Running to the Edge of the World

"Running to the Edge of the World"
Song by Marilyn Manson
Album	The High End of Low
Released	May 20, 2009
Recorded	March 2008–January 2009 in Los Angeles and Hollywood, California
Genre	Art rock, Hard rock
Length	6:25
Label	Interscope
Writer	Marilyn Manson
Composer	Twiggy, Chris Vrenna
Producer	Marilyn Manson, Chris Vrenna, Twiggy, Sean Beavan
External links	Search ISRC Search at Musicstax

"Running to the Edge of the World" is the seventh track from the 2009 release The High End of Low. Its title was revealed on April 7, 2009, in a blog which described both it and eight other songs from the album.

Music details

A blog by Metal Hammer has said of "Running to the Edge of the World" that "With more acoustic guitar, this sounds initially like 90s Bon Jovi solo material. But then the clicky/bleepy electronic beats kick in and you know ugly juxtaposition is coming. Manson joins in with a sad – almost melancholic – vocal line about burning houses. Joined by strings, the slow plodder plods on and without a strong vocal melody the chords sound like 'Love Is All Around' by Wet Wet Wet. Manson's clever wordplay was always one of his most endearing facets, and sadly he seems to have run slightly dry. The interesting little middle eight isn't enough to save this song from being quite dull – especially when the six and a half minutes of it seems to offer little to warrant such length."

Reviewing for Thrash Hits, Hugh Platt criticized "Running to the Edge of the World" for being "more than just a spiritual cousin to the 'The Speed of Pain'."

The Quietus' John Robb described the song as "a big rock ballad, but of course it's got blackened and charred core," comparing it to David Bowie's early material and citing it as the second single from The High End of Low, although this has yet to be confirmed. Robb didn't move on in his review before citing that "The bizarre change in style makes this one of the unlikely album highlights."

In his review for Allmusic, Phil Freeman, who was unsatisfied by the album, also compared the song to Bowie's work, describing it as "a Bowie-esque ballad/epic (acoustic guitar, strings) that could have been great if it had only been two minutes shorter."

The line "Together as one, against all others" is most likely a reference to the "Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides the Hand)" music video, where at the end, Manson says "Together as one," and Evan Rachel Wood replies "Against all others."

Music Video

Video details

A beaten Kelly Polk from the "Running to the Edge of the World" video.

On September 10th and 11th Manson posted three photos on his Myspace of stills from the video. The first two stills were uploaded to his "video stills from the future" photo album. The third was released the next day in his "My Mobile Photos" photo album.

On November 4th at 6:19PM EST, the video was uploaded to the official website. It had briefly been up under the title 'test1' two days prior, but only for a few hours.

The video was directed by Manson and Nathan "Karma" Cox, who also directed the video for "Personal Jesus". It opens with Manson, dressed in a white shirt singing the song to a camera while partially concealing himself with a curtain. As the bridge and outro of the song play, he beats a woman to death, speculated to represent Evan Rachel Wood, played by Kelly Polk.

Behind the scenes

• 

Video

One could also draw similarities from the video, to the movie American Psycho.

In particular the scene where Marilyn Manson is signing the guestbook, with one glove on, in an identical fashion to Patrick Bateman in the American Psycho movie, featuring Christian Bale.

Appearances

Albums

• The High End of Low

Versions

• "Running to the Edge of the World" — Appears on The High End of Low
• "Running to the Edge of the World (Alternate Version)" — Appears on the deluxe edition of The High End of Low

Lyrics

    remember when i took you
    up to the top of the hill?
    we had our knives drawn.
    they were as sharp
    as we were in love.
    if god crossed us
    we'd take all his drugs,
    burn his money
    and his house down,
    and wait for the fire to spread.
    
    but sometimes hate is not enough
    to turn this all to ashes.
    together as one
    against all others
    break all of our wings to
    make sure it crashes
    now we're running to the edge of the world
    running running away
    we're running to the edge of the world
    but i don't know if the world will end today
    
    I had no choice,
    I erased the debt of our family.
    I let you say goodbye 
    with lips like dynamite.
    And everyone
    turned their backs
    because they knew
    when we held on tight
    to each other,
    that we were something
    fatal
    that fell into the wrong hands.
    
    but sometime hate is not enough
    to turn this all to ashes
    together as one
    against all others
    break all of their wings and
    make sure it crashes
    
    we're running to the edge of the world
    running running away
    we're running to the edge of the world
    but i don't know if the world will end today
    
    i don't seek death
    i seek destruction
    until death we see destruction
  
    we don't seek death
    we seek destruction
    until death we seek destruction
    
    we're running to the edge of the world
    running running away
    we're running to the edge of the world
    but i don't know if the world will end today
    we're running to the edge of the world
    running running away
    we're running to the edge of the world
    but I don't know if the world will end today
    
    I can see a new beginning
    rise behind the sun
    but we can never catch up to it
    as fast as we run
    
    I can see a new beginning
    rise behind the sun
    but we can never catch up to it
    as fast as we run
    I can see a new beginning
    rise behind the sun
    but we can never catch up to it
    as fast as we run
    
    I can see a new beginning
    rise behind the sun
    but we can never catch up to it
    as fast as we run