Garbage – Queer

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Hey boy, take a look at me
Let me dirty up your mind
I'll strip away your hard veneer
And see what I can find

The queerest of the queer
The strangest of the strange
The coldest of the cool
The lamest of the lame
The numbest of the dumb
I hate to see you here
You choke behind a smile
A fake behind the fear
The queerest of the queer

This is what he pays me for
I'll show you how it's done
You learn to love the pain you feel
Like father like son

The queerest of the queer
Hide inside your head
The blindest of the blind
The deadest of the dead
You're hungry 'cause you starve
While holding back the tears
Choking on your smile
A fake behind the fear
The queerest of the queer

I know what's good for you, you can touch me if you want
I know you're dying to, you can touch me if you want
I know what's good for you, you can touch me if you want
But you can't stop

The queerest of the queer
The strangest of the strange
The coldest of the cool
The lamest of the lame
The numbest of the dumb
I hate to see you here
You choke behind a smile
A fake behind the fear
The queerest of the queer
The strangest of the strange
The coldest of the cool
You're nothing special here
A fake behind the fear
The queerest of the queer

I know what's good for you I know you're dying to
I know what's good for you
I bet you're dying to
You can touch me if you want
You can touch me if you want
You can touch me
You can touch me
But you can't stop

Send "Queer" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by sawg

Track duration: 04:37

"Queer" as written by Shirley Ann Manson, Bryan David Vig, Douglas Elwin Erickson, Steve W Marker

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Queer song meanings
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44 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Following the "queer boy goes to hooker" interpretation, it seems to me that the female character is determined to actually give the boy what he REALLY wants, despite the situation not being "right", because she's understood what he's all about and she's sickened by the veneer, the mask. That's where the S/M theme goes, perhaps I'm going too far but I imagine Shirley Manson breaking into the room with a mustache and a strap on pointing at the lad's face. "You can touch me, but you can't stop". That would be an interesting twist, eh?? Especially for the father! I also love that moment in the video when Shirley suddenly seems to grab the guy's nuts, and all goes to hell from there and on. Great song, lyrics, video, all together it's a strange and dark trip.
    Flag spiraltoweron August 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:Everyone else is wrong. This song is clearly about Lex Luthor getting down to business with Clark Kent.
    Flag cosmogonicon April 08, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:from the horses mouth - Butch Wig: "With "Queer", I was reading this novel about this woman who was hired to go and make this guy's son "a man". The kid is missing a few marbles. But then he realises that the woman who came to his room is also fucking his father."
    Flag kazzystar69on October 18, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:It has nothing to do with homosexuality people! It's about a strange kid losing his virginity before he's ready, to a prostitute, who is also banging his dad, and it's on his dad's orders.
    Flag RedDollShoeson August 26, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"With "Queer", I was reading this novel about this woman who was hired to go and make this guy's son "a man". The kid is missing a few marbles. But then he realises that the woman who came to his room is also fucking his father."

    --Butch Vig
    Flag RedDollShoeson August 26, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I've always wondered about the lyric, "You learn to love the pain you feel/Like father, like son". I wonder if the part about "pain" was meant physically or mentally. Or both, perhaps. The music video (they hardly ever go along perfectly with the song, but for the sake of conversation here...) has Shirley "kidnapping" this man and both tormenting and torturing him (the lyrics would be the torment, then he appears to be physically attacked by her - which would be the torture). Garbage have explained what the lyrics were inspired by, but I wonder if this prostitute wasn't also a dominatrix.
    Flag pleasebeatme92on July 28, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think it's about gay people trying to hide that they don't want to sleep with women by going to a prostitute who tells them that it's nothing special and it often happens. Don't know if this interpretation is correct =).
    P.S. People who hate gays are just intolerant! You don't have the right to tell them who they love. And you know that nobody is able to chose who he loves!
    Great song! :)
    Flag wagon February 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I really like this..

    It's like a slap in the face for those macho, sexist jerks out there who try to hide their feelings and "be a man".

    Flag Opium.Dollon December 29, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Queer and Fag mean different things elsewhere...(Hint: she is not from America).
    Anywho....
    Song is about finding oneself by having another 'strip' down of your walls (fears). She is the person that mind games you into showing your true self, instead of putting up your front. I know you have met someone like that. Cool cool song.
    Flag Punchsmurfson November 10, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:In other words I just think she confronts the male ego and how males put themselves up in a superiour status in society. While men in reality have all these weakneses they can't controll, like the adiction to sex and violence, faking it just to look cool or something.
    In the video she pushes the camera as a sort of confrontation, I don't think it's merely about homosexuality.
    Well that is just me :P
    Flag starfaeryon October 20, 2008   Link

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