Written by: Beck Hansen
Versions:
- Teenage Wastebasket (electric) (2:28)
Available on One Foot In The Grave.
CreditsBeck Hansen: Guitar (Electric), Producer, Vocals
Calvin Johnson: Producer - Teenage Wastebasket (acoustic) (1:27)
Available on One Foot In The Grave.
CreditsBeck Hansen: Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals
Lyrics:
Teenage Wastebasket (electric) [Version (a)]:
She is a teenage wastebasket
Paddling up the river in a casket
Trying to experience everything at least once
Life is a commercial for being fucked up
I know she's not saying much
She's walking backwards and into the dust
Socks don't matter
Teeth are turning green
Opinions are forming
Ah ooh wa ooh
Her mother is proud to be dead
Her dad is breakdancing underneath the bed
She's got lipstick scrawled across her forehead
Saying "PLEASE DESTROY ME"
Ah ooh wa ooh
She found the thrill on top of the hill
Now she's choking on the punk rock pill
'Cause it all boils down
To a casually pathetic future
Ah ooh wa ooh
She is a teenage wastebasket
Paddling up the river in a casket
Trying to experience everything at least once
Life is a commercial for being fucked up
I know she's not saying much
She's walking backwards and into the dust
Socks don't matter
Teeth are turning green
Opinions are forming
Ah ooh wa ooh
Her mother is proud to be dead
Her dad is breakdancing underneath the bed
She's got lipstick scrawled across her forehead
Saying "PLEASE DESTROY ME"
Ah ooh wa ooh
She found the thrill on top of the hill
Now she's choking on the punk rock pill
'Cause it all boils down
To a casually pathetic future
Ah ooh wa ooh
Teenage Wastebasket (acoustic) [Version (b)]:
She is a teenage wastebasket
Paddling up the river in a casket
Try and experience everything at least once
And life is a commercial for being fucked up
I know she's not saying much
She's got class, she's got a crush
Socks don't matter
Teeth are turning green
Opinions are forming
Ah ooh wa ooh
Her mother is proud to be dead
Her dad is breakdancing underneath the bed
She's got lipstick scrawled across her forehead
Saying "PLEASE DESTROY ME"
Ah ooh wa ooh
She is a teenage wastebasket
Paddling up the river in a casket
Try and experience everything at least once
And life is a commercial for being fucked up
I know she's not saying much
She's got class, she's got a crush
Socks don't matter
Teeth are turning green
Opinions are forming
Ah ooh wa ooh
Her mother is proud to be dead
Her dad is breakdancing underneath the bed
She's got lipstick scrawled across her forehead
Saying "PLEASE DESTROY ME"
Ah ooh wa ooh
The Song:
"Teenage Wastebasket" was originally known just a song title mentioned in an article about Beck, written way back in 1994 (published in July in Spin magazine).
The writer had attended a Beck gig at the Troy Cafe in Los Angeles (which was owned by Beck's mother) a few nights before the band left on their Mellow Gold tour. His band was Chris Ballew on guitar, Dave Gomez on bass, and Joey Waronker on drums. In the article, the band called themselves After School Special. The writer describes "Teenage Wastebasket" as a song that "begins in a mellow lope, accelerates into a breakneck romp, then suddenly segues back into the slow groove before devolving into a Sonic Youth-style espresso-to-your-skull feedback drone."
Then, 15 years after that Spin article, in 2009, the song was finally released! And twice, no less! Beck put together the deluxe version of One Foot In The Grave, and included both an acoustic and an electric version "Teenage Wastebasket."
The electric version doesn't "accelerate into a breakneck romp" or have any sort of feedback drone as described in the article. That was probably just the stage version (or a mixed-up description). The electric version is just that "mellow lope," while the acoustic is one verse shorter and just as mellow.
Lyrically, the song feels related to "Nitemare Hippy Girl"--not necessarily the same person, but both songs describe a woman in a similarly nonjudgmental way, slightly humorous with a tinge of sadness. This person is flirting with death while trying to "experience everything once." Beck used to write character sketches this way fairly often, he is great at it.
"Teenage wastebasket" is probably jokingly derived from The Who's "Baba O'Riley" (i.e., "teenage wasteland").
"Teenage Wastebasket" was originally known just a song title mentioned in an article about Beck, written way back in 1994 (published in July in Spin magazine).
The writer had attended a Beck gig at the Troy Cafe in Los Angeles (which was owned by Beck's mother) a few nights before the band left on their Mellow Gold tour. His band was Chris Ballew on guitar, Dave Gomez on bass, and Joey Waronker on drums. In the article, the band called themselves After School Special. The writer describes "Teenage Wastebasket" as a song that "begins in a mellow lope, accelerates into a breakneck romp, then suddenly segues back into the slow groove before devolving into a Sonic Youth-style espresso-to-your-skull feedback drone."
Then, 15 years after that Spin article, in 2009, the song was finally released! And twice, no less! Beck put together the deluxe version of One Foot In The Grave, and included both an acoustic and an electric version "Teenage Wastebasket."
The electric version doesn't "accelerate into a breakneck romp" or have any sort of feedback drone as described in the article. That was probably just the stage version (or a mixed-up description). The electric version is just that "mellow lope," while the acoustic is one verse shorter and just as mellow.
Lyrically, the song feels related to "Nitemare Hippy Girl"--not necessarily the same person, but both songs describe a woman in a similarly nonjudgmental way, slightly humorous with a tinge of sadness. This person is flirting with death while trying to "experience everything once." Beck used to write character sketches this way fairly often, he is great at it.
"Teenage wastebasket" is probably jokingly derived from The Who's "Baba O'Riley" (i.e., "teenage wasteland").