Milk (3:50)

“Milk” is a song by Garbage, released as the fifth and final single from their 1995 platinum debut album Garbage.

Garbage collaborated with UK trip-hop artist Tricky on a new single remix of “Milk” in Chicago and New York in May 1996. After initial reports that the band and collaborator were unhappy with results, Garbage re-worked the track at Smart Studios and released the remix as a single.

“Milk” was written and recorded by Garbage (Duke Erikson, Shirley Manson, Steve Marker and Butch Vig) at their own recording studio during the 1994-1995 sessions for Garbage.

“Milk” was released worldwide in late 1996 following an acclaimed performance of the track at the 1996 MTV Europe Music Awards, which MTV rated as one of the best ten EMAs performances of the nineties.

The most electronic based song on the album, “Milk” is also one of singer Shirley Manson’s favourite tracks from it. She told Melody Maker “It’s a dichotomy, a paradox. The thing I really like about “Milk” is the fact that it’s been dismissed by people as the ballad at the end of the album. To me “Milk” is the darkest, most hopeless of the songs. People say ‘Oh, it’s lovey-dovey, so therefore it’s a love song’. But it’s a very bleak song, it’s about loss and the fear of loss; about things you can’t have and things you will forever wait for.”