Marilyn Manson Heads To Salem For New Opening Theme

With its first original scripted series, WGN America went to the darker side of American history for the witchy drama Salem, which is about as historically accurate as an article in The Onion. So it makes a certain amount of sense that the series teamed with one of the more iconic artists on the faux-dark side of the musical spectrum, Marilyn Manson, for an all-new theme for their opening title sequence. If you’re like me, you’re wondering how Manson’s track “The Beautiful People” hasn’t been the theme song for the CW since its inception.

Ahead of the second episode’s airing, WGN America decided to release Salem’s reworked titles, which will be used for the remainder of the episodes in Season 1. The song is called “Cupid Carries a Gun,” and it’s the last track that Manson's eponymous band recorded for their as-yet-untitled upcoming album. I have to say, my interest in the band waxes and wanes from album to album, but they’ve aged better than many of their mid-1990s hard rock cohorts, and this song is one of their catchier recent efforts. I absolutely want to hear the entire track now, though it may be too upbeat and sly for what has started out as such a droll thriller.

“Cupid Carries a Gun” found a place at Salem thanks to series composer Tyler Bates. A frequent collaborator of directors Zack Snyder and James Gunn, Bates has created the music for films such as Watchmen and the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy. He explained to THR how the project came together.

”Manson and I wrote a draft of ‘Cupid Carries a Gun’ shortly before I began working on the score for Salem. A couple weeks later I saw the title sequence and the song immediately came to mind. I showed it to Manson for fun more than anything, and it inspired us to finish the song that night. The next day I played it for [series creator] Brannon Braga and he said that ‘Cupid Carries a Gun’ was the perfect tone and attitude for the show’s main titles.”

Though Manson’s music has appeared on films and TV shows for years, it’s only recently that he’s gotten more into TV acting, starring in Californication, Eastbound & Down and Once Upon a Time over the last year. His last film role was as a teenager (!) for Quentin Dupieux’s offbeat comedy Wrong Cops. Might we expect to see him take an onscreen role in Salem in the future? Anything is possible when witchcraft is involved.

Of course, there will also always be secrets when witchcraft abounds. Dig deeper into the lives of Mary Sibley and John Alden’s with the video below, and tune in on Sunday to catch the new titles for the second episode, titled “The Stone Child.”

Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.