Revision as of 11:14, 8 January 2011

This article is about the song. For the demo album, see Lunchbox (demo). For the single, see Lunchbox (single).

"Lunchbox" is the second single and the third track of the first album Portrait of an American Family. It was inspired by a piece of legislation dating back to 1972, which makes it illegal to have metal lunchboxes in schools. The song tells the story of a school age child who is bullied and uses his own lunchbox as a weapon in retaliation, waiting for the day he can "grow up to be a big rock & roll star" who is never intimidated by others. The earliest recording of this song dates back to the band's After School Special cassette tape, released in January 1991.

The album version of "Lunchbox" samples the Crazy World of Arthur Brown song "Fire".

Appearances

Cassettes

• After School Special
• Live as Hell
• Refrigerator

Albums

• Portrait of an American Family
• Lest We Forget (The Best of)
• Lost & Found

Singles

• Lunchbox
• Tourniquet

Spooky Kids Version

Live as Hell

Genesis of the Devil

The Manson Family Album Version

Versions

• "Lunchbox" — Appears on Portrait of an American Family, Lest We Forget (The Best of), Lost & Found and the "Lunchbox" single.
• "Next Motherfucker" (Remix) — Appears on the "Lunchbox", "Sweet Dreams" and the "Tourniquet" singles.
• "Brown Bag" (Remix) — Appears on the "Lunchbox" single.
• "Metal" (Remix) — Appears on the "Lunchbox" single.
• "Lunchbox (Highschool Drop-outs)" — Appears on the "Lunchbox" single.
• "Lunchbox" — Appears on After School Special.
• "Lunchbox" (Live) — Appears on Live as Hell.
• "Lunchbox" (Live) — Appears on Refrigerator.
• "Lunchbox" (Live) — Appears on Dead to the World.
• "Lunchbox" (Live) — Appears on The Last Tour on Earth.
• "Lunchbox" (Live) — Appears on the Guns, God and Government World Tour DVD.

Music video

Manson face to face with the boy

The music video directed by Richard Kern, features a boy being bullied by two older students. The boy goes home, fed up with the way he is treated, and shaves his head and prepares for any future retaliation against the bullies with his metal lunchbox. The boy later goes to the rollerskating rink where Marilyn Manson is performing. The boy gives Manson his lunchbox, which Manson lights on fire and parades around. The video ends with the boy staring into the burning lunchbox. It is one of the few music videos with Manson performing without wearing makeup.

Lyrics

    on we plow
    the big bully try to stick his finger in my chest
    try to tell me, tell me he's the best
    but I don't really give a good goddamn cause
    i got my lunchbox and I'm armed real well
    i got my lunchbox and I'm armed real well
    i got my lunchbox and I'm armed real well
    i wanna grow up
    i wanna be a big rock and roll star
    i wanna grow up
    i wanna be
    so no one fucks with me
    i got the pencils in my pocket, try to put me down
    wanna go out, gotta get out
    to the playground, gonna throw down at the playground
    i wanna go out
    next motherfucker gonna get my metal
    next motherfucker gonna get my metal
    next motherfucker gonna get my metal
    next motherfucker gonna get my metal
    pow pow pow, pow pow pow, pow pow pow, pow pow pow
    i wanna grow up
    i wanna be a big rock and roll star
    i wanna grow up
    i wanna be
    so no one fucks with me

Trivia

• During the Dead to the World (tour) the line "I wanna be a big rock and roll star" was often sang with updated lyrics "I wanna be Antichrist Superstar"