"Dope Hat" is a song by American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the Marilyn Manson (band), same-titled band he founded in 1989. Th ...

. It was released as the promotional single from their debut album, ''

Portrait of an American Family ''Portrait of an American Family'' is the debut studio album by American Rock music, rock band Marilyn Manson (band), Marilyn Manson. It was released on July 19, 1994, by Nothing Records, Nothing and Interscope Records. The group was formed in ...

''. It was first recorded for a demo tape released in 1992, entitled ''The Family Jams''. The song was remixed on the band's 1995 EP, ''

Smells Like Children ''Smells Like Children'' is the first EP by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on October 24, 1995, by Nothing and Interscope Records. Produced by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, it represents an era of the band full of drugs, ab ...

'', under the titles of "Diary of a Dope Fiend" (reference to the ''

Diary of a Drug Fiend A diary is a written or audiovisual memorable record, with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. Diaries have traditionally been handwritten but are now also often digital. ...

'' by Aleister Crowley) (a re-record) and "Dance of the Dope Hats" (a faster and more synthesized version). The music video was inspired by ''

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical film, musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart from a screenplay by Roald Dahl, based on his 1964 novel ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory''. It stars Gene Wilder as chocol ...

'', particularly the Wondrous Boat Ride scene.

Composition

Sandra Schulman of the ''

Sun-Sentinel The ''Sun Sentinel'' (also known as the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'', known until 2008 as the ''Sun-Sentinel'', and stylized on its masthead as ''SunSentinel'') is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Broward County, an ...

'' wrote that the song is about "the false lullaby of drugs and its dealers." ''

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...

''s Alec Chillingworth felt that the song's "wacky, stomping hook" is similar to the music of

Jack Off Jill Jack Off Jill was an American alternative rock band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, founded in 1992 by vocalist Jessicka, drummer Tenni Ah-Cha-Cha, bassist/keyboardist Agent Moulder, and guitarist Michelle Inhell. Though these four women were th ...

Critical reception

Sandra Schulman of the ''Sun-Sentinel'' said that the song is "Horrifyingly good, loopy music, with discordant riffs that crawl under your skin and stay there. The soundtrack to every nightmare you've ever had." In his review of ''Portrait of an American Family'',

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

said "Beneath all the camp shock, there are signs of anson'sunerring eye for genuine outrage and musical talent, particularly on the trio of 'Cake and Sodomy,' '

Lunchbox A lunch box (or lunchbox) is a hand-held container used to transport food, usually to work or to school. It is commonly made of metal or plastic, is reasonably airtight and often has a handle for carrying. In the United States In the Unit ...

,' and 'Dope Hat.'" The ''

Miami Herald The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by McClatchy, The McClatchy Company and headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1903, it is the fifth-largest newspaper in Florida, serving Miami-Dade, Broward County, Fl ...

''s Howard Cohen said that Berkowitz's "musicianship, songwriting, and industrial guitar...gave early Marilyn Manson its musical credibility on songs like 'Lunchbox,' 'My Monkey,' 'Dope Hat,' and 'Cake and Sodomy.'" Similarly, Ben Crandell of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' wrote that "While the band drew attention for its theatrical excesses, it prospered in large part because of the musical credibility provided by the gleaming, industrial-gear shredding of erkowitz'sguitar on early Manson songs such as 'Lunchbox,' 'Dope Hat' and their hit cover of the

Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British New wave music, new wave duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, a band t ...

' '

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is a song by British synth-pop duo Eurythmics. It was released as the fourth and final single from their second album of the same name in January 1983. It was their breakthrough hit, establishing the duo wor ...

.'" Alec Chillingworth of ''Metal Hammer'' felt that "Dope Hat' and "

Get Your Gunn "Get Your Gunn" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on June 9, 1994 as the band's debut single and is from their debut studio album, ''Portrait of an American Family'' (1994). The song was written by the band's eponym ...

" are among the catchiest songs on the album.

Music video

The music video, directed by Tom Stern, features the band riding a boat through a psychedelic tunnel on a river of blood directly inspired by the 1971 film ''

'', one of Manson's favorite films. The boat is carrying the band members, young children and the

Oompa Loompas The Oompa-Loompas are a fictional race of people in the ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' franchise based on the original book by Roald Dahl. In all versions of the story, they are depicted as little people who form the workforce of Willy ...

from the aforementioned movie.

Robert Iler Robert Michael Iler (; born March 2, 1985) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of A.J. Soprano on ''The Sopranos''. His film roles include '' Tadpole'' (2002) and '' Daredevil'' (2003). Career He made his debut in 1995 as ...

appeared in the video as one of the children at the age of 10. CGI effects in the video were created by Xavier Guerin. The video also includes bizarre images in the background, such as a hand breaking an egg and blood coming out of it, a fish coming from the inside of a melon cut in half, etc. The video depicts a sort of "evil" and drug-induced Willy Wonka's boat ride. The video came out in 1995. The video also features references to Hoodoo, a villainous character from the classic children's television series ''

Lidsville ''Lidsville'' is an American television show created by brothers Sid and Marty Krofft. It was their third series, following '' H.R. Pufnstuf'' (1969) and '' The Bugaloos'' (1970). As did its predecessors, ''Lidsville'' combined two types of chara ...

''.

Critical reception

Aly Semigran of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' put the video on her list of "The 10 Best Music Videos Inspired By a Movie", alongside the videos for

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

's "

Material Girl "Material Girl" is a song recorded by American pop singer Madonna for her second studio album, '' Like a Virgin'' (1984). It was released on January 23, 1985, by the Sire label as the second single from ''Like a Virgin''. It also appears sligh ...

" (1985) and

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

's "

California Love "California Love" is a song by American rapper 2Pac featuring fellow American rapper Dr. Dre. The song was released December 3, 1995, as 2Pac's comeback single after his release from prison in 1995 and was his first single as the newest artist ...

" (1996).

Track listing

U.S. promotional CD single #"Dope Hat" (LP version) – 4:18 #"Diary of a Dope Fiend" (EP version) – 5:57 #"Dance of the Dope Hats" (Remix) – 4:37

External links

References

{{authority control 1994 songs 1995 singles Marilyn Manson (band) songs Songs about drugs Song recordings produced by Trent Reznor Songs written by Madonna Wayne Gacy Songs written by Marilyn Manson Music videos directed by Tom Stern Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in popular culture