"Geek Stink Breath" is a song by American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...

. It was released on September 25, 1995 as the lead single and fourth track from their fourth studio album, '' Insomniac'' (1995). The song, along with " Stuck with Me", appeared on the live EP ''Foot in Mouth'' that was only released in Japan. The lyrics tell of the effects of

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamph ...

on the human body; the word "geek" is slang for methamphetamine.

Composition

Written in 1994, "Geek Stink Breath" was played alongside with "Stuart and the Ave." during a

soundcheck A sound check is the preparation that takes place before a concert, speech, or similar performance to adjust the sound on the venue's sound reinforcement or public address system. The performer and the audio engineers run through a small port ...

at Chicago in November 1994 (the video can be found on the video game '' Green Day: Rock Band'') and the song debuted live on December 3, 1994 during Green Day's first performance on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

''. The word "shit" in the line "wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which one gets filled first" was left uncensored since the show's production team could not understand the lyrics to the new song (closed caption typed it as "unintelligible lyrics") and were not aware that the band had sworn on TV. The song was later recorded and released on the band's fourth studio album '' Insomniac'' (1995), and as the album's lead-off single. The lyrics tell of the singer leading a "path of self-destruction" through the use of methamphetamine, and the effects of this drug on his body. The lyrics were inspired by Armstrong's own experiences, as well as the people around him that he saw lose control of their lives because of their addictions. Featuring a classic

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

three-chord riff, the song pays homage to the band's early punk influences, including the

Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...

and the

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...

. The song ended up being a moderate hit. A live version of the song recorded on the band's 21st Century Breakdown World Tour in Saitama-Shi, Japan was included on the band's 2011 live album ''

Awesome as Fuck ''Awesome as Fuck'' (marketed as ''Awesome as F**k'', ''Awesome as ****'', or ''Awesome: Live'') is a live album by American rock band Green Day, released on March 22, 2011, by Reprise Records. The album is composed of tracks recorded during ...

'' and its accompanying bonus DVD.

Track listing

7" Vinyl Box Set

Music video

The video includes distorted, low-resolution footage of the band playing the song in a basement, intercut with graphic footage of one of the band's friends having a tooth pulled by a dentist, which was intended to only be shown during late night hours on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

. This footage is relevant to the song, as it features the lyrics: "and it's rotting out my teeth". ( Oral problems are associated with meth use, but are actually related to poor hygiene, exacerbated by dry mouth, both of which are associated with illicit use of some drugs, rather than being directly related to the effect of smoking or otherwise ingesting methamphetamine.) The video was directed by Mark Kohr. An edited version of the music video is shown internationally.

Charts

References

External links

* {{authority control 1995 singles Green Day songs Songs about drugs Song recordings produced by Rob Cavallo Songs written by Billie Joe Armstrong 1995 songs Songs written by Tré Cool Songs written by Mike Dirnt Reprise Records singles