Back in 1987, when Kurt (then Kurdt) wrote this song, he was living with his girlfriend. They got into a fight, and the result was Kurt's girlfriend giving him an ultimateum - get a real job or leave. This song is what followed. The day after Kurt's girlfriend heard the song, he moved out.
This song was also on the Bleach CD. Kurt always hung out with the 'losers' in high school, and his taste in music and clothing made him the center of attention, as he was often ridiculed. In this song, with all of 15 words, Kurt expresses his day to day struggles and depression in school. Secondly, and more possibly, Kurt's depiction of the Seattle band scene, which seemed just like high school to him.
"Won't you believe it,
It's just my luck.
No recess.
You're in high school again."
In this masterpiece, Kurt once again is expressing his childhood, and his recollection of his parents kicking him out of the house. We see him develop from a small, unlovable child, to one who, "Woke in my mother's arms"
This short, simple song is quite an easy one to understand - parents who wish that they had a son instead of the daughter which they got.
This is Kurt's take on a political song (sort of like Downer). In this one, Kurt attempts to demonstrate how little everyone is in the scheme of things, and how hard it is to make a difference when people are always giving you bad advice.
Kurt Cobain and Nirvana were advocates against rape. This song is a historically accurate work about the rape of a 14 year old girl which took place in the early 80's. Her name was NOT Polly. The name was changed in order to protect the girl from further exploitment.
Who were two big rock bands in the late 80's? Aerosmith and Led Zepplin. The beginning of this song is a take on Led Zepplin's type of, "groovy, foreign-sounding" rock, and the second movement resembles that of Aerosmith, with fast guitar, fast drums, and a lead singer constantly cooing into the microphone.
We all know that Kurt Cobain was a drug addict, and this song is further proof of that. The lyrics:
Come on over and do the twist,
Upon close review, it is fairly obvious that Kurt had not yet kicked his heroin addiction, and this song was about it.
Come on do it and have a fit,
Love is so much you make me sick,
Come on over and shoot the shit,
Beat me out of me x6
This little diddy, not even written by the band, was a Vasalines song that they decided to cover, as is SON OF A GUN
This is Kurt's take on a political song. Very anti-American Rage Against the Machine type music.
Unless you've been living in a cave for the past fifteen years, you have heard this song countless times, but you might not understand the lyrics, listed below. This composition deals with the big macho man who has nothing better to do except beat up some poor little guy and act cool. Imagine a southerner (no offense) who has a gun and hangs out with his same three friends everyday, causing mischief.
Load up on guns,
Pre-Chorus CHORUS
I'm worse at what,
PRE-CHORUS, CHORUS
And I forget
PRE-CHORUS, CHORUS
A denial! x8
And bring your friends,
It's fun to lose,
And to pretend,
She's over bored,
And self-assured,
Oh no, I know,
A dirty word.
Hello,hello,hello,how low? x4
With the lights out,
It's less dangerous!
Here we are now,
Entertain us!
I feel stupid,
And contagious!
Here we are now,
Entertain us!
A mulatto,
An albino!
A mosquito,
My libido, hey!
I am best,
And for this gift,
I feel blessed.
Our little group,
Has always been,
And always will,
Until the end.
Just why I taste it,
Yeah, I guess,
It makes me smile.
I found it hard,
It's hard to find,
The well, whatever,
Nevermind.
A composition about the ideals of society versus the real life world. Models, actors, actresses, etc. all look perfect, and everyone does their best to be like them. This song asks - why?
Once more, Kurt is poking fun at the average, macho man. In this poem, Kurt is comparing himself to such a man, showing that he is different. Whereas most guys just want a sexual relationship with a woman, Kurt experesses he wants a friendship as well. How sweet.
This song is about someone having a nervous breakdown. Lithium, an element used in anti-depressents, became the title of this song after Kurt began taking this type of medication as well. The lyrics suggest that this is actually about Kurt's struggle with suicide.
Quite simply, an attack on society and what is expected of a person. Puts society down for telling us what to think is correct and proper.
A love song, while Kurt takes a realistic view at himself, saying that whoever he's in love with has nothing to gain, but everything to lose.
Watch out, Kurt Cobain is pissed off. This is a song about a fight that he had with a girlfriend (or wife...). He proceeds to go to the house of the guy his girlfriend (or wife) is cheating with, only to find that it is his best friend. Is this based on a real life experience? I dunno
Why should we do what we're suppossed to do or what someone else tells us to do? We should stand up to our rights, and not let anyone take them away.
A compilation of poems, all written by Kurt. He took the first line of the first poem, the second line of the second poem, the third line of the third, etc. Therefore, this song has no real meaning to anyone except Kurt Cobain, and his bandmates.
Kurt lived under a bridge after he was kicked out of his home. He had with him only one guitar, and this is the first song he ever wrote. The reason this was not on Bleach or Incesticide was because Kurt felt he had to show his audience what Nirvana was really about before he was comfortable enough to release an acoustic, non-rock song.
The secret song on Nevermind. Previously called The Noise Jam, because in the middle of the song, Kurt takes his Stratocaster and breaks it. You may be able to hear this (it's quite obvious). This song was made when a take of Lithium went bad.
One of my favorite songs, this is about Courtney and her new found type of life once she had money. In it, Kurt claims that Courtney no longer cared about anyone or anything besides money, and getting more of it. Granted, he never names Courtney, but you can make a deduction.
This song is a short summary of Kurt's favorite book, Perfume, by Patrick Suskind. It's about a child who's born into the world and can not bear being around humans due to their smell of blood and semen, so he goes out into the wilderness and makes perfumes for himself. Or something. Read the book if you really want to know.
Being in a true relationship that is plagued with life threatening disaster (ahem - heroin). Arguably Nirvana's last single, it deals with entrapment and complex situations of which there are no way out.
Kurt's sarcastic sense of humor is truly in the spotlight here. This song is about a man who goes to prison because he raped a girl, and is then raped in prison.
Frances Farmer was an actress from Seattle in the middle of the century, and was deemed insane by doctors. She was given a labotomy and sent to a psychiatric hospital where she died.
Pretending to be like someone else to fit in is...dumb. Some could debate that the bridge has drug themes in it, but I disagree. To coin a phrase used everywhere about this song, Ignorance is Bliss.
The macho man type of guy is quite stupid and false.
About a metaphoric parasite which believes that it can get its own food without its host. Obviously, it will die if it tries, but it hates having to depend on something else to live. Apply this type of thinking to humans, and that's what this song is about.
This song has political implications as well, as it deals with abortion. Starting with the difficult decision to have the procedure done, ending with the aftermath and guilt that follows it.
This is about how corrupt the whole system is when you get to the mainstream, particularly the radio stations 'plugger' systems which decide how often to play a single.
This song has no real meaning, but just like the victims of the disease, there are no words to the song, but random screaming.
Kurt going back through the years, dwelling on the things he could have done differently to please people, but then deciding that he doesn't care anymore because everyone would have wanted a piece of him, leaving nothing left.
