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Geek Stink Breath

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"Geek Stink Breath"
Single by Green Day
from the album Insomniac
B-side
  • "I Want to Be on TV"
  • "Don't Wanna Fall in Love"
ReleasedSeptember 25, 1995 (1995-09-25)[1]
Recorded1994
StudioHyde Street (San Francisco, California)
GenrePunk rock[2][3]
Length2:15
LabelReprise
Composer(s)Green Day
Lyricist(s)Billie Joe Armstrong
Producer(s)
Green Day singles chronology
"J.A.R."
(1995) 		"Geek Stink Breath"
(1995) 		"Stuck with Me"
(1995)
Music video
"Geek Stink Breath" on YouTube

"Geek Stink Breath" is a song by American rock band Green Day. 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 expound the effects of methamphetamine on the human body; the word "geek" is slang for methamphetamine. The song was originally intended for Billie Joe Armstrong's side project, Pinhead Gunpowder due to a performance dating back to February 12, 1994 at the Komotion in San Francisco, California.

Composition

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Written in 1994, "Geek Stink Breath" was played along with "Stuart and the Ave." during a soundcheck 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.[4] 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.[5] Featuring a classic punk three-chord riff, the song pays homage to the band's early punk influences, including the Ramones and the Sex Pistols.[2] 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 and its accompanying bonus DVD.

Music video

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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. The footage of the tooth extraction symbolizes the effect that methamphetamine can have on one's teeth, hence the line "and it's rotting out my teeth". The video was directed by Mark Kohr. An edited version of the music video is shown internationally.

Track listings

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CD
No.TitleLength
1."Geek Stink Breath"2:15
2."I Want to Be on TV"1:17
3."Don't Wanna Fall in Love"1:40

7-inch

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Geek Stink Breath"2:15
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."I Want to Be on TV"1:17

Vinyl box set

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Geek Stink Breath"2:15
2."Stuck with Me"2:15
Side B
No.TitleLength
1."86"2:48

Charts

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Chart (1995) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[6] 40
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] 22
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[8] 1
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[9] 36
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[10] 5
Germany (GfK)[11] 73
Ireland (IRMA)[12] 27
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[13] 16
Netherlands (Single Top 100 Tipparade)[14] 14
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] 11
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 28
UK Singles (OCC)[17] 16
US Radio Songs (Billboard)[18] 27
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[19] 3
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[20] 9

References

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  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. September 23, 1995. p. 35.
  2. ^ a b "Top 20 Green Day Songs". LiveAbout.com. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  3. ^ Connick, Tom (May 16, 2018). "Green Day: their 15 best songs – ranked". NME. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  4. ^ Small, Doug (2005). Green Day. New York: Omnibus Press. p. 32.
  5. ^ "Green Day song meanings: Geek Stink Breath - GeekStinkBreath.net". www.geekstinkbreath.net. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  6. ^ "Green Day – Geek Stink Breath". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  7. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2851." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  8. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 9104." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  9. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 42. October 21, 1995. p. 23.
  10. ^ "Green Day: Geek Stink Breath" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  11. ^ "Green Day – Geek Stink Breath" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  12. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Green Day". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  13. ^ "Green Day – Geek Stink Breath" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  14. ^ "Green Day – Geek Stink Breath" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  15. ^ "Green Day – Geek Stink Breath". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  16. ^ "Green Day – Geek Stink Breath". Singles Top 100. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  17. ^ "Green Day: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  18. ^ "Green Day Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  19. ^ "Green Day Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  20. ^ "Green Day Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
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