Dope Hat (song)

This article is about the song

• for the single see Dope Hat (single)

"Dope Hat"
Song by Marilyn Manson
Album	Portrait of an American Family
Released	July 19, 1994
Recorded	August–December 1993 at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, California, The Village Recorder and Pig
Genre	Alternative rock, psychedelic rock
Length	4:21
Label	Nothing, Interscope
Writer	Marilyn Manson
Composer	Marilyn Manson, Daisy Berkowitz, Madonna Wayne Gacy
Producer	Marilyn Manson, Trent Reznor
External links	Search ISRC Search at Musicstax

"Dope Hat" is the third and final single and the sixth track of the first album Portrait of an American Family. The earliest recording of this song dates back to the band's The Family Jams cassette, released in 1992. While Madonna Wayne Gacy was given a music credit for the song on Portrait of an American Family, curiously his name is absent from the credits of The Family Jams and Refrigerator, two cassettes a demo of "Dope Hat" had appeared on beforehand.

Appearances

Cassettes

• The Family Jams
• Refrigerator
• The Manson Family Album

Albums

• Portrait of an American Family

Singles

• Dope Hat

Versions

The Family Jams and the Refrigerator version

The Manson Family Album version

Versions

• "Dope Hat" — Appears on The Family Jams.
• "Dope Hat" — Refrigerator is identical to The Family Jams With Charles Manson Intro.
• "Dope Hat" — Appears on The Manson Family Album.
• "Dope Hat" — Appears on Portrait of an American Family.
• "Diary of a Dope Fiend" (Remix) — Appears on Smells Like Children and the "Dope Hat" single.
• "Dance of the Dope Hats" (Remix) — Appears on Smells Like Children and the "Dope Hat" and "Sweet Dreams" singles.

Music video

Manson performing on the Wonka-inspired boat.

The music video, directed by Tom Stern, features the band riding a boat through a psychedelic tunnel directly inspired by the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, which happens to be one of Manson's favorite films. In the video, the band members perform with many children and people resembling the "Oompa-Loompas" from Willy Wonka aboard the boat.

Lyrics

   i peek into the hole, i struggle for control
   the children love the show, but they fail to see the anguish in my eyes
   fail to see the anguish in my eyes
   i scratch around the brim, i let my mind give in
   the crowd begins to grin, but they seem to scream when darkness fills my eyes
   seem to scream when darkness fills my eyes, it's no surprise
   fail to see the tragic, turn it into magic
   my big top tricks will always make you happy, but we all know the hat is wearing me
   my bag is in the hat, it's filled with this and that
   my vision's getting fat, the rabbit's just a monkey in disguise
   stars and pills and needles dance before our eyes
   they will bite the hand if it is slower than the quickness of their scrutinizing eyes
   fail to see the tragic, turn it into magic
   my big top tricks will always make you happy, but we all know the hat is wearing me
   chicanery will always make you happy, but we all know the hat is wearing me

Trivia

The guitar used to record the "Dope Hat" solos heard on Portrait of an American Family.

• According to photos on his MySpace profile, former Marilyn Manson guitarist Scott Putesky, better known as Daisy Berkowitz, used a 1965 Teisco Del Rey to record the solos heard on the album version of "Dope Hat".
• Although the first 8 seconds of the album version of this track seem to be only silence, there is actually a very low-volume siren noise playing which can be heard at higher amplification.