Paranoid: A Chant
Encyclopedia
"Paranoid: A Chant" is a 100-line poem by Stephen King
originally published in the 1985 short story collection Skeleton Crew
.
when it's put before me..." and many more horrors. When he is served food with mustard he thinks it is "to mask the bitter odor of almonds," presumably a reference to cyanide
. According to the poem, the victim has amassed "500 notebooks with 500 pages in each one" and records all the wrongs done unto him in the books. He thinks that his enemies are part of a massive government conspiracy and mentions the FBI and the CIA. He is also superstitious; he knows chants and he wears charms.
The poem is recursive, ending where it begins, with the stanza "I can't go out no more. There's a man by the door in a raincoat"
The poem also has ties to the Dark Tower
epic. When King originally began writing The Stand
, he wrote "A dark man with no face." This became the description for Randall Flagg
and is an exact line from the poem. The man in a raincoat may also be one of the can-toi
that appear in several King stories.
short film by Jay Holben, starring Tonya Ivey, in 2000.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pMwSqqc9Ws
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
originally published in the 1985 short story collection Skeleton Crew
Skeleton Crew
Skeleton Crew is the second collection of short fiction by Stephen King. The first collection, Night Shift, was published seven years prior in 1978. Different Seasons, a collection of four novellas, was published between the two in 1982. Skeleton Crew was originally published in hardcover form by...
.
Synopsis
The poem is a first-person narrative from the diary of a paranoid schizophrenic person, the character complains of persecution from "the old woman in the room above" who "has put an electric suction cup on the floor..." "the waitress says its salt, but I know arsenicArsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
when it's put before me..." and many more horrors. When he is served food with mustard he thinks it is "to mask the bitter odor of almonds," presumably a reference to cyanide
Cyanide
A cyanide is a chemical compound that contains the cyano group, -C≡N, which consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Cyanides most commonly refer to salts of the anion CN−. Most cyanides are highly toxic....
. According to the poem, the victim has amassed "500 notebooks with 500 pages in each one" and records all the wrongs done unto him in the books. He thinks that his enemies are part of a massive government conspiracy and mentions the FBI and the CIA. He is also superstitious; he knows chants and he wears charms.
The poem is recursive, ending where it begins, with the stanza "I can't go out no more. There's a man by the door in a raincoat"
The poem also has ties to the Dark Tower
The Dark Tower (series)
The Dark Tower is a series of books written by American author Stephen King, which incorporates themes from multiple genres, including fantasy, science fantasy, horror and western. It describes a "Gunslinger" and his quest toward a tower, the nature of which is both physical and metaphorical. King...
epic. When King originally began writing The Stand
The Stand
The Stand is a post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy novel by American author Stephen King. It demonstrates the scenario in his earlier short story, Night Surf...
, he wrote "A dark man with no face." This became the description for Randall Flagg
Randall Flagg
Randall Flagg is a fictional character created by Stephen King. Flagg has appeared in seven novels by King, sometimes as the main antagonist and others in a brief cameo. He often appears under different names; most are abbreviated by the initials R.F. There are exceptions to this rule; in The Dark...
and is an exact line from the poem. The man in a raincoat may also be one of the can-toi
Can-toi
The Can-Toi are fictional creatures from Stephen King's Dark Tower series and related works. They are unofficially but more commonly known as low men, as in Low Men in Yellow Coats due to their often garish yellow clothing...
that appear in several King stories.
Film, television or theatrical adaptations
The poem was adapted into an eight-minute Dollar BabyDollar Baby
The Dollar Baby is a term coined by best-selling author Stephen King in reference to a select group of students and aspiring filmmakers or theatre producers whom he has granted permission to adapt one of his short stories for $1...
short film by Jay Holben, starring Tonya Ivey, in 2000.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pMwSqqc9Ws