[Bleach][Nevermind][Incesticide][In Utero][Unplugged][Rarities]

Bleach  The band was in California, and they saw some people in a disease control campaign encouraging people to bleach 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, 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 - 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 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 its 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. It talks about people who believe the world is going to end soon, wars, etc - 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, 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. It was given its title because the band thought the guitar riffs sounded like something a lounge band would play

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 of Territorial Pissings went bad

Incesticide  The killing of incestous people

Dive  Possibly about being bullied around in a love-related way - Produced: Butch Vig  Drums: Chad Channing

Sliver  A semi-autobiographical song about being deserted by your parents. The name has no relation to the song, it was called this because Kurt thought people would call it Silver (and many do, in my experiences) - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Dan Peters

Stain  It talks about being a bad role model in society - 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  About discovering who you are and what you stand for - Cover of a Devo song - Produced: Dale Griffin  Drums: Dave Grohl

Molly's Lips  Simply about love. A girl will do anything for a guy, as long as he does what he's told - Cover of a Vaselines song - Produced: Dale Griffin  Drums: Dave Grohl

Son of a Gun  Probably about love. There are not many lyrics to go by, so it's difficult to tell - Cover of a Vaselines song - Produced: Dale Griffin  Drums: Dave Grohl

(New Wave) Polly  Faster recording of Nevermind's “Polly”, but it doesn't portray the theme as well - 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  Possibly about yeast infections, but probably about being sick from eating bad food - Produced: Jack Endino  Drums: Chad Channing

Hairspray Queen  Probably about sex and sexuality, but you can't tell from all the yelling and mumbling - Produced: Jack Endino  Drums: Chad Channing

Aero Zeppelin  A jam-style song about laws, trends, apathy, etc. It has many themes - Produced: Jack Endino  Drums: Chad Channing

Big Long Now  Possibly about being naive and confused - Produced: Jack Endino  Drums: Chad Channing

Aneurysm  Possibly about shooting heroin. Drug related themes plague this song - 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. Early names for the album were Verse Chorus Verse and I Hate Myself And Want To Die - 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. The lyrics that were later added (my favorite inside source...) are about the media's rape of the band

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 can be used as an abortive substance when taken in large quantities

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 a lot. Based on tourette's syndrome, which causes one to shout out obscenities at any time. The lyrics were constantly improvised on the few live performances, proving that the song has no real lyrics

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. And this song is NOT Kurt's farewell, it was written circa 1992

Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip [Import version]  More or less, a poem to words. This is an improv-style song

Unplugged in New York [covers only] Produced: Scott Litt  Drums: Dave Grohl

Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam  It talks about a person who is highly doubted by everyone, and says that they shouldn't because he might surprise them one day.  A rendition of an old Christian song - Cover of a Vaselines song

The Man Who Sold The World  Seems to talk about making friends with a person you don't think is bad, and that  person, in turn, commits crime - Cover of a David Bowie song

Plateau  Is about a place that is the "hot spot", or fad, and it turns out that it was nothing, really, and that there is always a new fad taking place - Cover of a Meat Puppets song

Oh Me  Seems to be about a person who believes he was born for someone, and mentions his good qualities so he can persuade that person into liking\loving him - Cover of a Meat Puppets song

Lake Of Fire  A song about bad people and how they get put in their place - Cover of a Meat Puppets song

Where Did You Sleep Last Night?  An old folk tale about a grisly murder and how people should watch where they go because they might be next - Cover of a Leadbelly song

B-Sides, Rarities, & Compilation Tracks

Beans  A Vaseline-influenced song based on the book Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac

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

Verse Chorus Verse-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

I Hate Myself And I want To Die-Was not a song about committing sucide. It was a joke