The world is disgusted and fascinated with serial killers and the crimes they commit. Here are 18 Chilling Songs that capture the horror of Serial Killers.

How can some people be so cold-hearted and evil? That is the question that is often asked about serial killers.  Serial killers both disgust the world as well as fascinate the world.  The reason for the fascination is because it’s tough to believe anyone could be so disturbed and go to such measures to end innocent lives.  The perversions of these killers have inspired numerous books, films, and music.  Today, we’ll explore just a small sliver of songs about serial killers. Here are 18 Chilling Songs About Serial Killers. [NOTE: Yes, we know Jim Jones wasn’t a serial killer]. 

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1. Sufjan Stevens, “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.”

Album: Illinois (2005) | Killer Referenced: John Wayne Gacy 

Many of the best songs come in the hands of dedicated singer/songwriters.  Sufjan Stevens is a master at his craft, hence why he delivers the perfect song about John Wayne Gacy. On the first verse of “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.,” he paints the deceptive, eerie picture, while he summarizes his despicable, repulsiveness on the chorus.

“Twenty-seven people
Even more, they were boys
With their cars, summer jobs
Oh my God
Are you one of them?”

Stevens ‘goes for the kill’ on the second verse, describing the killer being “on his best behavior” when he dressed as a clown, but ultimately “He’d kill ten thousand people / With a sleight [slight] of his hand.”  Perhaps the second chorus is the most disturbing:

“And in my best behavior 
I am really just like him
Look beneath the floor boards
For the secrets I have hid.” 

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2. Kesha, “Cannibal”

Album: Cannibal (2010) | Killer Referenced: Jeffrey Dahmer

Kesha has a knack for living on the edge.  She proved as much on “Cannibal,” the title track from the EP that followed her debut, Animal.  Where does “Cannibal” come into play with Jeffrey Dahmer? It’s central, as Dahmer abused his victims not only sexually, but ate them.  Kesha doesn’t literally eat her victims – boys – but she adapts Dahmer’s repulsiveness lyrically.

“I eat boys up
Breakfast and lunch
Then when I’m thirsty, I drink their blood
Carnivore, animal, I am a cannibal
I eat boys up
You better run.”

The lyrics end up being successful, but they are hella creepy. The first verse is incredibly suggestive, lining up too well with Dahmer’s crimes.

“I have a heart, I swear I do
But just not baby, when it comes to you
I get so hungry when you say you love me...
You’re the kind of guy I’d stalk in school
But now that I’m famous, you’re up my anus
Now I’m gonna eat you fool.”

Again, Kesha is portraying herself as a maneater in the figurative sense. Dahmer was literally a maneater.  Also, one questions if anus reference coincidentally plays into Dahmer’s sexuality. Beyond that specific reference, how many of the lyrics are coincidental? Kesha even asserts “I’ll pull a Jeffrey Dahmer.”  In reality, during high school, Dahmer was known for his practical jokes. According to Gawker, he died because of them.

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3. Slayer, “Beauty Through Order”

Album: World Painted Blood (2009) | Killer Referenced: Elizabeth Báthory

Countess Elizabeth Báthory was something else – a hot mess to say the least.  Safe to say, the Blood Countess wasn’t playing around when it came to murder.  Veteran metal collective Slayer are perfectly suited to provide a soundtrack for the Countess, in all her hellishness.

From the jump, Slayer addresses her love for bathing in the blood of her victims:

“It’s the feel of your blood
As it flows smoothly down my skin
Intoxicating my soul
Immortality, seducing me.”

The song continues on in chilling fashion, always highlighting the “vampirical,” cold nature of Báthory.

“Frozen in time is the ice flowing in your veins
Are you insane?
At your mercy, they suffered while you sat there painless
Vile and shameless.”

There’s more of course, as Slayer brings biting to play (“Biting the flesh, face my sick prelude / Now meet your frozen death”), as well as her status in society (“Murder is my birthright the bloodline proves aristocracy / Walled in, left for dead, your actions show no hypocrisy”).

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4. Opera Diabolicus, “Blood Countess Bathory”

Album: 1614 (2012) | Killer Referenced: Elizabeth Báthory

“Beware! You don’t know what I’ve seen, what she hides in her / Chamber below / Beware of the devil enchantress / /Every thought will bring you despair / Her thaumaturgy is stronger than you’ll ever know.”

Swedish metal band Opera Diabolicus, like Slayer, also tackle Countess Elizabeth Báthory. The collective doesn’t merely focus on just one song, but dedicates an entire album, 1614.  The main attraction is “Blood Countess Bathory,” in all its hellishness.  Throughout its course, Opera Diabolicus do a superb job capturing her twistedness.

“Thy deeds are over, we’ve torn down your gate
The trial has begun, your accomplices arraigned
Blood on the wall, blood on the floor
For what they have done their heads are going to roll
Blood on the wall, blood on her hands
No words passed your lips but silence means yes
Gone are dreams, return to me
Can’t you see I’m Countess Báthory
Countess Báthory.”

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5. Rammstein, “Mein Teil”

Album: Reise, Reise (2004) | Killer Referenced: Armin Meiwes

“Denn du bist was du isst / Und ihr wisst was es ist.” In English, the German translates into the following: “Because you are what you eat / And you know what it is.” While the saying is tried and true, it takes a disgusting turn given the fact Rammstein sing about cannibal, Armin Meiwes.  He killed and ate a man.  Let that sink in. Even more screwed up is the fact that his victim agreed to be eaten and killed.  One particular section of “Mein Teil” highlights the eating of, um, the penis.

“The blunt blade good and right
I'm bleeding hard and I'm sick
I also have to fight with the impotence
I continue eating cramps
Is so well seasoned
And so beautifully flamboyant
And so lovingly served on porcelain...”

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6. Church of Misery, “Reverend”

Album: Early Works Compilation (2011) | Cult Leader Referenced: Jim Jones

On “Reverend,” Church of Misery speak as the voice of the insane, delusional cult leader Jim Jones. The record begins with spoken word excerpts that ultimately finds the parishioners addressing Jones as if he were God himself.  In regards to singing, there are few lyrics.  The featured lyrics ultimately focus on the demise of the people of Jonestown for no reason whatsoever.

“You die, don’t ask me way
Temple is the place where dead Angeles lies
Don’t pray for your tomorrow
Suicide is the way to escape from your pain
I’m your farther and lead you to death.”

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7. The Rolling Stones, “Midnight Rambler”

Album: Let it Bleed (1969) | Killer Referenced: Albert DeSalvo

“Did you hear about the midnight rambler? / Well, honey, it’s no rock ‘n roll show.” Somehow, legendary blues-rock band The Rolling Stones manage to make a song about the Boston Strangler a blast…musically that is.  Sure, the acts of Albert DeSalvo are heinous – despicable to the nth degree – but “Midnight Rambler” is classic Stones at its best.  The second half of the song is particularly creepy, instigated by a rambunctious, repetitive section where Mick Jagger sings, “Don’t you do that, don’t you do that.”

The final lyrics are fitting:

“I’ll go easy with your cold-fanged anger
I’ll stick my knife right down your throat, baby
And it hurts!”

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8. The Killers, “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine”

Album: Hot Fuss (2004) | Killer Referenced: Robert Chambers

Robert Chambers my not be the first killer that comes to mind when considering serial killers, mass murders, and such, but he’s no slouch.  His crime may not be a prolific as some of the horrific people gracing this list, but he did kill an 18-year old girl named Jennifer Levin.  Naturally, the 2004 The Killers’ song “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine” is about the aftermath of the murder.

On the chorus, frontman Brandon Flowers, posed as the killer, sings:

“Tell me what you wanna know
Oh, come on, oh, come on, oh, come on
There ain’t no motive for this crime
Jenny was a friend of mine...”

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9. Elliott Smith, “Son of Sam”

Album: Figure 8 (2000) | Killer Referenced: David Berkowitz

“The couple killer, each and every time.” Late singer/songwriter Elliott Smith delivers quite an alluring song with “Son of Sam.” While the notorious serial killer David Berkowitz is referenced under his alias, the impression is that this song is only partly about Berkowitz.

A couple of lyrics, in addition to the aforementioned, stand out.

“I’m not uncomfortable, feeling weird
Lonely leered, options disappear, but I know what to do
Son of Sam, son of a doctor’s touch, a nurse’s love.”

“Son of Sam, son of the shining path, the clouded mind”

“I may talk in my sleep tonight ‘cause I don’t know what I am
I’m little like you, more like Son of Sam.”

The last lyrics in particular are chilling. Is Smith suggesting we all have some of the horrid traits of the Son of Sam?

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10. Aborted, “Meticulous Invagination”

Album: Goremageddon, The Saw and the Carnage Done (2012) | Killer Referenced: Ted Bundy

“My name is Ted, indifferent to laws I strangle and maim women /… Incapable, defined is the hatred that lead to this carnage.” Aborted does an excellent job of capturing the horrific acts of Ted Bundy. That excellent characterization should be taken contextually, as “Meticulous Invagination” is equally disturbing AF. A dark, twisted trip from the start, Aborted doesn’t sugarcoat anything.  In other words, this is one graphic listen to the nth degree.  While it’s hard to decipher the lyrics sans lyrics, with the lyrics, the horror is even more frightening and disgusting.

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11. Eminem, “Stay Wide Awake”

Album: Relapse, 2009 | Killer Referenced: Ted Bundy

Who is better equipped to capture the pure evil of a serial killer than Marshall Mathers, better known as Eminem? He is no stranger to referencing serial killers with his 2009 album Relapse featuring a couple of songs with such references (“Must Be the Ganja” and “Stay Wide Awake”).  Focusing on “Stay Wide Awake,” Ted Bundy seems to minimally be an inspiration.

“I see my target, put my car in park / And approach a tender / Young girl by the name of Brenda / And I pretend to befriend her /… You’re the kind of girl that I’d / Assault and rape, then figure / Why not try to make your p***y wider / F*ck you with an umbrella / Then open it up while the shit’s inside ya / I’m the kind of guy that’s mild / But I might flip and get a little bit wilder…”

Phew! Later on, he asserts, “Escaping me, no dice, you see / I might just be Ted Bundy / Or Satan, gee, what a sight to see…” Also, he mentions the Son of Sam as well. 

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12. Oh, Sleeper, “Dealers of Fame”

Album: Children of Fire (2011) | Killers Referenced: Dnepropetrovsk Maniacs

“Let ‘em rot!” At the hands of the Dnepropetrovsk Maniacs as they were coined, shit got real in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Victor Sayenko and Igor Suprunyuk brutally murdered people just for the thrills of it back in 2007.  Metal band Oh, Sleeper captures the maniacs’ lust for fame throughout the course of their song, “Dealers of Fame.”

At one point, frontman Shane Blay sings:

“Innocence turned its head at 19 when the two screamed / Don’t try to save us / We’ll prove we’re man enough / Look how they chase us / All we need is fame, fame, fame.”

Both Sayenko and Suprunyuk were 19 years old when they committed their murders.  The song goes on to add more details.

“21 counts of murder and the public eye / She swings wide / To open her arms and welcome the bribe / Behold, these are the monsters that we’ve conjured / And they’ve both got to die.”

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13. Slayer, “Psychopathy Red”

Album: World Planted Blood, 2009 | Killer Referenced: Andrei Chikatilo

“Systematic death / A physical fear / Psychopathy red / After death gratification.” Hmm. Andrei Chikatilo, according to Biography.com, was “a former school teacher who murdered more than 50 young people in the Soviet Union.” Wow – just wow! Slayer makes their second appearance on this list to address this repugnant creeper.  Fittingly, if disturbingly, the lyrics are purely devilish.

“Perversion / Slow death agonizing / Stab around the eyes / Flow of blood / Warm taste brings me pleasure / Eclipsing all reason / Pushing sperm / In her imitation / Painful act in vain / Organs cooked, bled out potency / Now I am complete.”

While Chikatilo experienced a rough life, it was no excuse for his actions, which Slayer accurately cover in the aforementioned lyrics.

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14. Tyler, the Creator, “Fish”

Album: Goblin, 2011 | Killer Referenced: Albert Fish

One of the earlier serial killers, Albert Fish was no less perverted.  His victims were children, who he raped and ate.  A pedophile and a cannibal – doesn’t get much worse than that.  Tyler, the Creator captures some of the horrors of Fish in his song, “Fish.”

“Now I get daughters and tie them and clink / Got my dick harder than iron and zinc / Now they just rot up, arms caught in the sink / Where they get cut up to fit my physique…”

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15. Mudvayne, “Nothing to Gein”

Album: L.D. 50 (2000) | Killer Referenced: Ed Gein

“I’m just a soiled dirty boy / Sheltered life innocence / Insulated memories, spark reflections of my / Head / Duality in my consciousness / Caught in the war of hemispheres.”

Indeed Mudvayne, indeed.  Ed Gein ranks among the most famous and fascinating serial killers of them all, mainly because of his vast mental issues.  Lyrically, Mudvayne nail it, as offensive as it is.

“Aprons of flesh corpse scalped hair with skin upon my face / Deliver the remains from her womb of earth / Prep the rack and tie up for / New love’s rebirth / Covert understanding of novice surgery / I’ll focus / Concentration and only take just what I need / For sickness I’m masticating / Dancing and masturbating / Celebrate in the fields of night with skin upon my / Face…”

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16. Cannibal Corpse, “Addicted to Vaginal Skin”

Album: Tomb of the Mutilated, 1992 | Killer Referenced: Ed Gein

The second Ed Gein entry on this list is far more disgusting and explicit.  Cannibal Corpse provide the perfect tone poem to this infamous necrophiliac and cannibal.

“The curse is broken / I have a dependence on vaginal skin / It’s become my sexual addiction / I must slit, the twitching cl*t / Rotted cavity hold the juice…”

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17. Sun Kil Moon, “Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes”  

Album: Benji, (2014) | Killer Referenced: Richard Ramirez  

Over the course of “Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes,” singer/songwriter Sun Kil Moon covers a variety of topics, not only Richard Ramirez.  Nonetheless, he devotes plenty of lyrics to the Satanic murderer.

“Richard Ramirez died today of natural causes / Got amped up on speed and broke into houses / Bludgeoned people to death and wrote shit on their skin and left ‘em / They finally got him and he went to San Quentin.”

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18. Combichrist, “God Bless”

Album: Everybody Hates You (2005) | Killers Referenced: Multiple

It’s not surprising that a song about serial killers would arrive on the 2005 Combichrist album Everybody Hates You.  Jesus Christ, this album is filled with hatred! The opener is titled “This Shit Will Fcuk You Up.” It’s followed by such optimistic gems in “Enjoy the Abuse,” “Today I Woke to the Rain of Blood,” and later, “Lying Sack of Shit.” Charming.  “God Bless,” the highlighted song, god blesses a list of infamous serial killers, headed by Jeffrey Dahmer.

Photo Credits: Asthmatic Kitty, RCA, American, Republic, Emetic, ABKCO, Island, Geffen, Listenable, Aftermath, Tooth + Nail, XL, Sony, Metal Blade, Caldo Verde, Metropolis

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Photo Credits: Asthmatic Kitty, RCA, American, Republic, Emetic, ABKCO, Island, Geffen, Listenable, Aftermath, Tooth + Nail, XL, Sony, Metal Blade, Caldo Verde, Metropolis

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