BY MIKEY MIGO
We are a sick society of blood hungry violent animals. In simple terms, we hold laws, moral codes, and social agreement that murder is wrong. We know its vile and sadistic, but we still have some morbid curiosity about what could make someone do such a thing. In art, and sadly in life, there are plenty of serial killers, horror icons, and bad guys who kill people and still get cheered on at the end of the day. The movies of old had their monsters, comic books have their rebels, and your local broad cast news has their serial killers.
Like a brick wall, this all hit me while taking in a few older episodes of Dexter. It's not very uncommon anymore for a serial killer to be glorified and in some circles celebrated. The difference between fantasy and reality is that an extreme level of comfort. If it's fantasy we can rest safe knowing it's all just part of the show. If it's a serial killer you see on the news, YOU could be next. The rush of fear engulfs.
Music, one of our biggest forms of creative expression, has often capitalized on the topic. Today we're going to take a look at some of my personal favorite songs about serial killers. Odds are you'll not agree or think I omitted something obvious, but it's all in good conversational fun. And to be specific, let's go with songs that are about a specific serial killer and not murderers fictitious or not in general.
The Song: "Midnight Rambler" by The Rolling Stones
The Killer: "The Boston Strangler" Albert DeSalvo
The Year: 1969
In the early 60's "The Boston Strangler" rose to fame with the murder of 13 people. Before the decade was up, The Stones would release a very catchy blues rock track about the topic. It would remain a long time favorite and has been a set list staple for years where the band would embellish and "freestyle" their accompaniment. For a song about a topic so rough, it's just a little too up-tempo for the narrative tone. Not bad at all by any means, but still deserves mentioning as it's one of the most popular songs of the topic.
The Song: "Nebraska" by Bruce Springsteen
The Killer: Charles Starkweather
The Year: 1982
In the late 50's Charles Starkweather and his fourteen year old girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate went on a two month killing spree. In this point of view track, we get a dark folky narrative from the perspective of the killer. The song has a brooding tone to it that somehow beautifully captures what the song is about. I've never been a huge Boss fan, but this is one to appreciate.
The Song: "Real Solution #9 (Mambo Mania Mix)" by White Zombie
The Killer: Charles Manson
The Year: 1995
Whether you consider brainwashing a cult to kill people murder or not, Manson is a cultural icon and will go down in the annals of boogeyman folklore. It wasn't the best song on "Astro Creep", but is never one to skip over or sleep on. It doesn't have the White Zombie groove, but it's hard and will get your blood pumping.
The Song: "John Wayne Gacy Jr." by Sufjan Stevens
The Killer: John Wayne Gacy
The Year: 2005
Leave it to Sufjan Stevens to almost humanize one of the Midwest's most prolific children killers. The song is so soft and stripped down that it's hard to focus on the content, but rather the soothing melody. I had to look it up and the lyrics are pretty damn dark, but still doesn't work for me.
The Song: "Nothing to Gein" by Mudvayne
The Killer: Ed Gein
The Year: 2001
Gein inspired a lot of sick fucks over the years, especially seen as a muse for "Leatherface". I had a huge Mudvayne phase for a stint around my senior year of high school, but never really dug(no pun intended) this one. The bass stands out and I do like the break downs and change ups, but it never captivated me. Gein is much scarier than anything Mudvayne has ever had nightmares of.
The Song: "Pogo the Clown" by Dog Fashion Disco
The Killer: John Wayne Gacy
The Year: 1998
I remember a friend of a friend insisting I give this band and this song specifically a listen. I did and it was enjoyable, but easily forgettable in my old age. The loungey sing-a-long about a man who dressed up like a clown to kill children and hide them in a crawlspace is an odd choice. You can't argue with a bass-line like that though, oh no!
The Song: "Jack The Ripper" by Motorhead
The Killer: Jack The Ripper
The Year: 1992
There have been plenty of movies and songs about "Jack The Ripper". Lemmy is bad ass enough to actually of solved the case and crazy enough to of times travelled at least four times by now to routinely kick the killer's ass. There is something fun about the song. It's got an up beat tempo and Lemmy's vocals talking about being "The Ripper" puts a smile on my face.
The Song: "Jack The Ripper" by Morrissey
The Killer: Jack The Ripper
The Year: 1993
Like I said, there have been plenty of movies and songs about "Jack The Ripper". Morrissey is creepy enough to actually BE "Jack The Ripper" and smart enough to of time travelled at least four times by now. The song is brooding and is what we'd expect from Morrissey in terms of style. None the less, it's also one of Morrissey's best solo tracks in my right opinion.
The Song: "213" by Slayer
The Killer: Jeffrey Dahmer
The Year: 1994
Cleverly titled "213" after Dahmer's apartment number, Slayer is no stranger to sadistic and/or controversial themes. Dahmer killed and ate seventeen males during his spree and I think Slayer has released that many albums. The connections doesn't stop there, oh no! What did Jeffrey Dahmer after a meal and Slayer have in common? Testosterone. That HAS to be a nominee for worst joke of all time.
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