Geek Stink Breath

"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.

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Composition

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. 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

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. 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^{[according to whom?]} related to poor hygiene, exacerbated by dry mouth, both of which are associated with illicit use of some^[which?] 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^[by whom?] internationally.

Track listings

CD
No.	Title	Length
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.	Title	Length
1.	"Geek Stink Breath"	2:15

Side B
No.	Title	Length
1.	"I Want to Be on TV"	1:17

Vinyl box set

Side A
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Geek Stink Breath"	2:15
2.	"Stuck with Me"	2:15

Side B
No.	Title	Length
1.	"86"	2:48

Charts

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

References

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

External links

Geek Stink Breath official video on YouTube

v t e Green Day
Billie Joe Armstrong Mike Dirnt Tré Cool John Kiffmeyer Sean Hughes Raj Punjabi
Studio albums	39/Smooth Kerplunk Dookie Insomniac Nimrod Warning American Idiot 21st Century Breakdown ¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré! Revolution Radio Father of All Motherfuckers Saviors
Live albums	Bullet in a Bible Awesome as Fuck Woodstock 1994 BBC Sessions
Compilations	1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours International Superhits! Shenanigans Demolicious Greatest Hits: God's Favorite Band
EPs	1,000 Hours Slappy Sweet Children Tune In, Tokyo... Last Night on Earth: Live in Tokyo 21 Guns
Singles	"Longview" "Welcome to Paradise" "Basket Case" "When I Come Around" "She" "J.A.R." "Geek Stink Breath" "Stuck with Me" "Brain Stew / Jaded" "Walking Contradiction" "Hitchin' a Ride" "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" "Redundant" "Nice Guys Finish Last" "Minority" "Warning" "Waiting" "Poprocks & Coke" "Maria" "Ha Ha You're Dead" "I Fought the Law" "American Idiot" "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" "Holiday" "Wake Me Up When September Ends" "Jesus of Suburbia" "Know Your Enemy" "21 Guns" "East Jesus Nowhere" "21st Century Breakdown" "Last of the American Girls" "When It's Time" "Oh Love" "Kill the DJ" "Let Yourself Go" "Stray Heart" "The Forgotten" "X-Kid" "Xmas Time of the Year" "Bang Bang" "Still Breathing" "Revolution Radio" "Back In The USA" "Father of All..." "Fire. Ready. Aim" "Oh Yeah!" "Meet Me on the Roof" "Dreaming" "Holy Toledo!" "The American Dream Is Killing Me" "Look Ma, No Brains!" "Dilemma" "One Eyed Bastard"
Other songs	"Amy" "Knowledge"
Tours	Pop Disaster Tour American Idiot World Tour 21st Century Breakdown World Tour 99 Revolutions Tour Revolution Radio Tour Hella Mega Tour The Saviors Tour
Associated acts	Foxboro Hot Tubs The Network Pinhead Gunpowder The Frustrators The Lookouts The Big Cats The Influents The Longshot The Coverups
Related articles	Discography List of songs Awards and nominations Adeline Records Seltzer v. Green Day, Inc Oakland Coffee Works Cigarettes and Valentines Money Money 2020 Stop Drop and Roll!!! American Edit Green Day's American Idiot soundtrack Green Day: Rock Band songs ¡Cuatro! Foreverly "Boulevard of Broken Songs" Ordinary World Love Is for Losers No Fun Mondays Money Money 2020 Part II: We Told Ya So!
Category

v t e Green Day songs
1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours	"Knowledge"
Kerplunk	"Welcome to Paradise"
Dookie	"Longview "Basket Case "She" "When I Come Around"
Insomniac	"Stuck with Me" "Geek Stink Breath" "Brain Stew / Jaded" "Walking Contradiction"
Nimrod	"Nice Guys Finish Last" "Hitchin' a Ride" "Redundant" "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"
Warning	"Warning" "Waiting" "Minority"
American Idiot	"American Idiot" "Jesus of Suburbia" "Holiday" "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" "Wake Me Up When September Ends"
21st Century Breakdown	"21st Century Breakdown" "Know Your Enemy" "East Jesus Nowhere" "Last of the American Girls" "21 Guns"
Awesome as Fuck	"Cigarettes and Valentines"
¡Uno!	"Let Yourself Go" "Kill the DJ" "Oh Love"
¡Dos!	"Stray Heart" "Amy"
¡Tré!	"X-Kid" "The Forgotten"
Revolution Radio	"Bang Bang" "Revolution Radio" "Still Breathing"
Father of All Motherfuckers	"Father of All..." "Oh Yeah!"
Saviors	"The American Dream Is Killing Me" "Look Ma, No Brains!" "One Eyed Bastard" "Dilemma"
other songs	"J.A.R." "I Fought the Law" "The Saints Are Coming" "The Simpsons Theme "When It's Time" "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" "Xmas Time of the Year" "Dreaming"

This page was last edited on 13 April 2024, at 15:19

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