Initially, Garbage was an informal jam session between the three producers held in Marker's basement. Steve Marker saw the music video of "Suffocate Me" by Angelfish on MTV, recorded it and showcased it to his band mates. They invited the Scottish vocalist Shirley Manson to join Garbage, she accepted, and soon Angelfish disbanded. According to Vig, Garbage was named before Manson joined the band, after the percussionist Pauli Ryan walked in while Vig was working on a remix for Nine Inch Nails and said it sounded like "garbage".
In August 1995, the group released their debut album Garbage, preceded by their first single "Vow" in March 1995. This album was an unexpected smash, selling over 5 million copies and reaching double platinum status in the UK (#6), USA (#20), Australia. Also it received great reviews from critics and featured on the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die." They released five singles from this album: "Vow", "Only Happy When It Rains", "Queer", "Stupid Girl", and "Milk". A non-album single entitled "Subhuman" was issued on 7 August 1995.
In 1996, the band released a short-form VHS and Video CD entitled "Garbage Video" (also known as "Home Video"), that included all of Garbage's promotional music videos filmed up until that point.
In 1997, Garbage were nominated at Grammy Awards for Best New Artist, Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal for "Stupid Girl", Best Rock Song for "Stupid Girl". In the same year, the remixed version of "#1 Crush" (original version released in 1996) was included on the multi-platinum movie soundtrack William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet. Also it was nominated for Best Song From a Movie at the 1997 MTV Movie Awards.
They spent over an year working on their follow-up album Version 2.0, which was released on May 1998 and hit #1 in the UK and #13 in the US. It was supported by six singles: "Push It", "I Think I'm Paranoid", "Special", "When I Grow Up", "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" and "You Look So Fine". The music video of "Push It" featured state of the art effects and it costs over $400,000 to make. Version 2.0 sold over 5 million copies, almost the same as their debut.
In 1999, they performed the theme song to the James Bond movie The World Is Not Enough. That year, they also contributed the song "When I Grow Up" to the Adam Sandler movie Big Daddy. Version 2.0 was nominated at Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Rock Album, and "Special" was nominated for Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal and Best Rock Song.
In October 2001, Garbage issued their third and most pop album beautifulgarbage, preceded by the single "Androgyny" in September 2001. All four singles released ("Androgyny", "Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)", "Breaking Up the Girl" and "Shut Your Mouth") were moderately successful. This album got 6th place at Rolling Stone's Top 10 Albums of The Year. The world tour from October 2001 to November 2002 was affected by Butch's health problems.
The band struggled to remain together and almost split in 2003, before returning with the fourth studio album Bleed Like Me in April 2005, peaking at a career-high #4 in USA. Four singles promoted the album: "Why Do You Love Me", "Sex Is Not the Enemy", "Bleed Like Me", and "Run Baby Run". Garbage cut short their 2005 world tour, and announced an indefinite hiatus, but emphasized it was not a break-up.
In July 2007 the group released a greatest hits album and a DVD entitled Absolute Garbage. The compilation featured a selection of their singles, a new single "Tell Me Where It Hurts" (#50 UK), and a remixed version of "It's All Over But the Crying" (the limited edition had also a remixes disc). The DVD included most of their music videos and a documentary related to the band.
In 2008 a new track called "Witness to Your Love" was issued on a charity compilation in the USA. Shirley Manson recorded a solo album but her label refused to release it considering it to be "too noir". In the same year she started to play a regular role on US TV show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
According to a post from Shirley's Facebook profile, the band returned back to studio in 2010. On 14 May 2012, Garbage released their fifth studio album, Not Your Kind of People. The album was supported by the singles "Blood For Poppies", "Battle in Me", "Automatic Systematic Habit" and "Big Bright World".
On June 10th 2016, Garbage released their 6th album "Strange Little Birds".
Man on a Wire
Garbage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What did I see
There was a big black beast
Looking back at me
You looked into my eyes
What did you see
You saw a big black beast
Like a man on a wire
I set myself on fire
Destroyer of our dream
Trying to find a spark
Desperate for love
Like a man on a wire
I was like a volcano
Just waiting to explode
I [helped it was a wreck there reborn]
And I've been transformed
I was a green eyed monster
Could you tell I was afraid
I sat myself down and shot my fear in the face
Like a man on a wire
I set myself on fire
Destroyer of our dream
Trying to find a spark
Desperate for love
Like a man on a wire
That's right
Yeah, I see you sitting around
With your wristwatch
And your white collared shirt
I see you hoping to watch me fail
You're hoping to watch me fail
I sat myself down and shot my fear in the face
Like a man on a wire
I set myself on fire
Destroyer of our dream
Trying to find a spark
Desperate for love
Like a man on a wire
Like a man on a wire
I set myself on fire
Destroyer of our dream
Trying to find a spark
Desperate for love
Like a man on a wire
The lyrics of Garbage's "Man on a Wire" are about a person who is struggling with their inner demons and trying to find love and acceptance. The opening verse has the singer looking into a mirror and seeing a "big black beast" looking back at them. This image represents their own fears and insecurities, which they must confront in order to move forward. The second verse is about someone else looking into the singer's eyes and seeing the same "big black beast" magnified within them. This suggests that the singer's struggles are not unique and that others can relate to them.
The chorus repeats the phrase "like a man on a wire," which represents the singer's precarious emotional state. They feel like they are balancing on a tightrope, trying to find a spark of hope or love while also being a destroyer of their own dreams. The line "trying to find a spark, desperate for love" represents the singer's yearning for connection, while the final line "like a man on a wire" reinforces the dangerous nature of their emotional state.
The bridge of the song shifts to a more confrontational tone, with the singer addressing someone who is hoping to see them fail. The reference to a "white collared shirt" and a "wristwatch" suggests that this person is from a more corporate or professional world, and may not understand the emotional struggles that the singer is facing. However, the singer is able to triumph over their fear and confront the challenge head-on, ending the song with a repeat of the chorus.
Line by Line Meaning
I looked into the mirror
The singer self-reflected and inspected themselves in a mirror.
What did I see
The singer didn't recognize themselves in their own reflection.
There was a big black beast
The singer saw something monstrous and unnerving staring back at them.
Looking back at me
The reflection was staring back and mirroring the artist.
You looked into my eyes
Someone else is observing and analyzing the artist.
What did you see
The observer made some sort of realization about the singer.
You saw a big black beast
The observer recognized the same big black beast the singer saw in their reflection.
Magnified in me
The observer saw the beast within the artist become more apparent.
Like a man on a wire
The artist is living precariously.
I set myself on fire
The artist is self-destructive.
Destroyer of our dream
The singer is hindering a collective ambition or vision.
Trying to find a spark
The artist is searching for inspiration or motivation to continue living.
Desperate for love
The singer is craving affection and understanding.
I was like a volcano
The singer was potentially dangerous and explosive.
Just waiting to explode
The singer was on the edge of breaking down.
I [helped it was a wreck there reborn]
This line is difficult to interpret and may require more context it's referring to.
And I've been transformed
The artist has undergone a significant change.
I was a green eyed monster
The singer was jealous and envious.
Could you tell I was afraid
The singer's fear was visible and evident to others.
I sat myself down and shot my fear in the face
The artist faced their fear head-on and conquered it.
That's right
The artist is affirming something they said or did.
Yeah, I see you sitting around
The artist is calling out someone who is simply watching and hoping for the artist's failure.
With your wristwatch
This may be a symbol of being preoccupied with time or schedule.
And your white collared shirt
This may be a symbol of being uptight and conformist.
You're hoping to watch me fail
The singer knows they have detractors who want to see them fail.
Like a man on a wire
The singer is still living precariously and dangerously.
I set myself on fire
Again, the singer is self-destructive.
Destroyer of our dream
The artist is still unable to move forward from their destructive ways.
Trying to find a spark
The artist is still searching for inspiration or motivation.
Desperate for love
The singer is still longing for affection and understanding.
Like a man on a wire
The singer is repeating their precarious existence.
I set myself on fire
Again, the artist is self-destructive.
Destroyer of our dream
The same destructive behavior is preventing the artist from achieving their ambitions.
Trying to find a spark
The search for inspiration and motivation continues.
Desperate for love
The singer is still desperately craving affection and understanding.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Bryan David Vig, Douglas Elwin Erickson, Shirley Ann Manson, Steve W Marker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind