Song Meanings

Bleach

• BLEW - The whole song conveys themes of entrapment
• FLOYD THE BARBER - A song about a small town that goes bad, the title is taken from a character on The Andy Griffith Show. Everyone turns out to be a mass-murderer. The song also shows Freudian castration fears.
• ABOUT A GIRL - A song written for Kurt's girlfriend Tracy, she threatened to kick him out if he didn't get a job.
• SCHOOL - A song about the incestous Seattle Scene. The bands seem to resemble high school cliques.
• LOVE BUZZ - A cover song from the group Shocking Blue from the Netherlands.
• PAPER CUTS - Part of the lyrics are based on a true story of a family that Kurt was acquainted with, who locked their children in a room. Other lyrics have to deal with parents, and neglect. - Drums:Dale Crover.
• NEGATIVE CREEP - the first person narrative from an antisocial person.
• SCOFF - A song that's directed towards the people who didn't believe in Kurt's musical aspirations.
• SWAP MEET - A battle of the sexes put in the background of a Sunday swap meet.
• MR. MOUSTACHE - Speaks out against the stereotypical male macho image.
• SIFTING - seems to take on authority figures with it's mention of preachers and teachers.
• BIG CHEESE - This song is written about Sub Pop man Jonathan Poneman and the pressures he put on the band.
• DOWNER - Kurt's attempt at a political song. - Drums: Dale Crover.Nevermind Meanings

Nevermind - Produced by Butch Vig, Drums are Dave Grohl on all tracks.

• Smells Like Teen Spirit - An attack on the apathy of our own generation
• In Bloom - An attack on people who listen to certain music for the wrong reason. Imagine the macho, gun toting guy who sings along to Nirvana, but has no clue what he's singing about.
• Come As You Are - A song full of contradictions on how we act versus how we think society thinks we should act.
• Breed - Growing up and being trapped by Middle Class America.
• Lithium - A first person narrative of a nervous breakdown, or an update of the Marxist description of religion as 'Opiate of the masses'. An ode to disconnection.
• Polly - Based on the actual kidnapping of a 14 year old girl and her torture.
• Territorial Pissings - Multi-themed song that attacks macho men.
• Drain You - A song about (plainly and simply) love. Highly medical theme.
• Lounge Act - A song about having a certain vision and being smothered by a relationship.
• Stay Away - An attack on any conformist clique.
• On A Plain - Many small lines of poetry having multi themes.
• Something in the Way - A song about Kurt's experiences living under a bridge when he was kicked out of home.
• Endless, Nameless - Previously called �The Noise Jam.� An experimental song created when one of the takes on Lithium went bad.

Incesticide

• Dive - Produced: Butch Vig Drums: Chad Channing
• Sliver - A semi-biographical song about being deserted by your parents - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Dan Peters
• Stain - Produced: Steve Fisk Drums: Chad Channing
• Been A Son - Song about a girl whose parents wanted a boy - Produced: Miti Adhikari Drums: Dave Grohl
• Turnaround - Cover of a Devo song - Produced: Dale Griffin Drums: Dave Grohl
• Molly's Lips - Cover of a Vaselines song - Produced: Dale Griffin Drums: Dave Grohl
• Son of a Gun - Cover of a Vaselines song - Produced: Dale Griffin Drums: Dave Grohl
• (New Wave) Polly - Faster recording of Nevermind's "Polly" - Produced: Miti Adhikari Drums: Dave Grohl
• Beeswax - Seems to be about sexuality and confusion. Also speaks of the objectification of women in society - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Chad Channing
• Downer - see Bleach - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Dale Crover
• Mexican Seafood - Some people seem to believe this is about a yeast infection. Mostly likely another one of Kurt's songs where he just throws a bunch of lyrics together - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Chad Channing
• Hairspray Queen - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Chad Channing
• Aero Zeppelin - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Chad Channing
• Big Long Now - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Chad Channing
• Aneurysm - Possibly about shooting heroin - Produced: Miti Adhikari Drums: Dave Grohl

In Utero - Literally means "in or of the uterus," it's their most underdeveloped studio effort, making it somewhat like a fetus still being in the womb. - Produced: Steve Albini Drums: Dave Grohl

• Serve the Servants - An autobiographical song about the whole Nirvana experience, the 'witch hunt' on Courtney Love, and a sarcastic response to the emphasis placed on the divorce of Kurt's parents
• Scentless Apprentice - Based on the novel "Perfume" by Patrick Suskind, about a perfume maker who kills virgins for their scent
• Heart-Shaped Box - Themes of co-dependancy and many other themes
• Rape me - In Kurt's words, the song is a sort of poetic justice. A guy rapes a girl, he ends up in jail, and is raped there
• Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle - A song about the story of Frances Farmer, who was declared insane and lobotomized
• Dumb - Ignorance is bliss. There is a certain care-free happiness involved in being dumb. Drug related themes dominate the song
• Very Ape - An attack on the stereotypical macho man
• Milk It - A song about co-dependancy, it heavily carries the medical theme
• Pennyroyal Tea - A song about making a tough decision and the difficult choices around it and the guilt following it. Pennyroyal Tea is an abortive substance
• Radio Friendly Unit Shifter - According to Kurt this song is a throwaway. A bunch of random poetry lines thrown together. The title is a reference to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and it's slick, radio-friendly sound
• tourette's - This song has no meaning at all. Kurt just screamed alot. Based on tourette's syndrome, which causes one to shout out obscenities at any time
• All Apologies - Contrary to popular belief, this song is not about Francis and Courtney. He wrote it for them, but none of the lyrics really apply
• Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip [Import version] - More or less, a poem to words. This is an improv-style song

B-Sides, Rarities, & Compilation Tracks

• Even in His Youth [Smells Like Teen Spirit single] - Those who where born to the burgoise, and never saw their way out of it, and how Kurt is glad he wasn't one of them
• Verse Chorus Verse [No Alternative CD] - About weeklings who cling to people with powerful ideas, even though they nay be sucking themselves into something that is less than possitive. Could also possibly be aimed at the church

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