Lunchbox (song)

"Lunchbox" is a song by the American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released as the second single from their debut studio album, Portrait of an American Family (1994). A gothic rock and alternative metal song that features elements of death metal, industrial and punk rock, "Lunchbox" was written by the band's eponymous vocalist, Daisy Berkowitz, and Gidget Gein, and produced by Manson with Trent Reznor. According to Berkowitz, the track was written as the frontman's plea to be left alone; it was also inspired by a time when Manson defended himself from bullies with a Kiss lunchbox. The track features elements of "Fire" (1968) performed by Arthur Brown, a musician who influenced the band.

"Lunchbox" received predominantly positive reviews from critics, with the writers and readers of Metal Hammer separately deeming it one of the best metal songs of the 1990s; several critics also praised Berkowitz's musicianship on the track. The band's decision to sample "Fire" helped to revive interest in Brown. A music video for the song was directed by experimental filmmaker Richard Kern and released in 1995. It depicts a young Manson played by a then-six year-old Robert Pierce, son of Rambler member Richard Pierce. In the clip, the young Manson is tormented by bullies before becoming a rock star; another part of the video shows the band at a roller rink. The video received a mixed response from critics, and "Lunchbox" charted at number five on the Canadian Hot 100.