Bleach - The band was in California, and they saw some people in a disease control campaign encouraging people tobleach their used needles to sterilize them. The joke was that bleach was going to become an invaluable commodity. Produced:Jack Endino Drums: Chad Channing (unless otherwise noted)
Blew - The whole song conveys themes of entrapment
Floyd the Barber - A song about a small town that goes bad, thetitle is taken from a character on The Andy Griffith Show. Everyone turnsout to be a mass-murderer. The song also shows Freudian castration fears- Drums: Dale Crover
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 Bluefrom 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 anti social 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 aSunday swap meet
Mr. Moustache - Speaks out against the stereotypical male machoimage
Sifting - seems to take on authority figures with it's mentionof 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 - Not caring about anything, a“whatever happens, happens” attitude. - Produced: Butch Vig Drums:Dave Grohl
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, oran 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 (Territorial Pissings accordingto Guitar World) went bad
Incesticide - The killing of incestous people
Dive - Produced: Butch Vig Drums: Chad Channing
Sliver - A semi-biographical song about being deserted by yourparents - 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 speaksof the objectification of women in society - Produced: Jack EndinoDrums: 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 theuterus,” it's their most under developed studio effort, making it somewhatlike 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 aboutthe 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 themedical theme
Pennyroyal Tea - A song about making a tough decision and thedifficult choices around it and the guilt following it. Pennyroyal Teais an abortive substance
Radio Friendly Unit Shifter - According to Kurt this song is a throw away. 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 whowhere born to the burgoise, and never saw their way out of it, and howKurt 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 may be sucking themselves into something that is less than possitive. Could also possibly be aimed at the church
