This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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
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
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Great version of a great song,
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i always thought it was a story about a father who won't accept that his son is queer.. he takes him to a prostitute to show him how it's done and stuff. and that this story was used by example. that it really is about people who won't accept other people for who they are.. and try to turn them into something else.. like.. take it a bit literally but not really hehe.. oh well
@insectkin A little part of me died inside when I read your interpretation. I always thought it was a chicken hawk/twink drugs thing. Listening to it with your ears made me tear up. In a bizarre way it's even sadder to see the protagonist as a closeted kid in fear of being out-ed, rather than a street hustler.
I miss the songs from Garbage (like this one) that had more of a point and deeper meaning. I mean, sure, all their songs have meanings, but this ones was deep somewhat. When this song was first out, it was still very much in to refer to people as queer, gay, fag as insults and reasons to hate others, and I think this had a great message. I'm very sure it's being sarcastic, also, so don't take it literally. This was a bit of a run on sentence, yes? Sorry..
I always found this song a great one to have sex to.
insectkin- i agree with you. "holding back the tears" makes me think of the queer boy who hates his father for actions....and doesn't want 2 sleep with the prostitute...but maybe thinks that his father will think even less of him if he cries. also i think that the father is denying his own gay feelings- "you learn to love the pain you feel, like father like son" and wants the son to be a repressed closet like him.
insectkin- i agree with you. "holding back the tears" makes me think of the queer boy who hates his father for actions....and doesn't want 2 sleep with the prostitute...but maybe thinks that his father will think even less of him if he cries. also i think that the father is denying his own gay feelings- "you learn to love the pain you feel, like father like son" and wants the son to be a repressed closet like him.
a big pat on the back for everyone making the gay-boy-goes-to-hooker connection. i agree with this meaning. i also could see how the song would apply to a painfully shy, unexperienced lad.
To me it means that men shouldn't think of themselves, as better beings, than feemales, or take themselves so seriously, not showing their feelings, and trying to be cool. We live in a male dominated society. Where it's easier to be a man. I think she confronts that. I think she says that everybody is strange, and has their weaknesses. Regardless of gender.
Even being queer myself I always took it to have an S&M tone - "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 whole "You can touch me if you want" bit, etc.
I surely can't be the only one to think that?
I was thinking that this song is about a guy who is very stale, as in just serious (maybe cocky as well, thinking he can't be broken, because of the "You choke behind a smile / A fake behind the fear" line), and doesn't want/care for any kind of fun or pleasure... or maybe he is cocky, as in thinking that any kind of sex bores him. He is considered queer/strange because of this, and so someone decides to hire a hooker for him. The hooker already knows that he is one of "those" types, from the line "I hate to see you here". And maybe it's something that runs in his family, because it was the same situation for his father.
I think this is somewhat similar to what starfaery was suggesting...
The whole meaning, I'm not sure, but I think at least part of it means that strange is in the eye of the beholder.
By saying: "The queerest of the queer Hide inside your head" It's saying that the defention of weird or "queer" is something different to everyone.