The band originated in 2005 from a song titled "The Kids" that Jorel Decker (J-Dog) and Aron Erlichman (Deuce) posted on the band's MySpace profile to positive reviews, leading them to form the group Hollywood Undead with their friends "Shady" Jeff Philips, George Ragan (Johnny 3 Tears), Jordon Terrell (Charlie Scene), Dylan Alvarez (Funny Man), and Matthew St. Claire (Da Kurlzz). In an interview with Shave magazine, J-Dog explained that when forming the band "Whoever was in the room at the time and played an instrument was in the band." Shady Jeff was later voted out of the band for reasons currently unknown to the public. He currently works as a mechanic and is working on converting diesel cars into vehicles that can run on vegetable oil.

Группа возникла в 2005 году с песней под названием «The Kids», которую Deuce и J-Dog зарегистрировали на MySpace. После посыпались позитивные отзывы и Deuce и J-Dog сформировали группу Hollywood Undead вместе со своими друзьями: Shady Jeff, Johnny 3 Tears, Funny Man, Charlie Scene, Da Kurlzz. В интервью журналу «Shave Magazine» J-Dog пояснил: «Кто бы ни был в группе, главное, чтобы он играл на инструменте». Shady Jeff позднее ушёл из группы и в ней осталось шесть участников. Участники группы продолжали записывать песни о том, что их окружает: секс, выпивка, несправедливость, любовь. Во многом своему успеху на MySpace они обязаны своему хорошему другу — Джефри Стару, который к тому времени уже был серьезно раскручен в этой социальной сети и помогал им продвигать страницу группы. Одной из уникальных особенностей группы становятся маски, с помощью которых участники группы скрывают свою внешность. Популярность группы росла невероятными темпами изо дня в день и на них обращали внимание в недавно созданном лейбле MySpace Records. Песня Hollywood Undead — No.5 попала в первый альбом Myspace Record Vol 1. В это же время группа сняла клип на этот трек.

Hollywood Undead's music features a wide variety of musical styles, generally blending hip hop with alternative rock and dance influence. However, many would identify them as rap rock or nu metal. Half of the songs in Swan Songs display a more party-based style, while the other half show a more serious approach to the album. Songs such as "Young" and "Sell Your Soul" are often praised, while the party-based songs such as "No. 5" and "Everywhere I Go" were often criticized. Many critics have stated to be confused due to the record's constant representation of different sounds.
American Tragedy continues this style for the most part. The album has less of a party-based style than Swan Songs, and instead follows a more serious approach. The 18-track deluxe version of album only contains 3 songs that are based on sex and drinking, whereas Swan Songs had 6 out of its 14 tracks. Many reviewers have compared this album to Linkin Park's first two records.

Музыка Hollywood Undead представляет собой широкое разнообразие музыкальных стилей, в основном, смесь хип-хопа с альтернативным роком и танцевальной музыкой. Однако, многие относят их к рэп-року, кранккору или ню-металу. Половина песен в Swan Songs отображала смешанный стиль, в то время как другая половина показывала более тяжёлое звучание. Многие критики заявляли, что были в замешательстве из-за постоянного изменения звучания музыки.
Альбом American Tragedy записан в том же стиле, но с большим количеством классических рок-инструментов, а также синтезаторов и электронных элементов. Однако, большинство треков из этого альбома можно отнести скорее к рэп-року, чем к хип-хопу.
Группа заявила в интервью, что каждый член группы играет свою собственную роль в песне, написав и исполнив свой отрывок в композициях.

Can't stop I need some help,
Fuck you I'm by myself,
Is it a truth or lie?
It's what you can't deny
'Cause it's the way you think
Mixed with the pills and drink,
Brought back to the way you are,
Flowed up to there close to God,
You know that hiding
ain't gonna keep you safe,
Because the tears on your face,
They leak and leave a trace,
So just when you think
the true love's begun
It goes off at any second
just like a loaded gun

You know I can take you straight to heaven
If you let me
You know I, I can make
Your body levitate
If you let me
You know that I can
Make your body levitate
Le-levitate
I can make your body levitate
Le-levitate (You know)

Can't stop the feeling
High as the ceiling
I got the money, who's fucking dealing?
I feel the heat like the barrel of a gun,
I forgot the last time
I saw the sun,
I've got this disease,
It's digging deeper in me,
It's like my mind is leaving,
But my heart keeps beating,
So I'll paint the walls red,
Drip from the nose,
But where it goes
Nobody really knows,
Hit the bottle and she's gonna follow,
I fall asleep, there ain't no tomorrow,
Gone so far,
Nobody can save me,
Who needs you when I've got my baby,
My baby is beautiful, she loves me true,
And if she dies I hope I die too

You know I can take you straight to heaven
If you let me
You know I, I can make
Your body levitate
If you let me
You know that I can
Make your body levitate
Le-levitate
I can make your body levitate
Le-levitate (You know)

I put down another sack of them ,
Then it's straight back to the flask again
I can't help stop what's happening,
One the wrong track yeah I'm back again,
Up shit's creek and I'm paddling,
Blacked out room and I'm traveling,
Good ideas I'm liking them ,
I'm too fucked up, now I'm babbling,
Wonder how to fix these damages,
All these goddamn damages,
Cover myself with bandages
From all these dickdamn damages,
Wonder how to fix all these damages,
All these goddamn damages,
Cover myself with bandages
From all these goddamn damages

You know I can take you straight to heaven
If you let me
You know I, I can make
Your body levitate
If you let me
You know that I can
Make your body levitate
Le-levitate
I can make your body levitate
Le-levitate (You know)

I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die
I don't wanna die so you're gonna have to
I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die no
I don't wanna die so you're gonna have to
Blood is getting harder,
Body's getting colder,
Told you once
I'm the only one who holds her,
I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die,
I don't wanna die so you're gonna have to

I look inside of myself
And try to find someone else
Someone who's willin' to die,
To watch you cryin for help
I know that blood will be spilled
And if you won't then I will
My grave will never be filled
It's either kill or be killed
So let heaven be told
That some may come some may go
Where I'll end up I don't know
But I ain't dyin' alone
I keep on askin the question,
Can I be saved by confession?
You see this blood on my hands,
At least I still reach into heaven
I got to pick up the pieces
I gotta burry ‘em deep
And when you look in my eyes
I'll be the last thing you'll see

Words turn into blood
And the blood keeps on pourin'
From every poor, I wipe it off
Cuz this just could be the moment
Now someones gotta die
And I'm my only opponent
Cuz I won't watch my baby cry
So I keep on just goin'
Am I a man or a beast?
It's mother nature at least
Watch humanity cease
Cuz it's our human disease
You gotta kill when you gotta kill
Yeah that's what they say
And I can't go against God's will,
You better pray
Cuz I'm an angel a demon
Yeah I'm hell and I'm heaven
I'm everything you couldn't be
Now you believe in the devil?
I gotta pick up the pieces
I gotta bury them deep
And when the dirt hits the coffin,
Just go to sleep

I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die
I don't wanna die so you're gunna have to
I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die no
I don't wanna die so you're gunna have to
Blood is getting harder,
Body is getting colder
Told you once
I'm the only one who loves her
I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die
I don't wanna die

(You know that I see,
I see you buried six feet below)
Another life goes into the night
I couldn't let 'em breath
Cause I didn't wanna die
(You know that I see,
I see you buried six feet below)
It's not right,
Can you hear me as I cry?
I couldn't let you live
Cause I didn't wanna die

I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die
No I don't wanna die

I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die
I don't wanna die so you're gunna have to
I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die no
I don't wanna die so you're gunna have to

I don't wanna die,
You're gunna have to,
I don't wanna die,
You have to die

Undead!
Undead!
Undead!
Undead!

You better get up out the way,
Tomorrow we'll rise so we fight today,
And no, I don't give a fuck what you think and say,
'Cause we are gonna rock this whole place anyway.
(Undead!)

(Undead!)
You better get up out the way,
Tomorrow we'll rise so we fight today,
And no, I don't give a fuck what you think and say,
'Cause we are gonna rock this whole place anyway.

Now I see that motherfucker writin' on the wall
When you see, J-3-T,
Thirty deep, he's down to brawl
Fuck those haters I see,
Cause I hate that you breathe, 
I see you duck,
You little punk,
You little fucking disease,
I got H.U. tatted on the front of my arm,
Boulevard, brass knuckles in the back of the car,
Cause we drunk drive Cadillacs - we never go far,
And when you see us motherfuckers,
better know who we are.

I got one thing to say to punk asses who hate,
Motherfuckers who don't know what,
You better watch what you say.
From these industry fucks,
To these faggot ass punks,
You don't know what it takes,
To get this motherfucking truck.

I'm already loud maybe,
It's a little too late,
Johnny's taking heads off of all the faggots who hate,
'Cause I'm like god, motherfucker, there's a price to pay,
Yeah, I'm a god, motherfucker, and it's judgment day!

(Undead!)
You better get up out the way,
Tomorrow we'll rise so we fight today,
And no, I don't give a fuck what you think and say,
'Cause we are gonna rock this whole place anyway.
(Undead!)

(Undead!)
You better get up out the way,
Tomorrow we'll rise so we fight today,
And no, I don't give a fuck what you think and say,
'Cause we are gonna rock this whole place anyway.

I'm getting used to this nuisance,
And all the fags who bad mouth this music,
It's fuckin stupid and foolish of you to think you can do this,
You cowards can't, never will, don't even try to pursue it.
I took the chance, I played the bill, I nearly died for this music.

You make me wanna run around, pulling my guns out and shit,
Your tempting me to run my mouth, and call you out on this bitch,
How ignorant you gotta be to believe any of this,
You need to slit your wrist, get pissed and go jump off a bridge,

What? You can't see the sarcasm in the verses I spit?
What? You think I just got lucky and didn't work for this shit?
Bitch. I've been working at this ever since I was a kid,
I played a million empty shows to only family and friends.

What kind of person disses a band that deserves to get big?
I'd hate to be that person when my verse comes out of the kid's lips.
That shit's as worse as it gets.
This verse is over, I quit.
Signed Charlie Scene on your girlfriend's tits.

(Undead!)
You better get up out the way,
Tomorrow we'll rise so we fight today,
And no, I don't give a fuck what you think and say,
'Cause we are gonna rock this whole place anyway.
(Undead!)

(Undead!)
You better get up out the way,
Tomorrow we'll rise so we fight today,
And no, I don't give a fuck what you think and say,
'Cause we are gonna rock this whole place anyway.

White boys with tattoos,
We are pointing right at you,
We are breaking everything, r-rowdy like a classroom,
Pack of wolves,
'Cause we don't follow the rules,
And when you're running your mouth,
Our razor blades come out,
Because it's nothing in my life except my dick and what I spit,
So my dick is in my hand when I respond to faggots talking shit,
Speaking of fags, already wrap with the drag,
We killed him and then we stuffed his body in the Cadillac.

Why you always pressin?
You know I'm never stressing,
With fucking DMS,
J-Johnny to my left,
Got Phantom and the rest,
Who are down there at the west,
I grew up on drive-by's and L.A gangsta's,

So what the fuck do you know about being a gangsta?
What the fuck do you know about being in danger?
You ain't doing this, so you know you're just talking shit.
Mad at all the boys because every song is a fucking hit.

(Undead!)
You better get up out the way,
Tomorrow we'll rise so we fight today,
And no, I don't give a fuck what you think and say,
'Cause we are gonna rock this whole place anyway.
(Undead!)

(Undead!)
You better get up out the way,
Tomorrow we'll rise so we fight today,
And no, I don't give a fuck what you think and say,
'Cause we are gonna rock this whole place anyway.

Motherfucking time to ride, (ride,) (Undead!)
See you drop when we drive by, (by) (Undead!)
Motherfucking time to ride, (ride,) (Undead!)
Won’t you punks just die, (die) (Undead!)

I loved you, you made me hate me.
You gave me, hate, see?
It saved me,
And these tears are deadly.
You feel that?
I rip back,
Everytime you tried to steal that.
You feel bad? You feel sad?
I'm sorry, hell no fuck that!
It was my heart, it was my life,
It was my start, it was your knife. This strife,
It dies, this life and these lies.
And these lungs have sung
This song for too long, and it's true,
I hurt too, remember, I loved you!

[Chorus: Tha Producer aka Da Seducer]
I've lost it all, fell today,
It's all the same.
I'm sorry oh,
I'm sorry no.
I've, been abused,
I feel so used, because of you.
I'm sorry oh,
I'm sorry no.

[J-Dog aka The Flat Iron Chef:]
I wish I could I could have quit you.
I wish I never missed you,
And told you that I loved you, every
Time I fucked you.
The future that we both drew,
And all the shit we've been through.
Obsessed with the thought of you,
The pain just grew and grew!
How could you do this to me?
Look at what I made for you,
It never was enough
And the world is What I gave to you.
I used to be love struck, now I'm just fucked up.
Pull up my sleeves and see the Pattern of my cuts!

[Chorus: Tha Producer aka Da Seducer]
I've lost it all, fell today,
It's all the same.
I'm sorry oh,
I'm sorry no.
I've, been abused,
I feel so used, because of you.
I'm sorry oh,
I'm sorry no.

[Bridge: Tha Producer and Shady]
Seems like all we had is over now
You left to rest.
And your tears are dried up now,
You just lay without a sound.
Seems like all we had is over now,
You left to rest.
And my fears are over now,
I can leave with my head down.

[Chorus: Tha Producer aka Da Seducer]
I've lost it all, fell today,
It's all the same.
I'm sorry oh,
I'm sorry no.
I've, been abused,
I feel so used, because of you.
I'm sorry oh,
I'm sorry no.

Welcome to a city that'll bring you to your knees
It'll make you beg for more, until you can't even breathe
Your blindfold is on tight, but you like what you see
So follow me into the night, cuz I got just what you need
We're all rollin' down the blvd, full of pimps and sharks
It's a motherfuckin' riot, we've been dying to start
You better grab a hold cuz now you know your falling apart
You thought these streets were paved in gold
But they're dirty and dark

Been to hell
I can show you the devil!
Down you fell
Can't hold yourself together!
Soul to sell
Down here you live forever!
Welcome to a world
Where dreams become nightmares!

In the belly of the beast, I'm a wolf amongst the sheep,
At the bottom of the hill, but at the top of the street
Above the blvd, schoolyard, victim of deceit
And your runnin' hard, but this wolf it's always at your feet
Ya you've seen it all before, but the wolf's outside your door
And you're old enough to run, you ain't hiding anymore
Another victim of the star spangled banner of the street
Now you're in the world of wolves...
... And we welcome all you sheep


You need to wake up and face it,
So you can taste my reality
Now you're stuck in this place you hate,
And you came here so happily
Then it made you lose your faith,
And that's what fucked with your sanity
Say goodbye to your soul and say hello to your vanity
Hollywood is your friend, and the undead are your family
We'll take you to the edge, and turn your regret it to agony
And I'll never let you go, cuz I know you'll come back to me
I'm the reason you came here...
... I'm the American tragedy