Song History
"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. Manson was inspired by a line in Michael Ondaatje's The Collected Works of Billy the Kid ("her throat is a kitchen") and alluded to it in her lyrics for the song. At its base, Manson believed the song was "a seduction, almost like a siren song".
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."
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