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10. Special or Garbage?

Many Garbage fans recognized the song "Special" (from their second album Version 2.0) as something of a tribute to Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders. Oddly, though Shirley Manson sang it in Hynde's style and repeated the words "talk of the town" at the song's end (a direct reference to the Pretenders tune of the same name), the Pretenders did not appear to have received official credit. Did Garbage seek permission before using the line? "Definitely," Butch Vig explained:

"Shirley tracked down Chrissie Hynde and called her up, because we had met her before and we are huge fans. Shirley explained that the song was a little bit of an homage to the Pretenders, and you can hear that somewhat in her singing, but at the end of the song, when she drops those lines in, it's pure Chrissie Hynde. So Shirley asked if she could send her the song. Chrissie said, 'No, you don't even have to do that. I love you guys. You can go ahead and do whatever you want to do.' And the next day, we got a fax that read, 'I, Chrissie Hynde, hereby allow the band Garbage to sample my songs, my voice, and indeed my very ass. Love, Chrissie Hynde.'"

The song's title may be a reference to the chorus "I'm special/ So special" from the Pretenders' first hit, "Brass in Pocket." The band also sought permission to use the phrase "don't worry baby" - from the Beach Boys' 1964 hit - in the chorus of "Push It."

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