The Near-Death Experience That Led to “Where The Goth Girls At?” by Queens Of The Stone Age

Queens Of The Stone Age return with another groovy banger, “Where The Goth Girls At?”, taken from the band’s upcoming LP, Perfecth (due October 30 via Matador). In the song, front man Josh Homme revisits both the excitement and life-threatening danger of his youth.

Trash Heap, Suburbs, No Escape

The song begins with Homme at the mall, smitten with the punk cosmetic artists at the makeup counter.

In a statement, he explained the history: “Growing up… watching the goth girls working the counter at JCPenney and giving goth makeovers to the old ladies, that’s when I knew the only place I want to be is where the goth girls at,” while adding, “Teenage love, ain’t it grand?”

Doing makeup at the mall like bad tattoos,
Sterile eyes get blue-applied persuasions.
Trash heap, suburbs, no escape, not much to lose,
Tongue-tied, wrist-tied, corset-tight, I wanna.

Meanwhile, a near-death experience partly inspired the song, as he croons in the chorus. He told Consequence, “I think everyone in this life is either experiencing a near-life or near-death experience, or you certainly will if you haven’t.”

Then he recalled the time he nearly drowned at age 12. And how almost dying made the taste of food or the sight of a sunset more vivid. It recalibrated the awe most lose when we forget our days are numbered.

Never felt so alive as the day I almost died.
If you only knew,
What only the goth girls do.

Smoking Cloves

Clove ciggies, and their black rolling paper, became a staple accoutrement of many goth kids in the 90s. You could almost smell the spices from a great distance. But it looked cool, exotic, alternative. (Certainly, I’m not advocating for anyone to start puffing on these things. But you had to be there to understand.)

People like chewed bubble gum float in the pool,
Smoking cloves, you the black cat’s pajamas.
Are you really merry when you go round and round?
I’ll hold back your halo while you vomit.

Finally, Homme reveals the consequence of dizzying good times. And he pleads with the sun, please don’t run the female vampires off with your blinding daylight.

Where the goth girls play,
Sun don’t chase them all away.

Photo by Medios y Media/Getty Images