As Sick As the Secrets Within Lyrics – Marilyn Manson

Meaning of ‘As Sick As the Secrets Within’ Lyrics Explained (Deep Dive)

Verse 1 Meaning:
This verse reflects a deep sense of disillusionment and decay. The speaker feels that their once sacred or personal rituals have become corrupted. The “worms of the flesh” suggest decay and the sacrifices made have led to emptiness. The blood from the cup, usually symbolic of life or connection, feels cold and unfulfilling.

Interlude Meaning:
This brief section emphasizes the core idea that personal sickness or moral decay is directly tied to the secrets one keeps. It’s a repetition of the idea that hidden truths contribute to one’s internal corruption.

Verse 2 Meaning:
Here, the speaker notes that the darkness they face is driven more by hunger than evil. They see a world of destruction and emptiness (“bones picked clean”) and feel responsible for creating the confining situation they’re stuck in. They can’t remember how to escape, highlighting their sense of entrapment and confusion.

Pre-Chorus Meaning:
The speaker describes how their initial need for survival turned into an addiction. This dependency led them to a point where their life felt meaningless, illustrating how their coping mechanisms only deepened their despair.

Chorus Meaning:
The chorus presents the idea that escaping one’s own skin—or one’s true self—is tricky and that deep-seated secrets are at the heart of one’s illness. The “beast” symbolizes a darker, consuming force that is slowly taking over, suggesting a loss of control.

Pre-Chorus Meaning:
Similar to earlier, the speaker’s survival mechanism turned into an addiction, leading them to a life that felt empty and unfulfilling. It reinforces the idea that their attempts to cope have only worsened their condition.

Chorus Meaning:
This repetition reaffirms the concept that hidden secrets are a major cause of one’s inner turmoil. It highlights that the consuming “beast” within is growing stronger and increasingly dominant, taking over their life.

Bridge Meaning:
The speaker rejects the idea of being merely preserved or controlled by others (“taxidermy”) and instead feels deeply embedded in their soul. They promise to haunt or influence others’ dreams, reflecting their desire to remain influential even in a dark and controlling way.

Outro Meaning:
The outro continues to stress the central theme: the idea that the sickness one feels is tied to the secrets they keep. The repetitive nature of the lyrics emphasizes the inescapable and consuming nature of these hidden truths. The line about making someone dream of the speaker reflects their continued influence and presence in others’ lives, even as they are lost in their own darkness.