Salem Opening Theme

“	Pound me the Witch drum, witch drum. Better pray for Hell, not Hallelujah!	”
	— Lyrics in the Main Titles

WGN America's Salem has released its opening titles ahead of the second episode, and the sequence sets a suitably dark tone for the series — thanks in large part to vocals provided by Marilyn Manson.

Overview

"The song 'Cupid Carries a Gun' was the last track we just finished for my new album. The occult and witchcraft [are] so often used in cinema with a heinous disregard for even researching its origins. However, I liked the themes of Salem. It looks at the witch trials without being cliche like most modern films." - Marilyn Manson regarding WGN's Salem.

"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 Brannon Braga and he said that 'Cupid Carries a Gun' was the perfect tone and attitude for the show's main titles." - Tyler Bates regarding 'Cupid Carries a Gun' and Salem.

Credits

Season 1

Season 2 and 3

Janet Montgomery
Shane West
Seth Gabel
Tamzin Merchant
Ashley Madekwe
Elise Eberle
Iddo Goldberg
Joe Doyle
Oliver Bell
Created by Brannon Braga & Adam Simon

Lyrics

   Pound me the witch drums, witch drums
   Pound me the witch drums
   Pound me the witch drums, the witch drums
   Better pray for Hell, not hallelujah
   
   I'm the curled up fists
   Dead and hardened spiders
   Like two mangled crowns
   On the white heads of the meanest coiled snakes
   Folks say that I
   Look like Death
   Lived in the hotel of my eyes
   Blinds wide open like a whore
   Paid in spit from that hearse between her thighs
   
   Keep your halos tight
   I'm your god or your guardian
   Keep your halo tight
   One hand on the trigger, the other hand in mine
   Because now
   Cupid carries a gun
   Now, now
   Cupid, Cupid carries a gun
   
   She had those crow-black eyes
   Starless, but she fucked like a comet
   She laid as still as a Bible
   And it felt like Revelations when I looked inside

Gallery

Alternative Opening credits

Pitch for WGN America's original series, Salem by Scatterlight Studios©

Video

Salem Main Titles

MARILYN MANSON - CUPID CARRIES A GUN (OFFICIAL AUDIO)

Personnel

Marilyn Manson – vocals
Tyler Bates - producing
Gil Sharone - drums

Trivia

Cupid Carries a Gun" is the ninth track on the 2015 release The Pale Emperor. The song was recorded in collaboration with composer Tyler Bates for the opening titles of Salem, marking Marilyn Manson's television scoring debut. "Cupid Carries a Gun" is the second song Marilyn Manson completed for a television series, following "Food Pyramid" in 2002, and the first to be featured on a studio album. The song was officially released as a digital single on January 7th, 2015.
The Main Title uses only the first verse of the lyrics.