"President Dead"

""President Dead""
Song by Marilyn Manson
Album	Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death)
Released	November 13, 2000
Recorded	1999–2000 at The Mansion in Death Valley, California
Genre	Alternative metal, heavy metal, industrial metal
Length	3:13
Label	Nothing, Interscope
Writer	Marilyn Manson
Composer	Twiggy, John 5, Stephen Bier
Producer	Marilyn Manson, Dave Sardy
External links	Search ISRC Search at Musicstax

""President Dead"" is the sixth track on Marilyn Manson's fourth studio album, Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death). It was recorded at The Mansion in Death Valley, California between 1999 and 2000, and was released on November 13, 2000. The band's heavy use of synthesizers in the song makes ""President Dead"" comparable to an earlier track, "Great Big White World". This is one of the only Marilyn Manson songs to which former guitarist John 5 contributed a solo.

Appearances

• Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) – This 2000 album is the only Marilyn Manson release on which ""President Dead"" appears.

Versions

• ""President Dead"" – The album version of this song remains the only version released to date.

Live

""President Dead"" was performed by Marilyn Manson once, in Dallas, Texas on December 16, 2000.

Lyrics

    this is for the people, they want you
    this is for the people, they want you
    getting high on violence, baby
    
    President Dead is clueless
    and he's caught in a headlight, police-state god
    and his skull is stained glass
    
    incubated and jet set
    the bitter thinkers buy their tickets
    to go find god like a piggy in a fair
    
    and we don't want to live forever
    and we know that suffering is so much better
    
    this is for the people, they want you
    this is for the people, they want you
    getting high on violence, baby
    
    give the pills time to work
    we all can't be martyred in the
    winter of our discontent
    
    (getting high on violence, baby)
    
    every night we are nailed into place and
    every night we just can't seem to
    ever remember the reason why
    
    (getting high on violence, baby)
    
    and we don't want to live forever
    and we know that suffering is so much better
    
    this is for the people, they want to
    this is for the people, they want to
    getting high on violence, baby
    
    and we don't want to live forever
    and we know that suffering is so much better

Trivia

• Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) lists quotation marks as part of this song's actual title, possibly as an interpretation of a newspaper headline.
• "President Dead" has a duration of exactly 3 minutes and 13 seconds. Frame 313 of the Zapruder film, the most complete visual recording of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, is the precise frame where Kennedy is shot.
• This song's content is more than likely in direct reference to Kennedy's assassination in 1963 by Harvey Lee Oswald.

Personnel

• Marilyn Manson – vocals, syncussion, mellotron, lyrics
• Twiggy – rhythm guitar, bass, music
• John 5 – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, music
• Stephen Bier – keyboards, music
• Ginger Fish – loop, live drums
• Alex Suttle – backing vocals
• Dave Sardy – producer