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".
paranoïd
Garbage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't think I like you much
Heaven knows what a girl can do
Heaven knows what you've got to prove
I think I'm paranoid
And complicated
I think I'm paranoid
Bend me, break me
Any way you need me
All I want is you
Bend me, break me
Breaking down is easy
All I want is you
I fall down just to give you a thrill
Prop me up with another pill
If I should fail, if I should fold
I nailed my faith to the sticking pole
I think I'm paranoid
Manipulated
I think I'm paranoid
And complicated
Bend me, break me
Any way you need me
All I want is you
Bend me, break me
Breaking down is easy
All I want is you
Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(I think I'm paranoid)
(I think I'm paranoid)
Bend me, break me
Any way you need me
All I want is you
Bend me, break me
Breaking down is easy
All I want is you
Steal me, deal me, any way you heal me
Maim me, tame me, you can never change me
Love me, like me, come ahead and fight me
Please me, tease me, go ahead and leave me
Bend me, break me
Any way you need me
As long as I want you, baby, it's alright
Bend me, break me
Any way you need me
As long as I want you, baby, it's alright
The lyrics of Garbage's "I Think I'm Paranoid" seem to be speaking of a tumultuous relationship where one person is trying to exert control over the other. The first two lines imply that the singer is disgusted by the attention she is receiving and doesn't want to have anything to do with the person giving it. The subsequent lines say that the person may try to test the singer's limits, but she is not afraid to push back. She acknowledges her own discrepancy in the situation, however, by not being able to keep her mind off the other person, even though she can't stand them.
The chorus is simple and repetitive; it is clear that the singer is not in a stable state of mind, as she questions herself over and over again. She is not certain what exactly is causing her paranoia and complication, but she does feel as though she is being manipulated by someone.
In the final verse, the singer seems to be implying that she is being used for someone else's pleasure, even though it's at her own expense. She is asked to do whatever is necessary to please her partner, including taking drugs to keep her going. She is almost resigned to this fate, however, as she believes that she cannot change her situation and will always want to be with this person.
Overall, "I Think I'm Paranoid" is a song about the complexities of love and relationships, and how they can lead people to do things they wouldn't normally do. It also illustrates the power dynamics between two people and how they can get out of control, leaving one feeling manipulated and paranoid.
Line by Line Meaning
You can look but you can't touch
I am not interested in you and do not want you to get too close to me.
I don't think I like you much
I am not attracted to you and do not want to interact with you.
Heaven knows what a girl can do
Women have the power to do many things, some of which can be harmful.
Heaven knows what you've got to prove
I do not understand why you are trying to impress me or prove yourself to me.
I think I'm paranoid
I feel anxious and suspicious of the people around me.
And complicated
My feelings and thoughts about the situation are complex and difficult to understand.
Manipulated
I feel like someone is trying to control me or influence my actions.
Bend me, break me
Any way you need me
All I want is you
I am willing to do anything to make you happy because I am obsessed with you.
Breaking down is easy
It is easy for me to become emotionally overwhelmed and lose control.
I fall down just to give you a thrill
I am willing to put myself in dangerous or uncomfortable situations just to impress you.
Prop me up with another pill
I am relying on drugs or other substances to help me cope with my emotions.
If I should fail, if I should fold
I nailed my faith to the sticking pole
I am willing to take big risks and put everything on the line for you.
Steal me, deal me, any way you heal me
Maim me, tame me, you can never change me
Love me, like me, come ahead and fight me
Please me, tease me, go ahead and leave me
I am willing to put up with anything, even abuse, just to be with you.
As long as I want you, baby, it's alright
No matter how you treat me, I am willing to accept it as long as you continue to show me attention and affection.
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