything is against Manson. I just dont think people understand his music...the is a reason that few do...
  • Kees from B, Akeh Jake, I got my facts straight. I gave a link to a website full of facts...
    Where are your facts? You are calling me names for what reason?
    You said:
    "Manson isn't possessed or a Satanist, he is Anti-Christian among all things"
    That Manson is anti-Christian among all things, does that exclude the fact that he is a satanist and probably possessed? No, on the contrary, it's a characteristic of satanists.
    If you like Manson's music, could you please tell me what you like so much about it?
  • Kees from B, AkI think Manson and other rock bands like korn do have influence and are partially responsible for suicides and murders.
    Their songtexts aren't doing good to anyone. They encourage people to kill/commit suicide/hate.
    If you listen a lot to these songtexts your thoughts and eventually acts WILL get influenced, whether you want it or not. People who listen to this kind of songtexts and read this know it.
    Manson is a satanist, probably possesed.
    If you want to know everything about him read this:
    http://www.johnnyleeclary.com/manson.htm
  • Lithium from Kennesaw, GaEric Harris and Dylan Klebold were fans of the band KMFDM not Marilyn Manson.
  • Masha from Amsterdam, NetherlandsThey blamed him not because they wore trenchcoats but because parents like to think of children at the innocence. When they turn out to be little monsters they blame TV, games, Manson, anything. It's just a psychological thing, I guess. They also think of him as a hating brat who screams all day, while he seems to me a quite calm and reasonable, intelligent person. But yeah. He has to scream at something, let it be a microphone.
  • Jake from Houston, TxAgain, something else that can also match with the infamous words of Jonathan Davis.

    "Yeah, it pisses me off too. Parents today try to pin things on everything else instead of realising it's their fault"-Crappily remebered quote from Jonathan Davis
  • Barry from Smyrna, TnAnd I seriously doubt Rammstein got anyone shot :P
    Rammstein makes great music just like MM.
  • Leona from Edinburgh, ScotlandThe media will always try and pinpoint Manson's music as the reason behind incidents like this. We all know about the Columbine massacre and the more recent killing of teenager Jodie Jones over here in Scotland by her boyfriend Luke Mitchell was reported to have been influenced by the type of music he listened to; Marilyn Manson, Korn and Queens of the Stoneage to name a few.

    The fact is that dark music does not turn well balanced people into killers. Reports by psychiatrists in Britain show that angst ridden and disturbed teenagers are more likely to listen to music by Marilyn Manson because they can relate to the words of his songs more readily. This is why the link between Marilyn Manson and kids like these are so easily made.
  • Mariana Ivetac from Izola, EuropeThis events and the aftermath show how people always have to find a scapegoat, just because they cannot handle the fact that they are powerless and that they cannot change anything. Horrible things are happening more and more often. Every day new tragedies occur and as we have to have everything under control (by nature), we always have to find the answers to all questions. And if people cannot blame anyone they begin to accuse anyone they can. The reasons many times are absurd and in such cases the easiest thing was to blame the groups that these boys listened to. But I think that music has nothing to do with it. They certainly had some problems in their childhood and blaming music is easier than investigate why this persons commit such atrocities. Or people just don't want to confess that the problem lays among them.
  • Derek from Dover, OhThe two kids from the Columbine shooting didn't even like Marilyn Manson. When the police investigated the twos computer and their website, it said that they hated Marilyn Manson. The music they said they liked on their website was Techno, Rammstein is one that was listed. The reason the media tried to put this on Marilyn Manson was because the two wore trench coats.
  • David from London, EnglandBlame him for the columbine shootings? Yes maybe if he had phoned the kids up, invited them round his place, got them pissed, put the guns in their hands and told them they would be saints if they killed a lot of children. I dont think so somehow. Good song though.
  • Ken from San Diego, CaSo...did Marilyn Manson actually kill those people? NO.
  • James from Adelaide, AustraliaThis song was going to be used in the Jackass movie
  • Mindless from Ashville, NcThink alienated youth.
  • I Dunno from Shelby, NcWhat is "Normal"?
  • Jessie from WinghamThe two kids who shot the people at Columbine were not fans of his music, the media still tried to make out he had influenced them.
  • Daisy from Ikast, DenmarkI just love this track! I think its stupid that people blame him for the Columbine shootings. I mean his lyrics might have a darker side to them, but it doesn't make people kill other people. Many "normal" people listen to him without doing those sort of things. I feel like the people who have suffered from the shootings just point at someone to blame for the things that happend, instead of looking at the persons who are truly to blame.
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