1. Blew
The whole song conveys themes of entrapment.
2. 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.
A song written for Kurt's girlfriend Tracy, she threatened to kick him out if he didn't get a job.
4. School
A song about the incestous Seattle Scene. The bands seem to resemble high school cliques.
5. Love Buzz
A cover song from the group Shocking Bluefrom the Netherlands.
6. 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.
7. Negative Creep
The first person narrative from an anti social person.
8. Scoff
A song that's directed towards the people who didn't believe in Kurt's musical aspirations.
9. Swap Meet
A battle of the sexes put in the background of a Sunday swap meet.
10. Mr. Moustache
Speaks out against the stereotypical male macho image.
11. Sifting
Seems to take on authority figures with it's mention of preachers and teachers.
12. Big Cheese
This song is written about Sub Pop man Jonathan Poneman and the pressures he put on the band.
13. Downer
Kurt's attempt at a political song.
1. Smells Like Teen Spirit
An attack on the apathy of our own generation.
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.
A song full of contradictions on how we act versus how we think society thinks we should act.
Growing up and being trapped by Middle Class America.
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.
Based on the actual kidnapping of a 14 year old girl and her torture.
7. Territorial Pissings
Multi-themed song that attacks macho men.
A song about (plainly and simply) love. Highly medical theme.
A song about having a certain vision and being smothered by a relationship.
10. Stay Away
An attack on any conformist clique.
Many small lines of poetry having multi themes.
A song about Kurt's experiences living under a bridge when he was kicked out of home.
13. Endless, Nameless
Previously called “The Noise Jam.” An experimentalsong created when one of the takes on Lithium (Territorial Pissings according to Guitar World) went bad.
1. Turnaround
Cover of a Devo song.
2. Aneurysm
Possibly about shooting heroin.
3. D7
Cove of a Wipers song.
Cover of a Vaselines song.
5. Even in His Youth
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.
6. Molly's Lips
Cover of a Vaselines song.
1. Dive
???
A semi-biographical song about being deserted by your parents.
3. Stain
???
4. Been A Son
Song about a girl whose parents wanted a boy.
5. Turnaround
Cover of a Devo song.
6. Molly's Lips
Cover of a Vaselines song.
Cover of a Vaselines song.
Based on the actual kidnapping of a 14 year old girl and her torture.
9. Beeswax
Seems to be about sexuality and confusion. Also speaks of the objectification of women in society.
10. Downer
Kurt's attempt at a political song.
11. Mexican Seafood
Some people seem to believe this is about a yeast infection. Most likely another one of Kurt's songs where he just throws a bunch of lyrics together.
12. Hairspray Queen
???
13. Aero Zeppelin
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.
14. Big Long Now
???
15. Aneurysm
Possibly about shooting heroin.
1. 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.
2. Scentless Apprentice
Based on the novel “Perfume” by Patrick Suskind, about a perfume maker who kills virgins for their scent.
Themes of co-dependancy and many other themes.
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.
5. Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle
A song about the story of Frances Farmer, who was declared insane and lobotomized.
Ignorance is bliss. There is a certain care-free happiness involved in being dumb. Drug related themes dominate the song.
7. Very Ape
An attack on the stereotypical macho man.
8. Milk It
A song about co-dependancy, it heavily carries the medical theme.
A song about making a tough decision and the difficult choices around it and the guilt following it. Pennyroyal Tea is an abortive substance.
10. 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.
11. Tourette's
This song has no meaning at all. Kurt just screamed a lot. Based on tourette's syndrome, which causes one to shout out obscenities at any time.
Contrary to popular belief, this song is not about Francis and Courtney. He wrote it for them, but none of the lyrics really apply.
13. Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip
More or less, a poem to words. This is an improv-style song.
1. About A Girl
A song written for Kurt's girlfriend Tracy, she threatened to kick him out if he didn't get a job.
A song full of contradictions on how we act versus how we think society thinks we should act.
3. Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam
Cover of a Vaselines song.
Cover of David Bowie song.
A song about making a tough decision and the difficult choices around it and the guilt following it. Pennyroyal Tea is an abortive substance.
Ignorance is bliss. There is a certain care-free happiness involved in being dumb. Drug related themes dominate the song.
Based on the actual kidnapping of a 14 year old girl and her torture.
Many small lines of poetry having multi themes.
A song about Kurt's experiences living under a bridge when he was kicked out of home.
Cover of Meat Puppets song.
Cover of Meat Puppets song.
Cover of Meat Puppets song.
Contrary to popular belief, this song is not about Francis and Courtney. He wrote it for them, but none of the lyrics really apply.
14. Where Did You Sleep Last Night?
Cover of Huddie Leadbelly song.
1. School
A song about the incestous Seattle Scene. The bands seem to resemble high school cliques.
2. Drain You
A song about (plainly and simply) love. Highly medical theme.
3. Aneurysm
Possibly about shooting heroin.
4. Smells Like Teen Spirit
An attack on the apathy of our own generation.
5. Been A Son
Song about a girl whose parents wanted a boy.
6. 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.
7. Spank Thru
???
8. Scentless Apprentice
Based on the novel “Perfume” by Patrick Suskind, about a perfume maker who kills virgins for their scent.
9. Heart Shaped Box
Themes of co-dependancy and many other themes.
10. Milk It
A song about co-dependancy, it heavily carries the medical theme.
11. Negative Creep
The first person narrative from an anti social person.
12. Polly
Based on the actual kidnapping of a 14 year old girl and her torture.
13. Breed
Growing up and being trapped by Middle Class America.
14. Tourette's
This song has no meaning at all. Kurt just screamed a lot. Based on tourette's syndrome, which causes one to shout out obscenities at any time.
15. Blew
The whole song conveys themes of entrapment.
1. You Know Youre Right
???
A song written for Kurt's girlfriend Tracy, she threatened to kick him out if he didn't get a job.
Song about a girl whose parents wanted a boy.
A semi-biographical song about being deserted by your parents.
An attack on the apathy of our own generation.
A song full of contradictions on how we act versus how we think society thinks we should act.
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.
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.
Themes of co-dependancy and many other themes.
A song about making a tough decision and the difficult choices around it and the guilt following it. Pennyroyal Tea is an abortive substance.
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.
Ignorance is bliss. There is a certain care-free happiness involved in being dumb. Drug related themes dominate the song.
Contrary to popular belief, this song is not about Francis and Courtney. He wrote it for them, but none of the lyrics really apply.
14. The Man Who Sold the World
Cover of David Bowie song.
A song about Kurt's experiences living under a bridge when he was kicked out of home.
16. Where Did You Sleep Last Night
Cover of Huddie Leadbelly song.
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.
