An Eerie Soundtrack to Jeffrey Dahmer | Playlist

Jeffrey Dahmer ranks among the most infamous serial killers ever.  Numerous musicians have written songs depicting his hellishness.

Marilyn Manson wrote a song that seems applicable right about now: “Killing Strangers.” Indeed, homosexual serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer killed lots of strangers, all boys and men.  Historically, Dahmer changed the game.  Unfortunately, his idea of being game changing is absolutely abhorrent any way you examine it.  This article doesn’t seek to retell the horrific biography of the infamous serial killer, but explores songs that have been written based on his life and heinous acts. Many of the artists nail it.

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1. Kesha, “Cannibal”

Cannibal, 2010  

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.

2. Slayer, “213”

Divine Intervention (1994)

Slayer is a veteran metal band, forming in the early 80s. Who better to tackle the darkness of one Jeffrey Dahmer? They accomplish the task on their 1994 studio album, Divine Intervention, where “213” serves as the penultimate track.

“Erotic sensations tingle my spine / A dead body lying next to mine / Smooth blue-black lips / I start salivating as we kiss…/ Panting excitedly with my hands around your neck.”

Jesus! Backtracking, “213” sounds from eerie from the jump – a perfect soundtrack to the horrific actions by Jeffrey Dahmer.  Throughout its course its filled with angularity, with the twists and turns matching the perversion which they sing about.  In addition to the aforementioned lyrics from the end, there’s more atrociousness to partake of.

“Driving compulsion morbid thoughts come to mind / Sexual release buried deep inside / Complete control of a prized possession / To touch and fondle with no objection / Lonely souls an emptiness fulfilled / Physical pleasure and addictive thrill / An object of perverted reality / And obsession beyond your wildest dreams.”

“A lifeless object for my subjection / An obsession beyond your imagination / Primitive instinct a passion for flesh…/Sadistic acts a love so true / Absorbingly masticating a part of you.”

3. Macabre, “Apartment 213”

Dahmer (2000)

Yet another band born in the 80s, death metal band Macabre tackles the residence of one Jeffrey Dahmer.  Not only do sing about the site of the perversions, they released an entire about centered around the notorious serial killer. Dahmer, released in 2000, is comprised of 26 tracks. The effort begins with “Dog Guts” and concludes with “The Brain.”  Interestingly, Dahmer includes a charmingly title song called “Jeffrey Dahmer and the Chocolate Factory,” which uses the “Oompa Loompa” song as its inspiration. Another charming number on this list also incorporates the film. Hmm, not certain Roald Dahl would be happy.  Also, “Christopher Scarver,” Dahmer’s murderer gets a nod.

Here, we’ll focus on a second song about the serial killer’s residence in “Apartment 213.” The lyrics are cut and dry, explicitly detailing the hellishness.

“At the Oxford Apartments / Jeffrey lived at 213 / But his neighbors didn’t know / That Jeffrey was a fiend / He said the fridge was broken / The smell was rotten meat / But nobody knew it was the men that Jeff would eat.”

Accurately, Dahmer managed to keep secrets – awful, terrible, no-good, murderous, necrophilia-driven secrets.  The song goes on to say:

“Jeff strangled and dismembered them / And saved some parts to eat / The smell of rotting men / Got worse in summer heat.”

 

4. Church of Misery, “Room 213 (Jeffrey Dahmer)”

Early Works Compilation, 2011 

Japanese metal band Misery offer another take on apartment 213 with “Room 213 (Jeffrey Dahmer).” The song appears on a 100-minute, 16-track compilation, Early Works Compilation, released in 2011.  Interestingly, a number of serial killers are represented on the effort including Charles Manson, Jim Jones, and David Berkowitz, better known as the Son of Sam.  It makes sense when you examine the discography of the band. Master of Brutality, released in 2001, features songs referencing Ed Kemper, Peter Sutcliffe, Herbert Mullin, and most infamously, John Wayne Gacy.

“Room 213” is cut and dry in regards to its depiction of Dahmer.

“You can smell someone’s rotting / Death comes behind you / There’s nowhere to run / Dismembered your remains and nobody cares / Factory of murder is this Room 213.”

The rest of the lyrics mention a boiled skull and ruptured memory, characterizing Room 213 as the “Slaughter house where the blood feast has begun.”

 

5. Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids, “Choklit Factory”

After School Special, 1991

Long before he was the Antichrist Superstar, Marilyn Manson recorded After School Special with the Spooky Kids.  Interestingly, the four-song project is unavailable on CD or digitally – it was recorded on cassette.  Nonetheless, there is an intriguing song about Dahmer called “Choklit Factory.”  Like the Macabre track referenced earlier, Marilyn Manson and company brilliantly uses samples and lyrics from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

There was strange was a man there, I think he was the Tinker
He was standing right behind me looking up at the factory
Just before he left he said
“Nobody ever goes in, and nobody ever comes out”

At one point, Manson sings the dialogue from the hellish, creepy boat ride Willy Wonka, the kids, and their parents take in the film.  It’s fitting given the kind of person Dahmer was.

“Is it raining is it snowing? / Is a hurricane a blowing? / Not a speck of light is showing / So the danger must be growing / Are the fires of hell a glowing? / Is the grizzly reaper mowing? /Yes, the danger must be growing / For the rowers keep on rowing / Not showing signs of slowing / Any sign that they are slowing.”

All in all, “Choklit Factory” is dark and eerie to the nth degree.

“Peel back, the faces /We hide within our choklit shell / Some know indulgence /Some know and some go…”

At the end, on the final verse, Marilyn Manson explicitly mentions Dahmer:

“Jeff saved for later / His prizes of iniquity / Polaroids to covet / And bones to hide in 213.” 

 

6. Pearl Jam, “Dirty Frank”

Lost Dogs, 2003

Eddie Vedder and company certainly pushed the envelope on “Dirty Frank,” a song written about the band’s bus driver. “Dirty Frank” wasn’t released in the United States until later. Originally, however, it was released on some editions of the 1991 album, Ten in other countries. So, how exactly did they push the envelope? Well, “Dirty Frank” is no tribute to Frank, considering he’s given the last name Dahmer, as in Jeffrey Dahmer the serial killer.  Naturally, poor Frank takes on the persona of a serial killer.  To make things even more twisted, “Dirty Frank” is funky AF. 

Here are some notable lyrics that appear throughout “Dirty Frank” in reference to Dahmer:

“Dirty Frank Dahmer he’s a gourmet cook, yeah / I got a recipe for Anglo-Saxon soup, yeah.”

“I got a cupboard full of fleshy fresh ingredients.”

“Eats meat. A release / Bus driving’s harder on your head than on your feet.”

“Just a little strange when he gets hungry”

“There goes another turned into crust”

“Cook them just to see the look on their face. I cook em just to see the look on their face.”

 

 

7. Fuck, I’m Dead, “Jeffrey Dahmer’s Children’s Cookbook”

Bring on the Dead, 2001

So, who is the explicitly named Fuck I’m Dead? Well, they’re an Australian metal band – it goes deeper and deadlier than that though.  While they aren’t big commercially, they’re cool enough to get an urban dictionary definition.  It’s pretty safe to say their definitely not messing around. Some of their songs from the same album that “Jeffrey Dahmer’s Children’s Cookbook” includes “My Feral F*cktoy,” “F*cking the Fetus,” and “Skullf*cked.” Safe to say, they have a passion for obscenities.

“Jeffrey Dahmer’s Children’s Cookbook” is completely indecipherable.  The boisterous, perverse track is match made in hell for the horrid crimes committed by the serial killer.  From the start, this is uncomfortable – a savage auditory experience to say the least.  Honestly, one feels guilty partaking of this damning experience…

8. Macabre, “Freeze Dried Man”

Sinister Slaughter/Behind the Walls of Sleep (2000)

Ah, yet another contribution from Macabre following the aforementioned “Apartment 213.” Once more, the band focuses on the unbelievable twistedness of Dahmer.  On “Freeze Dried Man,” they depict the serial killers desire to freeze dry his victims.  Disturbing, disturbing, disturbing! 

“Jeffrey Dahmer wanted a freeze-dried man / So he could do things he enjoyed again and again / Jeff said he’d fondle, rub, and lay with his freeze-dried man / And pose him for pictures if flexible, with his Polaroid in hand.”

“He went to the taxidermist to enquire on how to freeze dry a man / He told the man it was for a rabbit, but that was just a lie / Instead Jeffrey wanted to freeze dry a man / But the device was thirty-grand, so the thought was quickly canned.” 

 

9. At the Drive-In, “Arcarsenal”

Relationship of Command (2000)

Sometimes, as great as The Mars Volta was, it’s easy to forget that a band existed prior to its inception.  That band was At the Drive-in, which featured future members Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López.  The boisterous rock band was a perfect fit to write and perform a song, “Arcarsenal,” that seems to reference Dahmer.

Some of the key lyrics support the assertion that Dahmer at least influences.  One particular instance comes by way of lyric “Soft white glow in the cranium / A bullseye made sedated.”  This relates to the serial killer thanks to reference to the cranium (skull), a characteristic of his madness, as well as sedation. Another key lyric goes directly with cannibalism:

“Have you ever tasted skin? / Sink your, sink your teeth in it.”

Adding to the intensity of “Arcarsenal” are the dynamic iterations of “beware!”

 

10. Violent Femmes, “Dahmer is Dead”

Viva Wisconsin, 1999 

Violent Femmes couldn’t care less about the death of Jeffrey Dahmer, judging by their exuberant song, “Dahmer is Dead.” Ultimately, the trio seems to celebrate his demise.  The lyrics speak for themselves.

“Dahmer is dead / Dahmer is dead / A broomstick bashed him upside his head / Upside the head, upside the head / Bloody broomstick / Dahmer is dead / Am I supposed to feel outrage? / Am I supposed to feel sorrow? / Jeffrey Dahmer has no right tomorrow.”

 

11. Amigo the Devil, “Dahmer Does Hollywood”

Manimals, 2010

“Give or take a few dudes from the bar / Take them home with me / This night /Is going to end horribly / For someone.”

The aforementioned lyrics seem to characterize Jeffrey Dahmer perfectly. Folk singer/songwriter Amigo the Devil (Danny Kiranos) is one of a kind. Perhaps that’s why musician who tackles controversial topics delivers such a chilling snapshot of Jeffrey Dahmer on “Dahmer Does Hollywood.” He doesn’t stop there. He goes on to sing:

“But that’s alright / ‘Cause I left Milwaukee behind / For this / Refreshing town / With this refreshing meat /

The key word is meat, which refers to both pleasure and cannibalism on Dahmer’s end of things.  He also offers more biographical tidbits, referencing drinking, drilling, and most of all, death.

“So, you should start to undress / And just try a little less / And I’ll drill in your head / What you need / To be / King of this god damn city / So come on Believe me / Follow me home / There’s no judgement here / We’ll laugh a little / Drink a little / See what you’re made of / I’m capable of making you disappear / I am the agent / That decides your fate.”

 

12. Soulfly, “Jeffrey Dahmer”

Omen, 2010

“Jeffrey Dahmer – master cannibal / Jeffrey Dahmer – master of the gruesome.”  Soulfly seems to capture Mr. Dahmer perfectly on “Jeffrey Dahmer,” the sixth song off of their 2010 album, Omen. Prior to providing the serial killer with the characterization of master cannibal and master of the gruesome, Soulfly recalls the happenings in Apartment 213:

“In blood, his victims will crawl / Body parts all over his house / They feed the need of his cannibal mind / Bloody murders he left behind.”

It goes further than Apartment 213, actually:

“Psychologic interviews in jail / To understand this behavior – insane / Set him free, he’ll do it again / A life dedicated to pain.”

Yep, nailed it.

13, 14 & 15. Eminem, “Brainless,” “Must Be the Ganja” & “Psychopath Killer”

Throughout his illustrious career, Eminem has referenced serial killers.  Jeffrey Dahmer has appeared in the mix a couple of times.  On “Brainless” (The Marshall Mathers LP2, 2013), he paints a picture of himself as completely unstable.

“I walk around like a space cadet, place your bets / Who’s likely to become a serial killer?”

Referencing his love of chainsaws earlier, he returns to his evil side:

“Angry and take it out on the neighbors’ hedges / Like this is how I’ll cut your face up, b*tches / With these hedge-trimmin’ scissors with razor edges”

On the second verse, he explicitly references Dahmer:

“Just think if I had a brain in it, thank God that I don’t / ‘Cause I’d probably be Dahmer…” 

“Must Be the Ganja” (Relapse, 2009) also references the infamous serial killer:

“Faced with a dilemma: I can be Dalai Lama / And be calm or bring drama / A step beyond of Jeffrey Dahmer”

As disturbing as name-dropping Dahmer is, it gets worse as the twisted MC shares just how knowledgeable he is about serial killers in general.

“Who can name every serial killer who ever existed in a row? / Put ‘em in chronological order / Beginning with Jack the Ripper / Name the time and place; from the body, the bag, the zipper / Location of the woods / Where the body was dragged and then dumped / The trunk that they were stuffed in / The model, the make, the plate / And which model, which lake they found her in / How they attacked the victim / Say which murder weapon was used to do what in which one / Which knife and which gun / What kid, what wife, and which nun / Don’t stop, I like this it’s fun / The f*cking night’s just begun.”

Finally, on “Psychopath Killer” (ShadyXV, 2014), Eminem proclaims, “I’m Dahmer-like when I’m on the mic, I’m not gonna lie.”  That one, we can get onboard for Em.  

Photo Credits: RCA, American, Decomposed, Emetic, Marilyn Manson, Epic, Razorback, Nuclear Blast, Twenty-First Chapter, Shout Factory, Amigo the Devil, Roadrunner, Aftermath