Today I'm dirty
And I want to be pretty
Tomorrow, I know I'm just dirt
Today I'm dirty
And I want to be pretty
Tomorrow, I know I'm just dirt

We are the nobodies
Wanna be somebodies
When we're dead
They'll know just who we are
We are the nobodies
Wanna be somebodies
When we're dead
They'll know just who we are

Yesterday I was dirty
Wanted to be pretty
I know now that I'm forever dirt
Yesterday I was dirty
Wanted to be pretty
I know now that I'm forever dirt

We are the nobodies
Wanna be somebodies
When we're dead
They'll know just who we are
We are the nobodies
Wanna be somebodies
When we're dead
They'll know just who we are

Some children died the other day
We fed machines and then we prayed
Puked up and down in morbid faith
You should have seen the ratings that day
Some children died the other day
We fed machines and then we prayed
Puked up and down in morbid faith
You should have seen the ratings that day

We are the nobodies
Wanna be somebodies
When we're dead
They'll know just who we are
We are the nobodies
Wanna be somebodies
When we're dead
They'll know just who we are
We are the nobodies
Wanna be somebodies
When we're dead
They'll know just who we are
We are the nobodies
Wanna be somebodies
When we're dead
They'll know just who we are



Lyrics submitted by Ice

Track duration: 03:36

"The Nobodies" as written by Marilyn Manson John Lowery

Lyrics © CHRYSALIS MUSIC GROUP, EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


The Nobodies song meanings
Add your thoughts

129 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:clearly columbine
    Flag tuttut1234on January 13, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the columbine dudes didnt even like marilyn manson. which proves they were indeed crazy.
    Flag morekniveson September 27, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:MARILYN MANSON IS A FUCKING GENIUS!!! AND THE SIMPLE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THE COLUMBINE CASE, IS THEY'RE A SUPER GEEK AND A STUPID JOCK, THE SUPER GEEK WAS ALREADY PLANNING TO SHOOT UP THE SCHOOL AND THE JOCK JUST GOT IN ON THE WHOLE THING. ENOUGH WITH THAT DAMN CASE!!! THE SONG IS JUST A MEDAPHORE FOR HOW PEOPLE WANNA BE FAMOUS AND WHEN THEY ARE THEY'VE ALREADY DIED,"WE FED MACHINES AND THEN WE PRAYED" IS JUST THE NEWS PAPER TRYING TO MAKE EVERY BODY FEEL PITY FOR OTHERS. AND THE FACT THAT PEOPLE BUY INTO ALL THIS CRAP IS UNFATHOMABLE. "YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE RATINGS THAT DAY" IS THE NEWS WANTING TO COVER THE CASES FOR RATINGS AND FOR PEOPLE TO BUY INTO ALL THAT GOVERNMENT NONSENSE AND PROPAGANDA.
    Flagged sybil666on April 11, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:ok lets get one thing straight marilyn manson is a goddamned GENIUS
    Flag sybil666on April 11, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:Well, it kinda pissed me off the fact of that everyone moved inmediatly to the brigde to talk about tha columbine shit, and almost noone took the time to look at the verses

    "Today, i'm dirty
    I want to be pretty
    Tomorrow, i'll know, i'm just dirt

    What i see here, is someone who feels bad about himself, doesn't matter what, and does something to become "pretty", losing with this his humanity, first he was dirty, but then, he lost himself, and only the dirt was left.

    The Bridge it's obviously about television, but not exactly the columbine, i think, even if manson said it was, clever publicity stunt by him, but when we talk about "the kids" we talk about someone young, who's still not corrupted by our shitty society, we talk about something pure, and i guess that's what manson wanted to say.

    Manson is awesome, just awesome <3
    Flag debsakon October 01, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Alleged fans of Manson shot up a school. Turns out they weren't, but people blamed him anyway. Most of this song is from their perspective and it shows their self hate and desperation for fame. The end is from the perspective of the media: "yeah, yeah, some kids died... but you should have seen those ratings!"
    Flag Crane42on September 28, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i only just started listening to MM, i always thought the line in the chorus was "we dared, to know just who we are" which i thought was an awesome line relating to this song, the actual line is still cool but not quite as cool.
    Flag ukgoonon August 11, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:as everyone else said, its about columbine-like events and the media's (and viewer's) sick reaction to them.

    i think the line "Some children died the other day" isn't necessarily dismissive of those two boys.
    it's including them with all other events like that. other school shootings or just suicides.
    it's also kind of saying that they ARE just children. and shouldn't be demonized for what they did. separated from the rest of "humanity" because society and their parents HAD a part in it. no one is innocent.

    the line "we fed machines and then we prayed" is saying that people are still loading their guns ("feeding" bullets into the machine) while watching all this on tv and praying about it. not realizing that they are still contributing to the problem.
    (mm i think has verbalized his belief that part of the problem was that they had such easy access to guns)
    Flag thePU15Emacabreon July 17, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's about knowing who you are, in a negative way.
    Flag ObamaGoesPostalon March 30, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Today I am dirty
    I want to be pretty
    Tomorrow, I know I'm just dirt

    My interpretation relates back to the song "the beautiful people"

    In a similar theme and simply put; the media/society specifies who is somebody, "pretty" and therefore specifies who isn't "somebody" or who is pretty. Put slightly differently, what is the opposite of pretty? someone ugly or dirty.

    No one like to be think badly of themselves, so they aim/hope to be higher {to be somebody} but are never able to reach that and that leads to despair and hopelessness.


    Some children died the other day
    we fed machines and then we prayed
    puked up and down in morbid faith
    you should have seen the ratings that day

    This is a bit more complicated but what I think it relates to; on face value is the Columbine shooting. Firstly, considering what has been discussed about societies role in partially creating these individuals. The hypocrisy of the media and society is self evident

    Secondly, to pray to God is to look for guidance. However, they first fed the machines {i'm slightly unsure as to the meaning of this metaphor, it may mean as someone suggested to get the printing press started, the media machine}. However, what can be said is that they acted before thinking or more pervasively they already knew how to use the situation to their advantage and partly to do this using religious dogma to justify themselves to narrow assessment of the tragic events.......{ continued another day, Im tired}
    Other ideas{you get the idea}
    To vomit is to act in a visceral way.






    Flagged nkvd100on February 19, 2011   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain