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".
Use Me
Garbage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take me, I'm yours
Hurt me, it feels like medicine
And all I deserve
People have funny things
Swimming inside
They swing like pendulums
Darling, I don't need money
I could be happy
With someone to love
Oh, what a crazy time
I've been a fool
On a wild ride to oblivion
I lost my mind
But with you it's understood
You make me feel strong
Your arms look so powerful
When they hold me down
Darling, I don't need money
I could be happy
With someone to love
Everyone looks dangerous
And no one keeps their promises
And I am always running
And you have your dark places
Regretting, feeling
Remembering something
We never said
(Regretting)
We wish, we said
(Something)
We should have said
(Regretting)
We could've said
(Something)
Truly, I don't need money
Or strangers to love me
No diamonds and pearls
Or fast cars designed for the rock stars
I could be happy
With someone to trust
Someone to love, someone to trust
Use me, I'm beautiful
Take me, I'm yours
The lyrics to Garbage's song Use Me imply a sense of desperation and a longing for love and acceptance. Lead singer Shirley Manson expresses a willingness to be used and hurt, as it feels like medicine to her. She sings about the funny things that people have swimming inside, swinging like pendulums and turning like tides - perhaps a reference to the unpredictable nature of human emotions. Despite this, she desires someone to love and be loved by, stating that she does not need money or material possessions, just someone to trust.
The chorus repeats the line "use me, I'm beautiful, take me, I'm yours," further emphasizing the idea of Manson's willingness to be used for the sake of feeling wanted and desired. She acknowledges the dark places that both she and her loved one have within themselves, as well as the regrets and things left unsaid in their relationship.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the complexities of human emotion and the lengths we may go to feel accepted and loved, despite the potential hurt and pain that may come with it. It highlights the importance of trust, communication, and vulnerability in a healthy relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Use me, I'm beautiful
I am willing to be taken advantage of and used for my beauty.
Take me, I'm yours
I am willing to sacrifice myself completely for you.
Hurt me, it feels like medicine
Pain is the only way I can feel alive and it reminds me that I deserve punishment.
And all I deserve
I deserve nothing but misery and degradation.
People have funny things
Everyone has their own unique desires and motivations.
Swimming inside
These desires are constantly bubbling and moving within us.
They swing like pendulums
Our desires can change direction quickly and without warning.
They turn like the tides
Our emotions are like the ebb and flow of the ocean's tides.
Darling, I don't need money
I am not interested in wealth or material possessions.
I could be happy
All I need is someone to love and care for me.
With someone to love
I am searching for companionship and love to fill the void in my life.
Oh, what a crazy time
My life has been filled with chaos and confusion.
I've been a fool
I have made many mistakes and bad decisions in my life.
On a wild ride to oblivion
My reckless behavior has led me down a path towards destruction.
I lost my mind
I have completely lost control of my life and my actions.
But with you it's understood
You are the one person who truly gets me and accepts me for who I am.
You make me feel strong
Your presence in my life gives me the confidence to face my problems.
Your arms look so powerful
I feel safe and protected when I am in your embrace.
When they hold me down
Your strength keeps me grounded and stable.
Everyone looks dangerous
I am afraid of trusting anyone else because they all seem like they could hurt me.
And no one keeps their promises
I have been let down many times in the past and do not trust anyone's word anymore.
And I am always running
I am constantly on the move, trying to escape my problems and pain.
And you have your dark places
I know that you have your own struggles and problems to deal with.
Regretting, feeling
I am filled with regret and constantly feeling depressed.
Remembering something
I cannot forget the mistakes and failures of my past.
We never said
We never expressed our true feelings or desires to each other.
(Regretting)
I regret not speaking up when I had the chance.
We wish, we said
We both wish we had been more honest and open with each other.
(Something)
We both know there was something important left unsaid.
We should have said
We both know we missed an opportunity to connect on a deeper level.
We could've said
We both know we had the chance to reveal our true feelings to each other.
Truly, I don't need money
I genuinely do not care about wealth or material possessions.
Or strangers to love me
I am not interested in casual relationships or flings.
No diamonds and pearls
Material wealth means nothing to me.
Or fast cars designed for the rock stars
I am not interested in glamorous or extravagant lifestyles.
I could be happy
All I truly need to find happiness is someone I can trust and love.
With someone to trust
Without trust, there can be no true love or happiness.
Someone to love, someone to trust
These are the most important things in life to me.
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
AVe
Si hay algo que distingue a Garbage es el esmero con que presentan cada una de sus canciones, y la experimentación que hacen con el sonido. Wow, qué tema! imaginen tan solo el tiempo que pasan editando... por eso no lanzan muchos discos. ¿Cuando vendrá el siguiente?
Robin R
Wow, I just listened to this for the first time in years! I was severely heart broken when this song was released and while I loved it then, I've been hesitant to listen to it again since it will bring all the broken emotions back. Fast forward to today and I've been heart broken for a few months now. Listening to this did bring back all the feelings of brokenness, so right now I feel absolutely shattered with a world of hurt from the past colliding with a world of hurt from today. Use Me is still an incredible song nonetheless!
Marco Fitz
gracias a ti por verlo, en lo personal me gusto mucho esta canción desde la primera vez que la escuche, creo que es muy honesta, muy pocas canciones transmiten esa intensidad además es cantada por la voz mas seductora del mundo! bueno eso pienso yo
Sofia
this song..it ..I don't know I feel it in my heart when I hear it. Sherly Manson is a very VERY very dark and beautiful siren <3
Tom Thornton
Love this song, really great instrumentation, but it's the lyrics that clinch it. Around that time her marriage was breaking down, ending in divorce. With the intensity of fame then, she felt she couldn't discuss her problems, fearing it get to the press, and I think this is her outlet. She admitts the fame and money doesn't really matter, but she needs a relationship with someone who doesn't suffocate her (like I belive he did financially), and that she can trust-who I hope is her current husband, as she seems happy so far, so best of luck to them! And glad she used her musicality to help her through the issues with her ex, and that has given us a great song too!
Marco Fitz
gracias por verlo, yo amo only happy when it rains, creo que es una excelente canción de rock, llena de melancolía y sarcasmo, siempre quise que existiera una canción asi, claro tenía que haber sido escrita por shirley manson
Marco Fitz
muchas gracias por comentar! esta canción es un b-side del album beautiful garbage, no recuerdo si viene dentro del sencillo cherry lips o androgyny, pero mejor descargalo de internet, jaja, a mi me gusta mucho, espero que pronto saquen un nuevo disco sobre todo el nuevo disco de shirley en solitario, por ahora la podemos ver de villana en la serie terminator. gracias de nuevo, saludos!!!
MelancholicThug
Garbage "b sides" are sooo much better than many "a sides" from lots of bands...
Marco Fitz
Gracias por tu comentario, y si la verdad es que Shirley tiene una belleza que impacta a cualquiera, es muy bella exterior como interiormente, te dice todo con una mirada, es fantastica
Vito Corleone
En todos los años como fan nunca oí esta hermosa canción. Gracias Marco.