What do you think Brain Stew means?

Green Day: Brain Stew Meaning

Album cover for Brain Stew album cover

Song Released: 1996


Brain Stew Lyrics

I'm having trouble trying to sleep
I'm counting sheep but running out
As time ticks by
And still I try
No rest for crosstops in my mind

On my own... here we go

My eyes feel like they're gonna bleed
Dried up and bulging out my skull
My...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Sep 18th 2005 !⃝

    I can tell none of you have done meth. Strung Out, spun Out, and geeked out are slang for being high on methamphetamines.

    Users often get numb in the face or hands, causing obsessive scratching. The drug makes the user go days without sleeping or eating and also makes them delerious, and unaware of reality.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    hendrix420rc
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    Dec 19th 2005 !⃝

    Yeah, this song is clearly about tweekin'. "The clock is laughing in my face..." & "F***** up and spun out in my room..." Clearly depict methamphetamine use. Being a former user, I recognize this by the lyrics. It is definitily not about putting his kid to bed or whatever the heck the first couple of people wrote. Try some glass people and see what you say then. lol
    Peace,
    Russel

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Apr 18th 2007 !⃝

    Obviously spun out on some kind of stimulant...mouth dry, face numb, spine cracked or something I forget exactly how he worded it but its obviously from staying in the same position with extremely tense muscles..as you come down you get back all that feeling in your neck and back...eyes feel like they are gunna bleed because they have been wide open..when the central nervous system is stimulated and adrenaline is released it makes your body think its in danger ..kinda like shock..pupils dialate and you blink less...also with sleep deprivation you tend to just gaze into space...clock laughing is a typical hallucination..scary hallucinations and racing voices and thoughts is the brains way of telling you to stop and get rest because its extremely damaging to the brain to keep it racing like that on speed when its burnt out..Brain Stew..obviously those racing negative thoughts on a typical come down

    I wouldn't say they are meth heads but they have said "started popping ritalin" in another song and that will give you simialar effects ritalins chemical name is Methylphenidate, and adderall another a.d.d. medication is called Amphetamine...meth is slang for methamphetamine/ methylamphetamine/desoxyephedrine..

    the lead singer has dark rings under his eyes which happens when you abuse these drugs and stay awake, it doesn't go away for along time

  4. anonymous
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    Feb 17th 2021 !⃝

    The term spun out in my room also could relate to L.S.D alot of people use that term. The only time I've ever heard it was when tripping on acid. I've been a meth addict and never heard anyone say this. So after I read the post about meth I went back listen to the song and it does fit. As far as the person or people that say it's about staying up with his new born baby..no don't think so.. so I'm saying I've heard the term related to acid otherwise probably meth

  5. anonymous
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    Feb 16th 2021 !⃝

    The drug referenced in the song is meth, not cocaine. I understand that the “numb face” lyric has confused some of you, but this just lets me know how hardcore of a meth user Armstrong was. When you’ve been awake for three days with no food and little water with a hr above 100, your body goes into a state call fight or flight, and it causes your circulation to pull blood from your Limbs and face, making them go numb so that your vital organs can have more blood. It wouldn’t be important to mention the his face was numb if cocaine was the drug he was referring to. However, it is VERY important that his face was numb considering that he was clearly singing about meth.

  6. anonymous
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    Mar 30th 2019 !⃝

    It’s definitely about insomnia, I suffer with it and I laugh at this song as it’s explains most of my nights lol and as it’s 5:32am and I’m fucked up ans spun out in my own room I bid you a goodbye.

  7. Syrup612
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    Nov 27th 2018 !⃝

    I'm pretty sure that this song is about being high on drugs, specifically meth. Insomnia, being unaware of reality, etc. are effects of using meth.

    The song also has the line "On my own, here we go," which leads me to believe that maybe people have left this person's company because of their unhealthy drug habits.

  8. anonymous
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    May 4th 2017 !⃝

    It's probably a pretty good interpretation of what it's like to have insomnia. And if he needs/wants to use an analogy like the after effects of certain drugs, so it's relatable to more people, then he's a smart guy. It does hit insomnia on the head whatever way it's come about. When you are so tired (not from drugs) and you still can't sleep, your eyes dry out and they feel like they are going to bleed and pop out of your head. And when you're so desperate to sleep, but you can't, the clock does laugh in your face - you keep checking the clock in the hopes you've been asleep, but time is still dragging on and it feels like time is slowing down just to mock you and prolong your suffering. And it does drive you a little crazy, so fucked up and strung seems pretty apt!
    The beauty of music is you can interpret it however you like. How the lyrics relate to you and your own personal experience.

  9. anonymous
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    May 3rd 2017 !⃝

    I agree about methamphetamine I try to couple times but I also think it's about cocaine cocaine makes your face in them you can't sleep and you're fucked up and spun out in your room cocaine is an amphetamine messes a meth and feta mean so whatever drug you do either his math or cocaine that's with the songs about

  10. anonymous
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    Aug 5th 2014 !⃝

    It is about billy joe armstrong's insomnia.

  11. anonymous
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    Sep 10th 2012 !⃝

    Methinks it's about drugs and insomnia. "Fucked up and spun out in my room" would do with the meth, and mouth being dry and face being numb would be caused by loss of sleep.

  12. anonymous
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    Nov 22nd 2011 !⃝

    I'd say this song is probably about meth or some other ampthetamine it describes exactly how I felt when I oded on adderall {ampthtamine}.

  13. anonymous
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    Jun 10th 2011 !⃝

    Armstrong talks about being on drugs and spun out means high on meth

  14. anonymous
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    May 5th 2011 !⃝

    This song is very clearly about Meth. I did Meth for many many years and this song is %100 about using Meth. "Spun out in my room" He is referring to "getting stuck". When you are to tweaked out to leave a room/bathroom and there is no way to get to sleep. If you have never been a meth user its understandable that you would not really understand this song. But, I assure you that it is about being fucked up on meth.

  15. anonymous
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    Apr 6th 2011 !⃝

    It means what ever you want it to mean. You really think Billy cares what you guys think it means....fuck no, he could give two shits less about your thoughts.........i would say it's about shooting coke.

  16. anonymous
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    Mar 14th 2011 !⃝

    Billy has said it was in the point of view of his son when he couldn't sleep. If you are a Green Day fan you should what the hell talking about. This is only to the people who have posted that it is about Billy being on drugs. Because their idiots.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  17. 409
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    Sep 10th 2010 !⃝

    Well, he get the idea to write this song after he can't sleep because his son is crying but the song deals in particular with Meth and Speed... i think.

  18. anonymous
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    Jun 29th 2010 !⃝

    This song is about Billie Joe not being able to fall asleep for days, after his son was born.

    For those of you who say it's about drugs, trust me. I know someone who's a Narcotics detective.

    Also, whoever said this was released before he had a son, that's not true. The album was released Oct.5.1995.

    His eldest son Joseph was born in March 1995.

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