Subhuman (Garbage song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Subhuman" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by Garbage | ||
| from the album Garbage | ||
| Released | 1995 | |
| Recorded | 1994 | |
| Length | 4:36 | |
| Label | Almo Sounds / Mushroom | |
| Producer(s) | Garbage | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Garbage singles chronology | ||
| "Vow" 1995 |
"Subhuman" 1995 |
"Only Happy When It Rains" 1995 |
"Subhuman" was the second single released by the band Garbage. It was their first charting single in the UK, which was the only territory it was released in. Although not included on the basic configuration of the group's debut album, Subhuman appears on Japanese pressings of album Garbage and also on the "Vow" and "Subhuman" singles.
Contents |
[edit] Song profile
"Subhuman" was written and recorded at Smart Studios during the 1994 sessions for the debut album.
Hard and euphoric, "Subhuman" rattles along on an all-consuming electro-techno rhythm from hell.
[edit] Single release
"Subhuman" was initially released as a b-side on the foreign pressings of "Vow". Garbage's record company in the UK decided to release the song as the band's second UK single with "Vow" as its b-side.
Subhuman was released in August 1995 and reached #50 in the UK chart—Garbage's first UK top 75 entry.
The vinyl format for Subhuman was issued in a black rubber sleeve and was limited to 3,000 copies. As the run of these quickly sold out, another run of 2,000 copies of the single was issued in plain black sleeves.
"Subhuman" had previously been the B-side to the "Vow" single in Europe, Australia and South Africa. It was not made available domestically in the US until a give-away CD sampler titled Independent Access was given away with copies of the album Version 2.0 from Newbury Comics stores in 1998.
[edit] Music video
No music video was released.
[edit] Live performances
"Subhuman" was first performed live at the band's first show on 5 November 1995 at Garbage's first gig in Minneapolis, Minnesota. "Subhuman" was performed regularly throughout the 'Garbage' tour until the end of Summer 1996. It was not played on the 'Version 2.0' tour, but on the 'beautifulgarbage' tour it was sometimes sung a cappella by Shirley during concert 'fan choices', including at the band's gig in London in April 2002.
At live concerts "Subhuman" was often introduced by Shirley as for "All the party animals out there".
[edit] Lyrical content
Although the band has never really divulged the meaning behind "Subhuman", some of the lyrics seem to refer to abuse of people's belief system, whether through organised religion, through a cult, or through pop culture.
In a link to the 'cult' theme of the song, Subhuman includes the lyric "It's helter skelter". Incidentally a certain cult, the 'Charles Manson Family', who were brain-washed by leader Charles Manson into killing several people in California in the late Sixties, looked to the Beatles song "Helter Skelter" amongst other things, in justification of their beliefs.
Also worth a look at is the concept of Untermensch (German for subhuman) which is a term from Nazi racial ideology. Several themes in the song refer to a down-grading of the human condition and status, which Nazi followers imposed on several groups during the earlier part of the 20th Century.
[edit] Subhuman trivia
One of the special effects used in "Subhuman" was the sound of a broken air conditioner, which Butch Vig wired up to the recording desk and taped.
The release of "Subhuman" also co-incided with Garbage's first UK press conference. The press conference, in typical perverse Garbage fashion, was held on board a boat that would cruise up and down the River Thames. Funnily, the boat set off without the band actually on board and had to return to the dock to pick them up.
[edit] Comprehensive charts
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Subhuman" | UK Singles Chart | #50 |
| Garbage |
| Butch Vig | Shirley Manson | Duke Erikson | Steve Marker |
| Discography |
|---|
| Albums and extended plays: Garbage | Version 2.0 | beautifulgarbage | Bleed Like Me | Absolute Garbage |
| Singles: "Vow" | "Subhuman" | "Only Happy When It Rains" | "Queer" | "Stupid Girl" | "Milk" | "#1 Crush" | "Push It" | "I Think I'm Paranoid" | "Special" | "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" | "When I Grow Up" | "You Look So Fine" | "The World Is Not Enough" | "Androgyny" | "Cherry Lips" | "Breaking Up the Girl" | "Shut Your Mouth" | "Why Do You Love Me" | "Bleed Like Me" | "Sex Is Not the Enemy" | "Run Baby Run" |
| Videography |
| Videos and DVDs: Garbage Video | Live at Eagles Ballroom 2002 |
| Related articles |
| Alternative rock | Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie | Angelfish | The World Is Not Enough | Mushroom Records | Almo Sounds | Interscope Records |
