A while back we wrote about some of our favorite cover songs. Consider this as part 1a of that article. Marilyn Manson is no stranger to doing cover songs. He’s quite skilled at taking other people’s material and twisting it around into his own perverse distorted reality. Love him or hate him for that, here we go over our top choices of covers Marilyn Manson has done.

“Sweet Dreams” (original by The Eurythmics)

I don’t think anyone ever imaged that this hit by The Eurythmics, with it’s 80′s synth pop sound, could be turned into something children would fear and parents would loathe. Leave it to Marilyn Manson to do just that. Manson’s version cranks up the heaviness and throws in large amounts of creepiness. With driving guitars, guitar hooks, heavy drums and Manson’s scary vocal work, the once synth pop song is taken down through hell and turns into a great metal tune.

“Down In The Park” (original by Gary Numan)

Another song from the 80′s era (1979 to be exact), the original is full of synthesizers, sound effects and distorted guitar. Manson manages to take the heart of the original and crank it up many notches. He keeps some of the synth sound of the original, but throws in distorted rock guitar hooks, melodic drum beats and his screaming distorted vocals. It makes an already creepy song even creepier.

“I Put A Spell On You” (original by Screamin Jay Hawkins)

Yes, this is Manson doing a cover of the classic Screamin Jay Hawkins song. This song has been covered by a ton of performers over the years. Many would probably recognize Creedence Clearwater Revival’s version the most. Manson, true to form, adds his signature creepiness and heaviness to the song. He takes it to a faster, more distorted place with pounding drums and distorted guitar. He keeps his vocals fairly clean and lets the guitars do the dirty work this time. As a nice touch the song begins with a creepy sample from the film “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

“This Is Halloween” (original by Danny Elfman)

If there was ever a more perfect song for Mr. Creepy himself to perform, “This Is Halloween” is it. Manson cranks up the drums in his version, but the guitars and distortion stay towards the back. Manson really carry’s the song with his vocal work. His singing ranges from his deep, throaty style to his creepy high pitch screams. It adds a lot to the creepy atmosphere of the song.

“Rock ‘n Roll Nigger” (original by Patti Smith)

Now, before you politically correct sensitive types lose your shit over the title of this song, keep this in mind; the song is not about blacks. The song is about being an outsider. Read the lyrics. The definition of that “N word” is [emphasis mine]: “Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. A person of ANY RACE or ORIGIN regarded as contemptible, inferior, ignorant, etc.” Patti Smith’s version of this song is already aggressive. Marilyn Manson however pushes it to be even faster and even harder. Not to mention, I’m pretty sure it’s a song he can identify with quite well.

Tagged as: cover songs, Danny Elfman, Gary Numan, Marilyn Manson, Patti Smith, Screamin Jay Hawkins, The Eurythmics