Breaking Up the Girl

Infobox Single
Name = Breaking Up the Girl


Artist = Garbage
from Album = Beautiful Garbage
B-side = "Use Me" (Europe)
"Candy Says" (UK & Australia)
"Happiness Pt.2" (UK)
"Confidence" (UK & Australia)
Released = December 12, 2001 (US)
April 8, 2002 (UK & Europe)
April 27, 2002 (Australia)
Format = 12", CD single, CD maxi
Recorded = April 2000 – May 2001,
Smart Studios,
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Genre = Alternative, pop rock
Length = 3:33
Label = Mushroom Records (UK)
Mushroom/PIAS (EU & OZ)
Interscope (North America)
Universal (Mexico)
Writer = Garbage
Producer = Garbage
Reviews =
Last single = "Cherry Lips" (2002)
This single = "Breaking Up the Girl" (2002)
Next single = "Shut Your Mouth" (2002)

"Breaking Up the Girl" was the third single taken from Garbage's third studio album "Beautiful Garbage", released worldwide in April, 2002. In North America, it was the second single from the album and the theme tune to MTV's "Daria" 2002 TV movie "Is It College Yet?".

"Breaking Up the Girl" was written by Garbage members Duke Erikson, Shirley Manson, Steve Marker and Butch Vig. Despite reaching the Australian top twenty, it became one of Garbage's least successful singles, failed to chart in the United States, and becoming the fifth single release in a row to miss the UK Top Ten.

ong profile

"Breaking Up the Girl" was written and recorded between April, 2000 and May, 2001 at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin during the writing for "Beautiful Garbage". ["Beautiful Garbage" sleeve notes] Manson first mentioned the song in November, 2000, when the band experimented with Beatles-like harmonies and ad-libs over the coda. [cite web | url=http://www.garbage.com/news/journal.php?uid=37 | title=11.02.00 STUDIO DIARY #25 | publisher=Garbage.com | accessdate=2008-02-03] Although it was one of the album's straightforward rock songs, Garbage couldn't agree on the bass/kickdrum pattern in the chorus, trying various transmutations of a one-bar phrase. Bass player Daniel Shulman created a McCartney-esque movement in the verse. [cite web | url=http://www.geocities.com/boylikearose/articles-bass-mar2002.html| title=Daniel Shulman interview (March 2002) | publisher="Bass Player" magazine | accessdate=2008-02-03] Lyrically Manson felt that "Breaking Up the Girl" was "a cautionary tale. It's basically saying the world we're living in is harsh and you've got to live in the moment. If there's something in your life that isn't good then get rid of them." The line "I'm afraid there is much to be afraid of" comes from Andrew Greig's 1994 long poem "Western Swing". ["Beautiful Garbage" sleeve notes ("Western Swing" is published by Bloodaxe Books]

ingle release

2001: US

2002: UK & EU

2002: OZ

Track listings

*UK CD1 Mushroom MUSH101CDS
# "Breaking Up the Girl" - 3:33
# "Candy Says" - 4:03
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Brothers In Rhythm Therapy mix) 10:44
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Video)

*UK CD2 Mushroom MUSH101CDSX
# "Breaking Up the Girl" - 3:33
# "Happiness Pt. 2" - 5:57
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Timo Maas remix) - 6:42

*UK CD3 Mushroom MUSH101CDSXXX
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Acoustic version) - 3:20
# "Confidence" - 3:09
# "Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)" (DJEJ's Go-Go Jam) - 6:13

*European 12" Mushroom/PIAS MUSH101T
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Timo Maas remix) - 6:42
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Brothers In Rhythm Therapy dub) 8:03
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Brothers In Rhythm Therapy mix) 10:44
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Timo Maas dub) - 6:42
*"'European CD maxi Mushroom/PIAS MUSH101CDM
# "Breaking Up the Girl" - 3:33
# "Use Me" - 4:34
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Timo Maas remix) - 6:42
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Brothers In Rhythm radio edit) 3:52
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Video)

*"'European CD single Mushroom/PIAS MUSH101CDSE
# "Breaking Up the Girl" - 3:33
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Timo Maas radio edit) - 3:33

*Australian CD1 FMR MUSH101CDS
# "Breaking Up the Girl" - 3:33
# "Candy Says" - 4:03
# "Confidence" - 3:09
# "Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)" (DJEJ's Go-Go Jam) - 6:13
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Video)

*Australian CD2 FMR MUSH101CDSX
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Acoustic version) - 3:20
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Timo Maas remix) - 6:42
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Brothers In Rhythm Therapy dub) 8:03
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Brothers In Rhythm Therapy mix) 10:44
# "Breaking Up the Girl" (Timo Maas dub) - 6:42

Music video

. [cite web | url=http://www.garbage.com/news/journal.php?uid=196 | title=12.01.01 Tour Diary December 1st | publisher=Garbage.com | accessdate=2008-02-03]

Two version of the video were made. The first edit released contained footage lifted from the "Daria" series mixed with montage footage of Garbage performing and shots of the band filming the video. The video was premiered on January 21, 2002 on MTV directly prior to the first showing of the "Is It College Yet". ["Breaking Up The Girl" "Hits" magazine trade advert, December 2001]

The second released version, which became the main edit of the video, which was broadcast worldwide from February 2002. ["Q" magazine video playlist, March 2002 issue] The video began with a CGI shot of a shattered rose, which disintegrated as the band appear. While Manson features heavily during the verses, the band perform together during the choruses. For the latter part of the video, all of the montage shots of Garbage disintegrate like the rose at the beginning, and the video ends with the rose reforming. The pace of the video is kept up using aggressive editing and cutting between shots filmed with zoom and fisheye lenses.

The main version of the video featured as an Enhanced CD-ROM track on several "Breaking Up the Girl" CD formats. The video, like the song, did not appear on 2007's "Absolute Garbage". [cite web|url=http://www.garbage.com/news/news.php?uid=336| title="New Best Of Album"|publisher="Garbage.com"|accessdate=2008-02-03]

Comprehensive charts

References

External links

* [http://www.garbage.com/ Garbage official website]
* [http://www.garbage.com/exclusives/video.php/ "Breaking Up the Girl" promo video]
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=jv_uafgkNfg/ "Breaking Up the Girl ("Daria" version)" promo video] at YouTube
* [http://www.garbage.com/discog/?v=so&a=1&id=32/ "Breaking Up the Girl" lyrics]