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".
Stupid Girl
Garbage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pretend you're bored
Pretend you're anything
Just to be adored
And what you need
Is what you get
Don't believe in fear
Don't believe in anything
That you can't break
stupid girl
stupid girl
All you had you wasted
All you had you wasted
What drives you on
Can drive you mad
A million lies to sell yourself
Is all you ever had
Don't believe in love
Don't believe in hate
Don't believe in anything
That you can't waste
stupid girl
stupid girl
Can't believe you fake it
Can't believe you fake it
Don't believe in fear
Don't believe in pain
Don't believe in anyone
That you can't tame
stupid girl
stupid girl
All you had you wasted
All you had you wasted
Stupid girl
Stupid girl
Can't believe you fake it
I can't believe you fake it
Stupid girl
Stupid girl
Can't believe you fake it
Can't believe you fake it
Stupid girl
The Garbage song "Stupid Girl" is a commentary on the emptiness of someone who pretends to be anything just to be adored. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who is constantly searching for external validation but is unable to find happiness or fulfillment within themselves. The lines "Pretend you're high, pretend you're bored, pretend you're anything just to be adored" highlight the ways in which this person constantly puts on a façade to gain attention.
The chorus repeats the phrase "stupid girl" several times as a way to emphasize the singer's frustration with the person they are referring to. The lines "All you had you wasted, can't believe you fake it" are a condemnation of the person's inability to be authentic or find meaning in their life. The final verse of the song urges the person to stop believing in fear, pain, and anyone they can't tame, suggesting that they may find a way to be happy if they stop seeking validation from others and instead become more self-assured.
Overall, "Stupid Girl" is a song that explores the pitfalls of trying to be someone you're not in order to gain acceptance. The song encourages listeners to be themselves and to find happiness within rather than constantly chasing after external validation.
Line by Line Meaning
You pretend you're high
You pretend to be in an elevated state, even when you're not.
Pretend you're bored
You act disinterested, although you may be engaged or curious.
Pretend you're anything
You put on various personas to satisfy your desire for admiration.
Just to be adored
You crave the attention and admiration of others more than anything else.
And what you need
Your wants and desires are what motivate you.
Is what you get
You'll do whatever it takes to get what you want, even if it means being manipulative or deceitful.
Don't believe in fear
You don't feel afraid, even in situations that would cause fear in others.
Don't believe in faith
You don't have any religious or spiritual beliefs.
Don't believe in anything
You have a cynical and skeptical outlook on life, and don't trust anything or anyone.
That you can't break
You believe that everything can be manipulated or controlled, and nothing is beyond your power.
All you had you wasted
You squandered your opportunities and resources by pursuing your own self-interest.
What drives you on
The things that motivate you to act are often destructive, and can lead to negative consequences.
Can drive you mad
Your obsessive pursuit of your desires can lead to mental instability and irrational behavior.
A million lies to sell yourself
You're willing to deceive and misrepresent yourself to gain the approval and admiration of others.
Is all you ever had
Your entire identity is built on superficial qualities, and you lack any real substance or depth.
Don't believe in love
You don't believe in true, selfless love, only in love that serves your own interests.
Don't believe in hate
You don't hold any strong emotions or convictions, as they might interfere with your pursuit of self-interest.
Don't believe in anything
You lack any guiding principles or values, and only believe in what benefits you.
That you can't waste
You believe that anything or anyone that doesn't serve your own interests is expendable and disposable.
Can't believe you fake it
Others can't believe that you're able to so convincingly lie and manipulate to achieve your own goals.
Don't believe in pain
You don't have any empathy or compassion for others, and can't understand why people feel pain or suffering.
Don't believe in anyone
You don't trust anyone, and only see them as potential tools or obstacles to achieving your own interests.
That you can't tame
You feel that anything or anyone can be controlled or manipulated, and that your own willpower is the only true power.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Butch Vig, Douglas Erikson, Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Shirley Manson, Steve Marker, Topper Headon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@GodOfVictory501
This track was never off the radio back in early 1996. It was in the charts at the same time as '1979' by Smashing Pumpkins, 'Firestarter' by Prodigy, and 'Don't Look Back in Anger' by Oasis. We really were spoilt for good music back then.
@ritafagan3772
I would like to know if the guy trying to catch the book is Dave Couier from the show Full House.
@barryposner7609
And this track "borrowed" the opening riff from "Train in Vain" by The Clash. Which was released in 1979. Hmmm.....
@GodOfVictory501
@@barryposner7609 never noticed that Train in vain connection before. They do actually sound similar.
@chrishenniker5944
Of course, we had a lot of dross around too. Remember Whigfield and Westlife?
@GodOfVictory501
@@chrishenniker5944 aye true, but at least in the 90s the charts always included high quality rock/indie/techno tracks. Maybe I'm completely out of touch but I think those days are gone unfortunately.
@papagin
Some would say the 90's were the age of boybands and grunge. This era came out with a lot of amazing female frontliners. Garbage, The Cardigans, The Cranberries, No Doubt, Sixpence, etc.
@StudioMod
Veruca Salt, Republica, Rachael Stevens...
@cammartin2014
Don’t forget Bikini Kill
@brianNJwatson
Hole… it’s human nature to take the present for granted but man we really had music gold in the 90’s