Garbage is a Scottish-American alternative rock band formed in 1994 in Madi… Read Full Bio ↴Garbage is a Scottish-American alternative rock band formed in 1994 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. The group members are Shirley Manson (vocals, guitars), Steve Marker (guitars, keyboards), Duke Erikson (guitars, keyboards, bass), and Butch Vig (drums, percussion). Erikson, Marker and Vig are also producers and remixers (Vig is best known for producing Nirvana's Nevermind). To date, the band sold over 17 million albums worldwide.

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".

Teaching Little Fingers To Play
Garbage Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was young and naive
All I wanted to do was please, please, please
But things, they change
And I'm a big girl now

I'm all grown up (I'm all grown up)
No one around to fix me now (there's no one around)
To do it my own way (I'm doing it, I'm doing it)

I'm changing things up like
I'm teaching little fingers to play

I've worn myself out for you
Shiny and keen for you
But things, they change
And I'm a big girl now
(I'm a big girl)

I'm all grown up (I'm all grown up)
No one around to fix me now (there's no one around)
To do it my own way (I'm doing it, I'm doing it)
I'm changing things up like
I'm teaching little fingers to play

Nothing ever stays the same
Youth and beauty don't remain
The wise they say: "adapt or die"
If you don't grow, you'll calcify
But you're too scared to try
But things, they change (they change and)
And I'm a big girl now (I'm a big girl)

I'm all grown up
There's no one around to fix me now
I'm all grown up
There's no one around to fix me now
I'm doing it my own way (I'm doing it, I'm doing it)
I'm doing it my own way (I'm doing it, I'm doing it)
I'm doing it my own way (I'm doing it, I'm doing it)

I'm changing things up like
I'm teaching little fingers to play

Overall Meaning

In the song, "Teaching Little Fingers To Play," Garbage remarks that things and people inevitably change over time. The lyrics specifically address the singer's personal growth from being young and naive, always trying to please others, to becoming an independent woman now in control of her own life. She sings about "teaching little fingers to play" and changing things up, which may be interpreted as her trying new things and taking risks to grow and challenge herself. Additionally, Garbage states that “the wise they say adapt or die/If you don’t grow you’ll calcify,” reminding listeners that adaptation and growth are necessary for survival.

Line by Line Meaning

I was young and naive
When I was young, I had little experience or knowledge of the world.

All I wanted to do was please, please, please
I desired to satisfy others and ensure their happiness above my own.

But things, they change
The world constantly evolves and adapts, bringing about new experiences and challenges.

And I'm a big girl now
I am now grown and mature enough to handle obstacles and pursue my own path.

No one around to fix me now
There is no longer anyone to provide for or take care of me, and I must rely on myself.

To do it my own way (I'm doing it, I'm doing it)
I am now in control of my own life and making decisions that align with my own values and desires.

I'm changing things up like I'm teaching little fingers to play
Just as one teaches a child to play an instrument, I am experimenting with new ways of living that challenge the status quo and expand my horizons.

I've worn myself out for you Shiny and keen for you
In the past, I have exhausted myself trying to meet others' expectations and desires to appear attractive or successful to them.

Nothing ever stays the same Youth and beauty don't remain
The world is in a constant state of flux and change, and youth and beauty are fleeting and impermanent.

The wise they say: "adapt or die" If you don't grow, you'll calcify But you're too scared to try
Those who refuse to adapt and evolve with the changing world will not thrive and will instead stagnate and become inflexible. However, fear often prevents people from taking the risks necessary for growth and change.

I'm all grown up
I have reached maturity and am capable of making my own decisions and choices.

I'm doing it my own way (I'm doing it, I'm doing it)
I am now living my life according to my own beliefs and principles, breaking away from the expectations of others.

I'm changing things up like I'm teaching little fingers to play
I am embracing change and experimentation in my life, just as a child learns to play an instrument through trial and error.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Steve W Marker, Douglas Elwin Erickson, Bryan David Vig, Shirley Ann Manson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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