Mass Murder Songs: A Disturbing Compendium

The Farm: 3BOPS No. 3 (2020)

6. Accept, “Koolaid”

Rise of Chaos • Nuclear Blast • 2017

“Running through the jungle / Way back in ‘78 / Here’s the story of the Peoples Temple / And my great escape.” Veteran German metal collective Accept dropped a gem with “Koolaid,” appearing on their 2017 album, Rise of Chaos. This record focuses on the horrid happenings at The Peoples Temple in Jonestown, the infamous socialist cult led by Jim Jones. Vocalist Mike Tornillo takes on the character of an ex-member to portray the horrors.

“Communing with a madman
The promise of utopia
White nights, suicide drills
Shades of things to come.”

The ‘White Nights’ and ‘suicide drills’ referenced by Accept were among the most fascinating parts of an excellent book that depicts the cult in depth, The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple written by Jeff Guinn. Returning to the song, the infamous mass suicide comes to head on the pre-chorus, which is varied throughout, but fundamentally the same.

“He [Jim Jones] said
We’re gonna mix it up
Add the cyanide
Then we’ll drink it up
You’re gonna feel so fine.”

Tornillo and Accept discourage partaking of this communion, while in the same token, seem to be making an argument about church and religion in general. It isn’t the first instance of skepticism. In the case of Jim Jones and Jonestown, they have a point.

“Don’t drink the Koolaid
Don’t taste the holy water
Don’t drink the Koolaid
No matter what the preacher says.”

As referenced earlier, the drink that the cyanide was mixed in wasn’t Koolaid but Flavor-Aid. According to Guinn, Kool-Aid was the more sensational headline for the media.

Also appears on :

10 Disturbing Songs That Reference Cults

7. Macabre, “McMassacre”

Gloom • Decomposed • 1989

Macabre, tackles the McDonalds spree killer, James Huberty. “McMassacre” gives us 40 seconds of noisy, aggressive guitars, pounding drums, and coarse vocals. Among the lyrical highlights: “You go to McDonald’s / To eat a hamburger / The next thing you know /It’s time for your murder.”

The band then continues:

“The McDonald-land killer
Pops in by surprise
Pumping his lead
Between your eyes
McDonald’s
McMassacre
McMurder
McDeath.”

For good measure, they twist the theme song of the chain:

“McDonald’s is your kind of place
It’s such a happy place
Where are you now
Ronald old buddy
Where are you now
The fries are all bloody.”

Also appears on :

21 Songs Inspired by Assassins, Cult Leaders, and Murderers

8. System of a Down, “ATWA”

Toxicity • Sony Music Entertainment • 2001

“I don’t sleep anymore / I don’t eat anymore / I don’t live anymore / I don’t feel.” Hmm, well, that just doesn’t sound too good in the least… What does sound good, however is the song itself, “ATWA.” “ATWA” comes at the hands of Armenian American metal collective System of a Down from their beloved 2001 album, Toxicity.

Serj Tankian and company certainly make quite an impression on this record, inspired by infamous cult leader and mass murderer Charles Manson. ATWA itself is an acronym for air, trees, water, and animals. It’s an “ecological mandate” that Manson promoted. It’s a fitting title for the song, which centers around the mindset and feelings of the ‘misunderstood’ cult leader – at least from his perspective. The excerpted lyrics, as well as the chorus give a clear portrait of how Manson felt.

“You don’t care about how I feel
I don’t feel there anymore.”

Also appears on :

15 Interesting Songs That Feature Acronym Titles

9. Ice Nine Kills, “Merry Axe-Mas”

The Silver Scream • Fearless • 2018

“Twas the night before Christmas / At just five years old / My parents were butchered / In the blistering cold.” Ice Nine Kills don’t establish the most exuberant, jolly, holiday spirit on “Merry Axe-Mas” from their fifth studio album, The Silver Scream. The opening lyrics are totally messed up. Regardless, “Merry Axe-Mas” fits the over-the-top, dramatic nature of the horror-laden LP, transforming a highly anticipated, beloved annual holiday into total, murderous, and morbid hellishness.

“You will believe in me / Slaughtered under the tree / And I won’t leave a witness / So much for a ‘Merry Christmas’.” The villain of “Merry Axe-Mas” is Santa Claus (“In his suit stained with red”), while the source is likely 1984 horror film, Silent Night Deadly Night. Safe to say, Christmas is totally ruined, whether it’s the brutal nature of the music or the totally unforgiving lyrics:

“Now Santa’s claws are out
The sinners scream and shout
I made sure the noose was yuletide tight
So much for a ‘Silent Night’.”

Worth noting, there was actually a notable mass murder that occurred during Christmas time by Ronald Gene Simmons. Sadly, of the 16 people he would murder during his killing spree, 14 were members of Simmons’ own family. This happened post-Silent Night Deadly Night in 1987. The 49-year-old Simmons was sentenced to death and executed in 1990.

Also appears on :
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10. Shirley Caesar, “Mother Emanuel”

Fill This House • Entertainment One • 2016

Pastor Shirley Caesar is a legend in the black gospel community. Now, you’re probably wondering how and why Caesar ended up on such a dark, foreboding, and troubling playlist like Mass Murder Songs: A Disturbing Compendium? It all comes down to the best song off of her 2016 album, Fill This House. “Mother Emanuel” is a tour de force. If the name sounds familiar, like ‘news headline familiar’ it should.

“Mother Emanuel” references the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church, nicknamed Mother Emanuel. Why is the South Carolina Church significant beyond its history? It’s where the racially-driven mass shooting occurred in 2015, perpetrated by Dylann Roof, who murdered nine parishioners including pastor (and state senator) Clementa Pinckney. It’s rare to find a gospel song that digs deeper into current events or societal issues specifically. “Mother Emanuel,” hence, has a deeper resonance and significance. Caesar honors the memory of those slain and provides encouragement to the church, community, and the nation shaken by this horrible, senseless hate crime.

Also appears on :

11 Songs About Painful, Torturous, or Troubling Ways to Die

11.Deicide, “Carnage in the Temple of the Damned”

Deicide • The All Blacks B.V. • 1990

“Sacramental ceremony / People’s temple of the holy / Sepulcher for salvation / Suicidal confirmation.” “Carnage in the Temple of the Damned” commences with the audio excerpts of delusional cult leader, mass suicide proponent (considered a mass murderer by many), Jim Jones. Jim Jones commanded his flock to what he characterized as “revolutionary suicide.” It’s a chilling start to a dark, unsettling joint by American death metal band, Deicide.

“Forgive me father for I have sinned
You will never sin again!”

Naturally, “Carnage in the Temple of the Damned” features ample religious references, coupled with utterly hellish vocals, gritty guitars, and sense of being damned for merely listening to the carnage.

“When we meet again it will be the promised land
Death is in command to the victims of the plan...
Carnage of the dead
Mass cremations of the blessed
Sermonizing fatal end
In the temple of the damned.”

Also appears on :

10 Songs About Mass Murders, Vol. 2

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12. Marilyn Manson, “Disposable Teens”

Holy Wood • Interscope • 2000

“I want to thank you mom / I want to thank you dad / For bringing this fucking world / To a bitter end / I never really hated the one true God / But the God of the people I hated.” Woo! Musical influence was questioned regarding the infamous Columbine High School Massacre. The chief artist blamed was Marilyn Manson, the Antichrist Superstar. While ultimately it was myth, Manson responded with a song that Loudwire included in its list of Disturbing Songs People Love. Author Graham Hartmann asserts that Manson was “likely commenting on the events aftermath, along with referencing George Orwell’s ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four.’” Safe to say, there’s nothing ‘warm and fuzzy’ about “Disposable Teens,” which appears on Manson’s 2000 album, Holy Wood.

Following the ‘gratitude’ of the disposable teen excerpted earlier, on the chorus, he sings:

“You said you wanted evolution
The ape was a great big hit
You say you want a revolution man
And I say that you’re full of shit.”

Lyrically, Manson is always captivating. Here, he seems to be repudiating the actions of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, whom he was blamed for influencing. “The Nobodies”, from the same album, also loosely references the horrid event, approached from the perspective of the perpetrators.

“Some children died the other day
We fed machines and then we prayed
Puked up and down in morbid faith
You should have seen the ratings that day.”

Also appears on :

Sweet 6Teen: 16 Teenage Songs

13. Kinky Friedman, “The Ballad of Charles Whitman”

Sold American • Vanguard • 1973

“He was sitting up there for more than an hour / Way up there on the Texas tower / Shooting from the twenty-seventh floor / He didn’t choke or slash or slit them…” Country musician Kinky Friedman is ‘one of a kind’. So is the guy he sings about, Charles Whitman… Sandra Brennan (AllMusic) characterizes Friedman as “Texas country’s Jewish clown prince, gonzo songwriter, and surprisingly heartfelt balladeer… Capable of writing smart and perceptive tunes about life’s other side, but he’s best known for pointedly satirical numbers that revel in creative lowbrow humor and sharp satire.” Friedman’s arrives with a bang soundtracking the infamous University of Texas tower sniper on his murder ballad, “The Ballad of Charles Whitman” ( Sold American, 1973).

Friedman narrativizes the shootings by Whitman. Each verse delivers a portion of the story. On the second, Friedman sings, “He picked up his guns and went to school / … They’d never seen an Eagle Scout so cruel.” On the third, “He put on a bold and brassy show / The Chancellor cried, ‘it’s adolescent / And of course, it’s most unpleasant / But I gotta admit, it’s a lovely way to go.’” Among the most notable verses are four and seven. On the fourth, Friedman references Whitman’s brain tumor and his .36 magnum gun. The brain tumor has raised questions, best stated by the embedded article, How Responsible are Killers with Brain Damage. It’s a complex matter, something Micah Johnson explores superbly in the 2018 Scientific American article:

…Understanding of free will allows us to ask more sophisticated questions about the connection between the brain and criminal behavior when evaluating cases like Charles Whitman’s. Instead of just pointing to the obvious fact that an action had a neural cause (every action does!), we can ask whether a person’s specific neurologic injury impaired the psychological capacities necessary for free will…

Returning to the murder ballad, the seventh verse depicts the actions occurring during the impending hellacious affair: “Some were dying, some were weepin’ / Some were studying, some were sleepin’…”

Also appears on :

Songs About Charles Whitman, The Infamous Tower Sniper

14. The Doors, “Riders on the Storm”

L.A. Woman • Elektra • 1971

Who was Billy Cook? According to Ben Cosgrove of Time, Cook is “barely remembered today”. Cosgrove writes: “The story of the American mass murderer Billy ‘Cockeyed’ Cook – who killed six people, including an entire family of five, during a tarrying three-week spree across American states in early January 1951 – is barely remembered.”

Interestingly, hitchhiking was part of Cook’s murderous strategy, something that iconic rock band The Doors highlight on their classic, “Riders on the Storm.”

“There’s a killer on the road
His brain is squirmin’ like a toad...
If you give this man a ride
Sweet family will die
Killer on the road.”

Front man Jim Morrison accurately describes the results of Good Samaritans, who ultimately lost their lives because of the cruel, deranged nature of Cook. Ultimately, he was executed by gas chamber in 1952 at the age of 23.

Also appears on :

15. Manowar, “Guyana (Cult of the Damned)”

Sign of the Hammer • Virgin • 1984

“Thank you for the Kool aid Reverend Jim / We’re glad to leave behind their world of sin / Our lifeless bodies fall on holy ground / Rotting flesh, a sacrificial mound.” On “Guyana (Cult of the Damned)”, New York heavy metal band Manowar speaks from the perspective of the dead members of Jonestown, following the “revolutionary suicide” perpetrated by Jim Jones.

Eric Adams continues singing:

“Were you our God or a man in a play who took our applause and forced us to stay?
Now all together we lived as we died on your command
By your side
Guyana in the Cult of The Damned
Give us your word for the grand final stand.”

Essentially, the members of The People’s Temple were willing to follow Jim Jones to death. Adams, speaking as a victim, questions Jones’ motives. Obviously, historically, we know Jones was clearly a false prophet. Adams and Manowar expand upon feelings that cult members had towards Jones as well as what went down.

“In the Cult of The Damned we all worked the land, too afraid to look up
We all feared his hand
Hurry my children
There isn’t much time
But we'll meet again on the other side
Be good to the children and old people
First, hand them a drink
They’re dying of thirst.”

Also appears on :

16. Macabre, “There Was a Young Man Who Blew Up a Plane (Jack Gilbert Graham)”

Sinister Slaughter • Nuclear Blast • 1993

Of Jack Gilbert Graham, Macabre sings: “There was a young man who blew up a plane / He blew up the plane for personal gain / I guess he was insane.” Indeed, Graham’s claim to infamy is being a mass murderer, who “blew up a plane using a homemade bomb”. Macabre, hence, literally titled this Sinister Slaughter mass murderous gem ( “There Was a Young Man Who Blew Up a Plane”).

“There was a young man who planted a bomb
He planted a bomb on his mom
He planted the bomb to blow up the plane
He blew up the plane for personal gain
I guess he was insane.”

Apparently, Graham had a specific victim in mind – mom. The lyric where Macabre sings, “He blew up the plane for personal gain” centers around collecting the insurance money from his anticipated deceased mother. Sick. Even sicker is that 44 people were killed because of his disgusting, selfish actions, which Cat McAuliffe (Ranker) writes, he wasn’t remorseful of, which ultimately earned him execution via cyanide gas.

“There were forty-four people who got on the plane
They got on the plane then they were slain
By the young man who planted the bomb…
The judge and jury showed no remorse
He’s dead of course.”

Also appears on :

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17. Macabre, “Killing Spree (Postal Killer)”

Sinister Slaughter • Nuclear Blast • 1993

On their second entry on this list, Macabre tackles the postal spree killer, Patrick Sherrill. “Killing Spree (Postal Killer)” appears on the band’s 1993 album, Sinister Slaughter. Here, Macabre delivers a manic, aggressive, lightning quick performance featuring pummeling drums, jagged, hyper-rhythmic guitars, and disturbed, aggressive vocals.

Here are the lyrics, for your viewing horror:

“Bullets spraying – people praying
Show no mercy – evil slaying
Bodies flying – many dying
No escaping – relatives crying
The lead flies free for what you've done to me
I’ll shoot you with my gun when you try to run
There's nowhere to hide, you're all locked inside
As you act dead in silence, I rage with violence=
Shells ejecting – thoughts reflecting
Contemplating – suicide...”

18. Bruce Springsteen, “Nebraska”

Nebraska • Bruce Springsteen • 1982

One of the most notable albums in the Bruce Springsteen discography is Nebraska, released in 1982. As Ian Couch writes for The New Yorker in article “The Original Wrecking Ball: Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska’,” it was unique, thanks to its share of dark material being told from a first-person perspective. “Nebraska,” the title track, tackles 19-year-old spree killer, Charles Starkweather, who murdered 11 people.

“I saw her standing on her front lawn just twirling her baton
Me and her went for a ride, sir, and ten innocent people died
From the town of Lincoln, Nebraska, with a sawed-off .410 on my lap
Through to the badlands of Wyoming I killed everything in my path.”

Starkweather had an accomplice, his girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate, who was just 14. Ultimately, for his crimes, which took place in Wisconsin and Nebraska, Starkweather went to the electric chair.

“The jury brought in a guilty verdict and the judge he sentenced me to death
Midnight in a prison storeroom with leather straps across my chest.”

Also appears on :

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19. Nicole Dollanganger, “Nebraska”

Flowers of Flesh and Blood • Nicole Dollanganger • 2012

“The prairies of Nebraska soaked in blood / The love made between them using his gun / And the bodies stacked in rows / The dead they will never know.” Phew – what a chilling portrait painted by the lyrics! Canadian singer/songwriter Nicole Dollanganger delivers her own, unique “Nebraska” ( Flowers of Flesh and Blood), also referencing a famous spree killer, 19-year-old Charles Starkweather, who murdered 11 people.

“He came and shot her parents both in the head
Dragged them outside, put the bodies in the shed
Collected up her things, put them in his trunk
He sat her on his lap right next to his gun.”

As evidenced by the lyrics above and below, she’s poetic describing the events that took place in 1958. This includes his ‘ride or die,’ Caril Ann Fugate. Ultimately, for his crimes, which took place in Wisconsin and Nebraska, Starkweather went to the electric chair.

“Showed his Caril Ann how to use a knife…
Shot who they could, snapped the neck of a dog
Stole a dead man’s car and the engine stalled.”

“They executed him with her name on his lips
He loved her in life just as much in death.”

Also appears on :

10 Songs About Mass Murderers, Vol. 2

20. Alice Cooper, “Wicked Young Man”

Brutal Planet • Indieblu Music • 2003

“Nothing’s shocking” in the hands of shock rocker Alice Cooper, right? Most of the time, but in this case, Cooper was rattled by the unfortunate, tragic events at Columbine High School. According to Post-Gazette, two songs from his 2003 album Brutal Planet were “based on the killings at Columbine High School”.

In an article for Chron, Michael Moore speaks about the song “Wicked Young Man” specifically:

“One of the songs on the album, ‘Wicked Young Man,’ creates a character for the dark world by combine elements from the move ‘American History X’ with gruesome recollections from the murders at Columbine.”

Cooper gives a chilling description of the dangers of hatred. He first clarifies that it’s not outside influences, but pure wickedness.

“I am a vicious young man, oh I am a wicked young man
It’s not the games that I play, the movies I see, the music I dig
I’m just a wicked young man.”

Cooper doesn’t stop there. He cites specific examples of fuel for the fire:

“I got every kind of chemical pumpin’ through my head
I read  Mein Kampf daily just to keep my hatred fed
I never ever sleep I just lay in my bed
Dreamin’ of the day when everyone is dead.”

Also appears on :

10 Thoughtful Songs Arriving in the Aftermath of Tragedy

21. Maren Morris, “Dear Hate”

Ft. Vince Gill

“Dear Hate” • Columbia • 2017

A song for times such as these – that’s what Maren Morris offers up on single, “Dear Hate”, a response to the Las Vegas mass shooting, which took the lives of 58 innocent people. Morris enlists a country music juggernaut, the one and only, Vince Gill. Morris kicks things off exceptionally, showcasing the utmost vocal prowess and musicianship on the first two verses. Lyrically, the text is incredibly thoughtful – eloquent and pitch-perfect.

On the chorus, she combines forces with Gill, exhibiting vocal chemistry nothing short of awe-inspiring. Gill earns the best verse, citing the hate occurring in Selma, JFK’s assassination, and the September 11 attacks. The perpetrator, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock rightfully isn’t mentioned – Morris and Gill make this about healing and most of all, love: “Love’s gonna conquer all.”

Also appears on :

11 Songs Where the Hate is Real

22. Harry Chapin, “Sniper”

Sniper and Other Love Songs • Atlantic • 1972

“He heads towards the tower that stands in the campus / He goes through the door, he starts up the stairs / The sound of his footsteps, the sound of his breathing / The sound of the silence when no one was there…” folk-rock singer/songwriter Harry Chapin delivers a disturbing record about Charles Whitman, the infamous tower sniper. Over the course of 10 dynamic minutes, the late Grammy-nominated musician doesn’t explicitly cite Whitman, but bases “Sniper” on him.

“He laid out the rifles, he loaded the shotgun
He stacked up the cartridges along the wall
He knew he would need them for his conversation
If it went as it, he planned, then he might use them all…

Bill Whedon was questioned as stepped from his car
Tom Scott ran across the street but he never got that far
The police were there in minutes, they set up barricades
He spoke right on over them in a half-mile circle
In a dumb struck city his pointed questions were sprayed...”

Also appears on :

Songs About Charles Whitman, The Infamous Tower Sniper

23. Michale Graves, “Nobody Thinks About Me”

Return to Earth • Horror High • 2006

“Good morning Columbine / I’ll get to my agenda / Fourth Period, Jesus Christ / I’m the one you terrorize.” Michale Graves examines the mindset of the perpetrators as opposed to the victims. Neither Eric Harris or Dylan Klebold are named explicitly on “Nobody Thinks About Me” ( Return to Earth) but there’s no doubt this song is about the tragic incident that shook everybody. Notably, Graves highlights the disillusionment, loneliness, and social isolation of the perpetrators. The titular lyric is the key lyric, repeated numerous times throughout the song.

“Good afternoon, goodbye
I’ll get to my agenda
Gonna be the enemy
Gonna smile and destroy.”

Also appears on :

24. Post Malone, “Jonestown”

beerbongs & bentleys • Republic • 2017

“It happens every time / It sounds like suicide…” On “Jonestown (Interlude),” from his Grammy-nominated album, beerbongs & bentleys, Post Malone captures the spirit of the infamous Jim Jones-led cult, albeit it briefly. The remainder of the lyrical passage continues as follows: “I’m hesitant, but I guess I’ll drink the Kool-Aid once again.” “Jonestown” is patterned after the spirit of the infamous cult. Hmm , wonder if Post has heard the Accept song, “Koolaid,” which also appears on this compendium?

25. The Acacia Strain, “Jonestown”

Wormwood • Prosthetic • 2010

Metal collective The Acacia Strain have a knack for using dark, twisted people as inspiration for their music. Here, they cover cult leader/mass suicide proponent Jim Jones with “Jonestown,” taken from their 2010 album, Wormwood.

“Born low, no lives
Wasting your days, waiting to die
I wouldn't mind if you never woke up again
Goodbye my friend
No hopes, no dreams
Breaking away from reality
Today is the day you see the consequence
Where you never wake up again.”

The Acacia Strain speak on the horrid reality of Jonestown with the mass suicide, or better yet, the “revolutionary suicide.” Sane individuals realize that it was absolutely insane. Jim Jones wasn’t sane, and one must question how weak-minded those so easily persuaded by Jones were.

“I was born a monster
We will die the same
No one can live forever
I will become a household name.”

Also appears on :

10 Songs About Mass Murderers, Vol. 2

26. Macabre, “Montreal Massacre”

Sinister Slaughter • Nuclear Blast • 1993

Macabre, a prevalent band on any serial killer or mass murder list, provide a chilling soundtrack to Marc Lépine. Lépine was a Canadian misogynist with serious disdain for women. His disdain led him to murder the innocent, ultimately, committing suicide after killing 14 at École Polytechnique in Montreal, Canada. Macabre being the literal band that they are, are blunt imparting the tale of Lépine on “Montreal Massacre” from their 1993 album, Sinister Slaughter.

“Mark went out with his rifle to the university of Montreal
Divided up a classroom and then only shot girls
Mark Lépine killed fourteen
In Montreal, he only shot girls
He must have hated women to do what he did
He divided up a classroom, and the females lives he did end
Mark Lépine killed fourteen
In Montreal, he only shot girls.”

Also appears on :

27. Nicole Dollanganger, “Rampage”

Observatory Mansions • Nicole Dollanganger • 2014

“Black combat boots pacing in through the school building / He’s gonna fight the good fight, the noble war…” The work of Canadian singer/songwriter Nicole Dollanganger features some dark elements, particularly her 2014 song, “Rampage,” from her album, Observatory Mansions. “Rampage” has Columbine written all over it, without explicitly saying so.

In the quote, the boyfriend – the school shooter – has a ‘mighty love’ concerning his gun. Continuing:

“Yeah, my baby has a baby but it’s not me
It’s an AK47 semi-automatic gun and
He loves her more than he loves me.”

Apparently, the girlfriend is filled with utter delusion herself, judging by the end of the following line:

“Gunslinger, black duster, delusions of a western
He wears his hat on backwards, sets fire to his locker
He’s gonna fight the good fight, the noble war.”

If there was any doubt about the Columbine connections, the following quote confirms it’s a thing.”

“I bet you’ve never seen the smile of savage-Springfield 67H
With his blurry face and cracked voice gone through the VHS tapes.”

Also appears on :

28. The Calling, “One by One”

Two • RCA • 2004

“And now the power of one human being / Has gone and changed so many lives…” “One by One” serves as the opening song from Two, the 2004 sophomore album from off-and-on again Los Angeles, California rock band, The Calling. Of Two, AllMusic reviewer Johnny Loftus didn’t have many kind words, ultimately giving the album just one-and-half-stars out of five – ouch! He also didn’t praise the song at hand, which according to front man Alex Band, “One by One” was written about the Columbine High School massacre, perpetrated by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

“His hair is long, and it’s twisted, it’s twisted
Around the smile spread cheek to cheek
Another child, another soul, grabs a hold
To the metal that will end his misery...
In this deep dark, fucked up, played out, reality show
So, who’s the man, with the plan
Eating up all that he can?
Don’t you see, don't you see...”

Also appears on :

29. Cheap Trick, “The Ballad of T.V. Violence (I’m Not the Only Boy)”

Cheap Trick • Epic • 1977

“The Ballad of T.V. Violence (I’m Not the Only Boy)” – what a song title Cheap Trick, what a song title. Apparently, the song, written about Richard Speck had a different song title originally, “The Ballad of Richard Speck.” Rolling Stone goes on the state that the record “was acted out onstage with [front man Rick Nielsen] in the role of mass murderer.”

“I need a girl to give me some love
I need some love Gimme your love gimme your love
I need a knife to get me a wife
I need a knife give me your life give me your life
I need a gun to have me some fun I need a gun
Gimme your love gimme your love…
I need some rope it’s my only hope and when you’re fighting so
I just can’t go on
I need a girl to give me some love…”

Like so many of the deviants highlighted on this list, the troubles began early with Speck (1941-1991). His biggest claim to infamy is his murder spree, killing eight student nurses. It wasn’t well enough for him to stab them to death, he also abused them all, “raping at least one victim,” according to the NY Times. Originally sentenced to death, the sentence would be changed to life imprisonment. Speck died at 49, just missing his 50^th birthday after having a heart attack. Regarding the song itself, Nielsen and company continue to address the needs of Speck, who “was a lonely boy” but “not the only boy! No!”

Also appears on :

30. HeXeN, “Chaos Aggressor”

State of Insurgency • Old School Metal • 2008

“Smell of rot, taste of hate / Eyes bloodshot, doomed by fate / Yeah I remember Timothy McVeigh / One of many whose life was burnt away.” HeXeN is a melodic thrash metal band from Sunland, California – perfect to tackle a song about mass murderers! Initially, “Chaos Aggressor” ( State of Insurgency) begins slowly and beautifully, before becoming chaotic and aggressive as the title suggests. Soon enough, the guitars are biting, jagged, and unapologetic. Likewise, the vocals are gritty, filled with angst. The prime target of the band seems to be Timothy McVeigh, the infamous perpetrator of the Oklahoma City bombing that claimed 168 innocent lives. Expectedly, HeXeN highlights his horrific actions.

“Chaos to make, a world to break
Dark shadows of retaliation
Chaos to make, a world to break
All negotiation will fail.”

“Mentally ill hidden among us to kill
Extremist geniuses driven by will
Should the government take the blame?
Conspiracy is the name of the game.”

“Federal buildings seem to be the prime
They’ve caught the bastard and they put him to sleep
For the most inhumane crimes.”

HeXeN also references Columbine, though they don’t name perpetrators Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold explicitly.

“The Columbine kids once calm and relaxed
Not a trace of evil from their front to their backs
Another set of souls fallen from grace
It’s lunch time now, holding a gun to your face.”

Also appears on :

Songs About Charles Whitman, The Infamous Tower Sniper

31. Macabre, “Sniper in the Sky / Charles Whitman”

Sinister Slaughter • Nuclear Blast • 1993

“He killed his wife and mother, then packed up his supplies / Like food and guns and ammo and went out taking lives.” It should come as no surprise that doom metal vets Macabre tackle Whitman on “Sniper in the Sky / Charles Whitman,” which appears on the album Sinister Slaughter.

“At the school observatory, he went to the top
And killed sixteen people before he could be stopped.”

Macabre, like the other musicians on this list, remind us of the details of the infamous happenings of August 1, 1966.

“Charles Whitman was the school tower hitman
Charles Whitman shot at people and hit them
Charles Whitman had a brain tumor in his head
Charles Whitman was the cause of eighteen people…
He kept on shooting people, the police they tried and tried
To kill Charles Whitman, the sniper in the sky
They finally snuck up on him, surprised him at the top
Then Charles Whitman was gunned down by a cop.”

Also appears on :

32. Amanda Palmer, “Strength Through Music”

Who Killed Amanda Palmer • Roadrunner • 2008

“Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick.” Amanda Palmer seems to suggest that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the perpetrators of the devastating Columbine High School Massacre were “ticking time bombs.” While “Strength Through Music” ( Who Killed Amanda Palmer) isn’t an explicit tone poem to the horrors the massacre, it’s patterned after where a potential perpetrator’s mindset. This perspective includes the murderer being “locked in his bedroom,” seeing “a web of answers and cumshot girls”.

Palmer lyrically highlights the debates surrounding the influences of Harris and Klebold, including video games, guns. Also, she cleverly references music via “He picked a soundtrack,” and perhaps more disturbingly, “He hung his Walkman around his neck.” The most chilling lyrics occur on the fourth and final verse, as the perpetrator experiences no emotions as he kills.

“It’s so simple
The way they fall
No cry, no whimper
No sound at all.”

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33. Macabre, “Patrick Purdy Killed Five and Wounded Thirty”

Gloom • Decomposed • 1989

“My name is Patrick Purdy / And I have a duty / To kill as many children / As I can.” Thankfully, 24-year old mass murderer Patrick Purdy didn’t kill more than the five, innocent students who lost their lives in the Cleveland Elementary School Shooting. Macabre continues to impart the horrific tale of Purdy.

“...So, it’s off to school
Where I used to go
With my AK-47
In my hands.”

Shameful. The main reason Purdy seems to have targeted the elementary school was hate, perhaps specific to a population of Asian immigrants. His five fatalities were all Asian. Ultimately, he committed suicide. Also, worth noting, this particular shooting at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California occurred nearly 10 years after a shooting at Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego, California (more on that one later).

“Patrick Purdy
Thought he was doing his duty
Thought he was in the army
And the children was his enemy
Patrick Purdy
Killed five and wounded thirty
His tactics were quite dirty
The children's blood was squirting.”

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Songs About Charles Whitman, The Infamous Tower Sniper

34. Deathday, “Charles Joseph Whitman”

Deathday (EP) • desire / Deathday • 2013

Who is Deathday for those unfamiliar with them? Well, they are a Los Angeles neo post-punk band, comprised of Giovanni Guillén, Alex Guillén, Patrick Covert, and Joevanie Lopez. “Charles Joseph Whitman” appears as the third track off the band’s debut EP, Deathday. Giovanni sings, in addition to providing samples and synthesizer, Alex also handles synthesizer and tapes, while Joevanie holds down the drums. Notably, the drumming is intense on this record, which features very few lyrics.

<a href="http://deathday.bandcamp.com/album/deathday" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">Deathday by Deathday</a>

“Running up with guns to the top of the tower
When the skies rained steel on a summer day
Skies were clear, the sun shed tears
Blood spoiled on the floor
And they shot him.”

That pretty much sums things up. Whitman’s name isn’t dropped explicitly, besides the song title itself, but this is clearly about his poor choices. Of course, fittingly, Deathday makes it clear he was shot. Not only did Charles Whitman kill others on August 1, 1966 (including his wife and mother), he died that day too.

“And they shot him
Again! And Again!”

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35. The Boomtown Rats, “I Don’t Like Mondays”

The Fine Art of Surfacing • Mercury • 1979

“Tell me why / I don’t like Mondays / I wanna shoot the whole day down.” Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats cover the Grover Cleveland Elementary School shooting on “I Don’t Like Mondays,” a song from their 1979 album, The Fine Art of Surfacing. Infamously, 16-year-old Brenda Spencer, who truly didn’t like Mondays, killed two adults and injured eight children with a .22 caliber semiautomatic rifle at the elementary across from her house. The band captures the tragic tale.

“And all the playing’s stopped in the playground now
She wants to play with the toys a while
And school’s out early and soon we’ll be learning
And the lesson is how to die.”

Notably, Tori Amos covered “I Don’t Like Mondays” on her 2001 album, Strange Little Girls.

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15 Songs for the Days of the Week

13 Unsettling Songs About Female Murderers

36. Ill Bill, “The Anatomy of a School Shooting”

What’s Wrong with Bill? • Uncle Howie • 2004

“The anatomy of a school shooting, shotgun under my trench coat
Columbiners did it
…My mind consume the doom as I walk through the school
15 people killed and over 14 wounded.”

Question: What wrong with Bill? Another question: Who is Ill Bill? Ill Bill is a Queens, New York rapper and producer. Here, on “The Anatomy of a School Shooting,” he specifically references the Columbine Massacre. Unlike many of the songs written in the aftermath of Columbine, Bill specifically names the perpetrators. He focuses on Eric Harris, painting a portrait of Harris’ social status and mindset.

“My name is Eric Harris, I was forever harassed, an outcast
You fuck with us and now me and Dylan is pulling out gats
I’ve been wantin’ to murder people
Suicide is played out, if you gonna die, take people with you.”

“A bunch of ticking time bombs y'all, is more like me
Overflowin’ with hate, bullied to get raw like me
They constantly get picked on and shitted on like me
You’d probably get your head blown off by a kid like me...
This ain't a game, the nerds that you be fuckin’ with might flip.”

Perhaps the most hard-hitting lyrics arrive near the end of record. Essentially, Ill Bill establishes the reasons for the tragedy, from the perspective of Harris, and other potential school shooters.

“Now everybody wanna talk shit and cry asking why
Two geeks picked up guns and turned murderous...
Two nerdy kids is that a crime?
Why I’ve gotta be one of the cool kids just to walk by
Without being tripped, thrown down on the ground and kicked
Insulting me for no reason, I was treated like shit
The teachers let it happen
I’ve even seen some of them teachers laughing
That’s why I had a smile on my face when I started blastin’
I wasn’t crazy – all of y’all were sick
I was the nicest person in the world – y’all were dicks
Don’t even try to analyze me now you have no chance, back then
Maybe you could’ve been my friend.”

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Songs About Mass Murderers, Vol. 2

37. Church of Misery, “Road to Ruin (Charles Whitman)”

Early Works Compilation • Emetic • 2010

“Under cruel sunshine on 1966 / Take a look to clear blue sky / My sanity has gone / I killed my mother at midnight / Then stab my wife to death / Ready for a final solution / Now I got a gun…” Hmm, sounds like the actions of one awful Charles Whitman, imparted through song by Church of Misery. Tatsu Mikami (bass) is the sole original member of Church of Misery, which experienced its fair share of lineup changes since its inception in 1995. According to Greg Prato of All Music, Church of Misery was among the first doom metal bands from Japan.

The rare song at hand, “Road to Ruin (Charles Whitman),” appears on the band’s compilation, Early Works Compilation, reissued stateside in 2010. Like many Church of Misery songs, there are clips involving the respective crime. In this case, a news anchor prefaces the sung vocals about the most insensitive deviant. After that, the music, set in a minor key, captures the horrible acts of Mr. Whitman, much like the lyrical excerpts.

“My final day of summer
With my rifle, up to the tower
Take a look down to the ground
To searching for my target
15 people had died
Here, there, and everywhere
No reason to kill someone
I just pull the trigger.”

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Songs About Charles Whitman, The Infamous Tower Sniper

38. Macabre, “Holidays of Horror”

Gloom • Decomposed • 1989

“Simmons went crazy / Murdered sixteen / Fourteen of them family / He killed them / For the holidays.” Mass murderer Ronald Gene Simmons indeed killed his entire family during the holiday season, hence why Macabre titled their song about him “Holidays of Horror.” In addition to killing his wife, children, and grandchildren, Simmons also killed a crush who rejected him, and a total stranger. Ultimately, this Arkansas monster was sentenced to death and executed by lethal injection.

“Merry Christmas
He gunned his family down
His bullets were their presents
Dead relatives all around
Happy New Year
One they won’t be here to see
It’s the holiday of horror
Because of Ronald Gene
Simmons.”

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39. Macabre, “David Brom Took an Axe”

Gloom • Decomposed • 1989

“David Brom killed his dad / His mother and brother, and sister / He took an axe to their heads.”

Macabre tackles David Brom, a 16-year old from Minnesota, killed his parents, his brother, and his sister by way of ax in 1988. The New York Times article goes on to cite “trouble with his parents,” specifically regarding “a tape he had bought [that his dad] didn’t want him listening to it.” Macabre, naturally seized upon this tidbit of info.

“He took an axe
And then attacked
And away at his family
He began to hack
His dad wouldn’t let him
Listen to a hardcore band
So here comes David
With an axe in his hand.”

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40. R. Kelly, “Rise Up”

Double Up • Zomba • 2007

R. Kelly doesn’t mention Virginia Tech Massacre perpetrator Seung-Hui Cho anywhere in “Rise Up” ( Double Up, 2007). Instead, Kelly focuses on the victims and moving forward. Often, serial killers and mass shooters become famous after their crimes, which is disgusting. We, society, are guilty of letting that happen.

“Rise Up” is an uplifting, inspirational song that was penned and dedicated to the victims of the 2007 school shooting. This beautiful song is about finding strength – moving beyond indescribable pain, devastation, and senseless loss.

“And we will cry together
And we’ll fight this together
And we’ll be strong together
Stand together, pray together
Rise up, when you feel you can’t go on
Rise up, when all of your hope is gone
Rise up, when you’re weak and you can’t be strong
Rise, rise up.”

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