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.
Suicide Machine
The Germs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Died yesterday
Put a gun in his mouth and blew his way out
Just a pill and a dream
It's a suicide machine
She danced all night to the storm in her mind
She waits in the gutter
Someone she'll never find
It's a suicide machine
She cried about the world
She slit her throat to fight it
Someone had told her she'd had it
Just a sill and a scheme
It's a suicide machine
Bobby had lost his secret identity
He saw his masculinity in a glass of Bordeaux
Just watch the show
It's a sparkler to his child eyes
It's a suicide machine
You find his wish
Get yourself some ammunition
Click!
It's a suicide machine
The lyrics of The Germs' Suicide Machine are a poignant and bleak commentary on the struggles faced by those who feel trapped and defeated by the world around them. The song paints a vivid picture of various individuals who have all reached their breaking point and decided to take their own lives. The opening lines, "Just a pill and a dream, died yesterday" are both haunting and surreal, immediately setting the tone for the rest of the song.
The first verse focuses on a person who chose to end their life using a gun, while the chorus showcases the song's titular concept - the idea that suicide is a machine that can be easily operated with just the right tools. The second verse follows a woman who is so lost in her depression that she is waiting for someone who will never come, while the bridge features a man who feels like he has lost his identity and turns to alcohol to cope.
The final lines, "You find his wish, get yourself some ammunition, click! It's a suicide machine" drive home the message that suicide is a tragic and irreversible decision that can be facilitated by the smallest of triggers. The Germs wrote this song during a time when punk rock was becoming more popular, and its bleak commentary on the human condition set it apart from the other, more upbeat punk songs of the era.
Line by Line Meaning
Just a pill and a dream
The idea of ending one's life can be as simple as just a pill and a hallucination
Died yesterday
Death can come unannounced, catching an individual in their most vulnerable moments
Put a gun in his mouth and blew his way out
The act of suicide is violent and graphic, often involving the use of weapons
Just a pill and a dream
The simplicity of the concept of suicide makes it more dangerous since it can be acted upon at any time
It's a suicide machine
The repetition of this phrase reinforces the idea that there is a systematic quality to suicide, as if it's a process that can be repeated over and over again
She danced all night to the storm in her mind
Mental illness can be like a storm raging within, making individuals feel trapped and unable to escape their own thoughts
She waits in the gutter
Suicidal thoughts can bring about a sense of despair and hopelessness, where one feels alone and abandoned
Someone she'll never find
The search for someone to help her is futile, as mental illness is something that only she can truly understand and grapple with
Just a sill and a scheme
In some cases, suicide can be seen as a self-destructive plan to escape one's problems
She cried about the world
Individuals may feel overwhelmed by their surrounding environment, leading them to despair and lose hope for the future
She slit her throat to fight it
Rather than deal with these negative emotions, some may choose to end their lives to escape the pain
Someone had told her she'd had it
The feeling of worthlessness and being undeserving can cause individuals to feel like they have no other options but to end their life
Bobby had lost his secret identity
The loss of one's identity can trigger a personal crisis and in some cases, lead to suicidal ideation
He saw his masculinity in a glass of Bordeaux
Drinking and addiction can exacerbate feelings of inadequacy and bring about thoughts of suicide
Just watch the show
The idea of suicide can be almost like a spectacle, where individuals feel as though they are watching themselves from a distance, powerless to stop their own actions
It's a sparkler to his child eyes
The act of suicide can be seen as a form of release or act of rebellion, much like a child playing with fireworks for the first time
You find his wish
In some cases, suicide can be seen as a way to finally have control over one's life, where others can only find the aftermath of the act and try to piece together the reasons for it
Get yourself some ammunition
The idea that one can easily obtain the means to end their life is a scary thought
Click!
The finality of the act of suicide is emphasized here, like a gun being fired and someone being beyond the point of no return
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jose Salazar
"she danced all night to the storm in her mind, she waits in the gutter for someone she'll never find" thats pretty poetic
David Bridge
Amen!
Supperhero
This is TRUE punk. He was a terrific punk singer and a wonderful lyricist, haters are pathetic nobodies and delusional people with no hope.
PSYKONAUT
Supperhero fuck yeah
mushy
Yes to Jackie Fox's freak out, and suicide attempt(?) in Japan before quitting The Runaways. It is funny though Darby telling the crowd to get a broken bottle for Lorna Doom to cut herself because Jackie was an idol(maybe) to her. This song though makes me think of Darbys scheme to kill himself to become immortalized. Maybe it worked, or maybe the germs, and him would of been just as remembered if he had stayed. I wish he hadn't of done it.. imagine another 1-2 full length germs records
da featherweight queen
Thank you, Flea!!! ♥
Devin Begley
Darby is my idol...
Cassidy Kautsky
dude this song is dedicated to Jackie Fox of the Runnaways.
Janely Montgomery
Wooo Jackie Fox!
JONATHAN P SUTCLIFFE
big puffs... nooo probbbb...