I first heard this song, and about this band, when I worked for a production company in South Florida. One of the cameramen was a young married guy who was clearly infatuated with my fellow production assistant, a pretty blonde punk type. He played this song for us in his car on the way to a shoot. He was into really weird, loud music so I was surprised that this song was listenable, let alone so addictively creepy-sexy.
I always felt sort of sorry for him, the way he kept his home life so separate from his work life (for months I didn’t even know he was married) and the way he so obviously lusted after this friend of his. I don’t know if the attraction was mutual, but she did seem to enjoy playing with his emotions. This is definitely a tangent, but in a way it ties into what I find so appealing about Garbage and Shirley Manson in particular.
Manson is probably the sexiest singer in my collection. I don’t just mean physically, though she’s certainly a handsome woman. I mean the way she sings, the way she breathes and gasps and growls her way through her songs. She’s hot as hell and mostly she’s dangerous. She’s the kind of woman you don’t do things to… she does things to you.
I wonder if the cameraman was drawn to this music for the same reason he was drawn to that co-worker, the same reason you can’t help pushing on a bruise… sometimes you just need to ache.
One more quick story. After I’d had this debut album for awhile, I made an aside to Alex one day while driving: “I’m really attracted to this Garbage woman.”
She understandably thought I’d set my eyes on a lady in the custodial field.
Meet Me In Montauk 
I fear for the many opportunities you have given my husband to say all the wrong things in the comment section of your blog today. I also pity Mr. X, who has had his personal life set out for us to ponder. I am also fascinated by the notion that we have a need to ache; I’d like to think that isn’t true but I realize that it must be. I’m curious why they named themselves Garbage. Is that their not so subtle commentary on being the band to satisfy such a need? Finally, I have decided that I definitely need two cups of coffee before I take this song on. Just having her smoky, creepy, suddenly sadistic seeming eyes staring at me over the play button as I write this comment is freaking me out. I’ll be back…
Meanwhile, I’m going to go listen to Randy Newman’s “Feels Like Home” again. While he may not be the sexiest singer in my collection (that title likely belongs to Lyle Lovett), he certainly soothes me, and, right now, I’m not in the mood to ache.
I must admit that neither she nor her music does anything for me. In fact, wehn I recently copied my Itunes collection, which contained much of Clay’s collection, onto my new IPod, I omitted the Smiths and Garbage quite easily. I”m not sure exactly who I “ache” for in music, but it ain’t this woman.
I weep for those who don’t appreciate The Smiths. 🙂
Okay, my long day, aching enough without Garbage, is over, so I’m finally listening.
A few observations:
— Dana is far meaner than I am, despite your earlier comment to the contrary.
— This song is sexy; the woman – eh
— She reminds me of Thora Birch in Ghost World. I’m not sure that she’d actually do things to you as much as she’d want you to think she would (which clearly has worked on you 🙂
— I do find that I’m liking this song (esp. when I’m not watching the video 🙂 so I might have to retrieve some of those songs Dana discarded. Or listen to them if they happen to be sitting on my iPod at this very moment.
— Yup, Thora Birch. I’m definitely feeling Thora Birch 🙂
1. Yes, Dana is by far the meaner one. I provided some examples of your comments because you asked for them, but I could fill a whole post with his! (Not that there’s anything wrong with that… musical taste is intensely personal, and one man’s trash is another man’s Garbage) 🙂
2. I assume you were joking about Lyle Lovett being your sexiest artist, but at the same time I bet there was a kernel of truth in it. And that’s because Lyle, though he looks like a creepshow scarecrow, is confident, funny and wise and has a voice that hits you where you live.
Similarly, it is Manson’s voice and her performances, more than her looks, that attract me. She’s incredibly seductive. She also has a Scottish accent that is candy to my ears when she’s not singing.
Plus, this whole Goth “Thora Birch” thing is happening in this video but that’s not par for the course. Here’s a clip of her on a talk show for a better glimpse.
I do not find Lyle Lovett sexy. I adore him, yes. But find him sexy? No.
Well I certainly do. 🙂
Smart is almost always sexy. Now, as for Ms. Manson – I couldn’t stop looking at how far apart her eyes are. Is that wrong?