The band started when Jan Paul Beahm and Georg Ruthenberg decided they should start a band after being kicked out of University High for antisocial behaviour, allegedly for using ‘mind control’ on fellow students. They named themselves “Sophistifuck & The Revlon Spam Queens,” with Beahm (then ‘Bobby Pyn,’ and later Darby Crash) on vocals, Ruthenberg (then and later called Pat Smear) on guitar, an early member called Dinky on bass, and Michelle Baer playing drums. This lineup never played live.
In April ‘77 the band featured its final bassist, Lorna Doom, with transitional member Dottie Danger on drums, later famous under her own name as Belinda Carlisle of The Go-Go’s (Carlisle never played live, due to her being sidelined by a bout of mononucleosis for an extended period, although she can be heard introducing the band on the Live At The Whiskey recording), and was soon replaced by Donna Rhia, who played three gigs and recorded their first single. Nicky Beat, of various noteworthy LA bands, then sat in for a time.
Our Way
Germs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've taken it to the end
Where the grey tuens to black
And the white just begins-
We live everyday on the water
The night just kills the pain
From the suffering that was
Down in the crowd we're down
on our knees
Wanna get out but
don't wanna succeed
We're the red-eyed legends
of the night before
We're the dead mind babies
of the T.V. war-
Living in a rectory of sin
Against the currents we all swim
Cageless wonders of sometime when
The paper icon's chase will end-
The lyrics in Germs' song "Our Way" depict a life of constant struggle and pain. The first verse alludes to the end of something and the beginning of something else, where the "grey turns to black and the white just begins." This can be interpreted as a metaphor for a new beginning that is actually very dark and unknown. The second verse describes how the night brings temporary relief from the pain that is felt daily. The line "we are no stronger - we are dust" emphasizes the fragility of human life and the fact that we are all susceptible to failure and defeat.
The chorus of the song speaks to the feeling of being stuck, unable to move forward but not wanting to stay where you are. The line "wanna get out but don't wanna succeed" highlights this sense of hopelessness that can come with being stuck in a cycle of pain and struggle. The third verse uses powerful imagery to describe the singers' situation, comparing themselves to red-eyed legends and dead mind babies. The final verse emphasizes that they are all living in a "rectory of sin," and are swimming against the current in their quest for a better life.
Line by Line Meaning
Clara would be proud to know us
Our accomplishments would have made Clara proud, had she been still alive
We've taken it to the end
We have completed our journey and achieved what we set out to do
Where the grey turns to black
We have crossed the threshold into darkness and uncertainty
And the white just begins
But there is a spark of hope and purity in the midst of the darkness
We live every day on the water
We exist in a state of constant flux and unpredictability
The night just kills the pain
We find temporary solace from our emotional anguish in the cover of darkness
From the suffering that was
We carry emotional scars from our past experiences and hardships
We are no stronger - we are dust
Despite our struggles, we are ultimately fragile and vulnerable
Down in the crowd we're down on our knees
We are humbled and overwhelmed by the magnitude of the challenges we face
Wanna get out but don't wanna succeed
We fear both success and failure and feel trapped between the two
We're the red-eyed legends of the night before
We are the survivors of difficult times, marked by the toll those hardships have taken on us
We're the dead mind babies of the T.V. war
We have been shaped and molded by the violent and dehumanizing media that surrounds us
Living in a rectory of sin
We are surrounded by immorality and wrongdoing, either because of our own actions or the actions of others
Against the currents we all swim
We struggle and strive against powerful forces that seek to push us down or hold us back
Cageless wonders of sometime when
We hope to one day break free from our burdens and limitations
The paper icons chase will end
We dream of a time when superficial and materialistic pursuits will no longer hold sway over our lives
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DARBY CRASH, PAT SMEAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-rb3ty9ok8l
What I love most about this song is WE MUST BLEED is next.
@dave_creamcheese1496
We're the dead mind babies of the t.v war
@martinjohnston6685
luckily for him he isnt around to see the shit that is happening now,
@user-rb3ty9ok8l
This is as deep and arty as the Germs get. Kurdt loved this shit.
@downhilldude15
good song (:
@LlammaGT23
Good Song
@jlhkjh
Fucking badass
@dannyhernandez265
RIP Darby and Lorna.
@gasutrias9961
😍
@johnhandcock8637
The single celled lifeforms.