And it's not just a power trip. Manson wants to change things for the better. "Everything that I say and I do is sincere as I can possibly be, and comes from whatever cold, hard rock of a heart that I have in my chest," he's told Metal Edge, and if you look at his work, this statement rings true.
But how much time does he have left to change the world? Will he be another Lennon? Sometimes it seems he hopes so. Will his body hold out? He has talked about being repeatedly hospitalized for the erratic, rapid heartbeat associated with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. He has also said he's no longer afraid to die.
Meanwhile, he has plans.
"I'm just trying to keep my mind open," says Manson. "I don't ever try and paint myself in a corner. I feel like if you're open to new ideas, that puts you in a position for rebirth, resurrecting. That's what keeps you moving."
Onward, to Calvary.
Marilyn Manson plays a sold-out show at the Universal Amphitheater Saturday, January 13. The photo exhibit "Holy Wood: Artwork From the Shadow of the Valley of Death," by Marilyn Manson and P.R. Brown, runs from January 18 to February 15 at The . . . Gallery, 1628 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood.