"Supervixe… Read Full Bio ↴"Supervixen" is the opening track to Garbage's debut album.
"Supervixen" was released as an airplay-only single to Modern Rock radio in North America in October, 1996.
"Supervixen" was titled after Russ Meyer's 1975 violent love-triangle movie Supervixens.
"Supervixen" was written by Garbage in 1994 during sessions between band members Butch Vig, Duke Erikson, Shirley Manson and Steve Marker at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin.
Madison musician Mike Kashou performs bass guitar on "Supervixen".
Lyrically, Manson states that "["Supervixen"] is all about saying "idolise me, I'm going to give you everything you want, but you have to do something in return". It's a bargaining song about a relationship. I'm not saying "I'm a wee Scottish lass fae Edinburgh and I'm great". It's actually about this supervixen, this Russ Meyer-type woman."
"Supervixen" received a largely positive response from music critics, many of whom chose to single out the track in their reviews of the Garbage album.
The Jewish Chronicle wrote "from the staccato riff that dominates "Supervixen" the scene is set - Eurythmics meets Patti Smith in some Grungy nightclub where bitchy back-biting is the name of the game."
Hot Press reviewer Jackie Hayden wrote "The sound drop outs should act as a warning to be on your guard".
Kerrang!'s Paul Rees described the song as "a whirlpool of clattering synth stabs that break of in shattered shards", while Paul Yates of Q magazine said that "Garbage's signature lies in songs like "Supervixen", good pop tunes dealt a rough treatment and brazen vocals".
Ikon's Jamie T. Conway gave a negative review for the album but described "Supervixen" as Pixies-lite and a "strangely appealing" exception.
Peter Murphy of Bauhaus (band) wrote of "Supervixen" in his biography for 2007's Absolute Garbage sleeve-notes: "The song used silence in a way I'd never heard before. When the music stopped, it wasn't a pause for effect. There was no residual cymbal swish or reverberation or amp hum. That silence was total. It meant business. It was a sort of black hole implosion into which you feared your soul might be sucked."
Supervixen
Garbage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stick a stone in your mouth
You can always pull out
If you like it too much
Make a whole new religion
A falling star that you cannot live without
And I'll feed your obsession
There'll be nothing but this thing that you'll never doubt
And I never miss
I can take you out
With just a flick of my wrist
Make a whole new religion
A falling star that you cannot live without
And I'll feed your obsessions
There is nothing but this thing that you'll never doubt
This thing you'll never doubt
And I'll feed your obsession
The falling star that you cannot live without
I will be your religion
This thing you'll never doubt
You're not the only one
You're not the only one
Bow down to me
Bow down to me
Bow down to me
Bow down to me
Bow down to me
Bow down to me
Bow down to me
The lyrics of Garbage's song Supervixen suggest a dominant and seductive persona seeking to control and create a new religion-like obsession. The opening lines invite the listener to come to their house and "stick a stone in your mouth" which implies to silence them and to become submissive. The subsequent lines about a "falling star that you cannot live without" indicate the persona's desire to become the centre of their obsession and faith, and their willingness to feed this obsession even if it's not grounded in reality. The chorus of the song, "Bow down to me", reinforces this image of power and control over the listener.
Furthermore, the song suggests a sense of danger and addiction in the persona's presence. The line, "A hit is hard to resist, and I never miss" implies that the persona is like a drug, an irresistible high that can't be refused. The line, "I can take you out with just a flick of my wrist" too adds a sense of violence and danger, demonstrating the hold the persona has over the listener. The power dynamic of the song is one of control and submission, underscored by the repetition of "bow down to me".
Overall, the lyrics of Garbage's song Supervixen reveal a personality that is manipulative, seductive, and dangerous. They have created a religion-like obsession that the listener will never doubt, ensuring complete faithfulness and submission to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Come down to my house
Come to where I am and let me show you what I have to offer
Stick a stone in your mouth
Accept my words and teachings without questioning them
You can always pull out
You have the option to leave if you don't like it or feel uncomfortable
If you like it too much
If you become too attached or invested in what I have to offer
Make a whole new religion
Together let's create a belief system and way of life
A falling star that you cannot live without
A symbol or concept so important to you that you cannot imagine living without it
And I'll feed your obsession
I'll fuel that intense drive or interest you have in this thing
There'll be nothing but this thing that you'll never doubt
You'll never question or doubt the importance of this thing in your life
A hit is hard to resist
It's difficult to resist the appeal of something that feels good or addictive
And I never miss
I have the power to consistently provide that thing you desire
I can take you out
I have the power to remove you from this situation
With just a flick of my wrist
With minimal effort on my part
And I'll feed your obsessions
I'll continue to fuel your intense interests or passions
There is nothing but this thing that you'll never doubt
This thing will be your sole focus and you'll never question its importance
This thing you'll never doubt
You'll never doubt the importance of this thing in your life
And I'll feed your obsession
I'll continue to fuel your intense interests or passions
The falling star that you cannot live without
The symbol or concept that is so important to you that you cannot imagine living without it
I will be your religion
I will be the center of your belief system and the object of your worship
You're not the only one
There are others who share your intense interest in this thing
Bow down to me
Submit to my authority and follow my lead in this belief system
Bow down to me
Reinforcing the idea of submitting to my authority
Bow down to me
Further reinforcing the idea of submitting to my authority
Bow down to me
Continuing to reinforce the idea of submitting to my authority
Bow down to me
Further emphasizing the idea of submitting to my authority
Bow down to me
The final reinforcement of the idea of submitting to my authority
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DOUGLAS ELWIN ERICKSON, SHIRLEY ANN MANSON, STEVE W. MARKER, BRYAN DAVID VIG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind