The Germs disbanded following Crash's suicide on December 7, 1980. Their music was influential to many later punk rock acts. Pat Smear went on to greater fame performing with Nirvana and the Foo Fighters.
In 2005, actor Shane West was cast to play Crash in the Germs biographical film What We Do Is Secret (named after a song by the Germs). He performed with Smear, Doom, and Bolles at a production party for the film, after which the Germs reformed with West as singer. The new lineup of the band has performed a number of tours in the United States, including performances on the 2006 and 2008 Warped Tours.
On January 16, 2019, bassist Lorna Doom (born as Teresa Ryan) passed away.
14 Our Way
The Germs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've taken it to the end
Where the grey turns 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 TV 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 Germs' song "14 Our Way" appears to be a reflection on the struggles of daily existence and the limitations inherent in the human condition. The opening lines suggest a sense of achievement, stating that Clara - presumably a past figure of significance to the singer - would be proud of what they have accomplished. However, the subsequent line implies a lack of satisfaction, as the greyness and whiteness suggest a sense of incompletion or ambiguity. This sense of dissatisfaction is reinforced by the subsequent lines, which suggest a feeling of trappedness or despair. The singer speaks of living every day on the water, with the night simply serving as a temporary respite from pain. The line "We are no stronger-we are dust" evokes a sense of bleak finality - the realization that ultimately, all humans will succumb to the passage of time, and be reduced to nothing.
The second verse appears to take on a more rebellious tone, with the singer speaking of being "down on our knees" yet still resisting the urge to "succeed", or perhaps to conform to societal expectations. The references to being "red-eyed legends of the night before" and "dead mind babies of the T.V. war" suggest a sense of disillusionment with mainstream culture or values, and a desire to forge one's own identity. The final stanza invokes religious imagery, with an allusion to a "rectory of sin" and a sense of swimming against currents or pursuing against-the-grain beliefs. The line "The paper icon's chase will end" suggests a kind of apocalyptic reckoning, in which the superficial veneer of modern society is exposed as empty and meaningless.
Line by Line Meaning
Clara would be proud to know us
We have accomplished something that is worthy of Clara's pride
We've taken it to the end
We have gone all the way, and have reached the end of our journey
Where the grey turns to black
We are in the transition zone, where things change from one state to another
And the white just begins
We are entering a new phase, where things start fresh and new
We live everyday on the water
We live our lives in constant flux, always adapting to changing circumstances
The night just kills the pain
We find solace in the darkness, where our pain is numbed or forgotten
From the suffering that was
We have experienced much pain and hardship in the past
We are no stronger- we are dust
Despite our trials, we are not invincible and are still vulnerable to harm or failure
Down in the crowd we're down on our knees
We are humbled by our surroundings and helpless in the face of adversity
Wanna get out but don't wanna succeed
We desire to escape our circumstances, but are afraid to attempt to do so
We're the red-eyed legends of the night before
We are the stuff of myths and legends, borne out of our exploits in the darkness
We're the dead mind babies of the T.V. war
We are the desensitized products of a war that was televised, and its horrors relegated to mere entertainment
Living in a rectory of sin
We are mired in wrongdoing and immorality, surrounded by others who share in our transgressions
Against the currents we all swim
We are fighting against the prevailing forces that seek to drown us and drag us under
Cageless wonders of sometime when
We dream of a time when we will be free from the constraints that currently bind us
The paper icon's chase will end
The pursuit of wealth and fame will eventually come to a close, and its significance will ultimately be fleeting
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Darby Crash, Georg Ruthenberg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@anthonyurias8458
Finally! Yes!! Doon would be proud.
@alflemon2783
Nice Gamecube
@Dan-Bass
Haha good eye
@xPrincessPandora
Tabs?
@Dan-Bass
I don't believe I have the tab for this song but I can write one for you when I get the chance if that's alright.
@francharrington5262
@@Dan-Bass can't find tabs anywhere for our way..help
@Dan-Bass
@@francharrington5262
I'll try my best to write them out here:
Verse (x4)
G|
D|
A| 5 7 5 4
E| 0 7 5 3 0 3 3 5 5
Chorus A (x2)
G|
D|
A|
E| 5~ 3~ 12\ 7 7 5 5 0~
Repeat Verse (x4)
Pre-Chorus
G|
D|
A|
E| 5~ 3~ 12\
Chorus B (x3)
G|
D| 14 12 14 14
A| 10~ 12~ 12~ 14
E|
G|
D| 14 12 14 12
A| 10~ 12~ 14 14\
E|
Repeat Verse (x4)
Repeat Chorus A (x2)
Hopefully this helps.
@francharrington5262
@@Dan-Bass thank you so much from Alaska
@Dan-Bass
@@francharrington5262 no problem :)