Serve The Servants

Album: In Utero (1993)
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Songfacts®:

  • This is Kurt Cobain's most autobiographical song. The lyrics contain references to his father ("I tried hard to have a father but instead I had a dad"), his wife Courtney Love ("If she floats, then she is not a witch") and his own success ("teenage angst has paid off well"). >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Matt - Millbrae, CA
  • The witch reference about Courtney Love in the first verse was Cobain's frustration with the press for constantly vilifying Love as a horrible wife, mother, drug addict and detriment to Nirvana. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Adrian - Brookings, SD
  • The divorce of Cobain's parents inspired the line, "That legendary divorce is such a bore." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Matthew - Hawthorne, NJ

Comments: 15

  • Stanley Levitz from Atlanta, GaAt Nirvana's December 13, 1993 show, at Pier 48 in Seattle (MTV's Live and Loud), Kurt changed the lyrics from "I tried hard to have a father", to "I tried hard to have a sister". Does anyone know if his sister Kim was in attendance?
  • Laynecobainjr41 from Den HaagThe first 2 lines of the song is about the international succes of never mind. And almost all of his fans were teens who had the same issues he had in his teens. It made him richer then rice but got bored of writing music confined in what was expected.
    "Teenage angst has paid of well"
    "Now I'm bored and old"
    He didn't want to continue with nirvana.
    He wanted to write together with REM singer Michael Stipe, who he regarded as his closest and even only real Friend. The friendship with Krist Novoselic was almost non existent by then
  • Gray from Clevelandunder-rated song. very strong opener. love it
  • Zero from Nowhere, NjI'm pretty sure the "if she floats than she is NOT a witch" line is wrong. It should be something like, "If she floats she is indeed/a witch like we thought," or, "If she drowns then she is not/a witch like we thought". I remeber learning in school about the Salem witch trials and thinking, "I'm glad I wasn't living in that time and being accused of being a witch, cause either way I would be screwed." (If she floated she would be burned alive because she was a witch, If she drowned she was innocent but that wouldn't matter) I'm surprised no one mentioned this yet.
  • Max Robertson from Morrison, IlThis is a very personal song, which is not unusual, but the fact that it is so direct is unusual for Nirvana. It discusses many topics that were important in Kurt's life and was a perfect album opener.
    The line "if she floats, she is a witch" is one of the many examples of Courtney's influence on Kurt's lyrics on In Utero, as she had always had an obsession with the Salem witch trials. It is also a reference to the "witch hunts" in the media against her, portraying her as an awful person.
  • Erin from Tulsa, OkI also love the fact that Monty Python and the Holy Grail's line is in here: "if she floats, she isn't a witch". which is in reference to a scene in that movie where they are putting a witch on trial, and discussing floating stuff.
  • Echo from Normalville, Mayou can tell the pixies were a huge influence on kurt. That's a good thing.
  • Ed from Chodania, Flthe best version was probly the live and loud one, and i lvoe the intro, great song. there was also an acoustic version on With the Lights Out
  • Kim from Seattle, Walike all nirvana songs it has a great melody and even though the guitar is fuzzy the riff is unbelievalble. i love the bass line between vocal lines that was common on in utero. the solo is so fast i LOVE it wonderfull song
  • Mo from Newark, NjI love Nirvana and this is one of my favorites by them.I love the chorus "Serve the servaaaaants oh no!" I'm sure alot of retail employees can relate to that line.
  • Max from Austin, TxI love this Nirvana song, and just about everything from the In Utero album just for its raw edge. This song is relatively easy to understand. With several references to his seemingly overnight success, his parents split, and and his longing for a father in the formal sense of the word-teaching how to play ball, taking him to work, and other characteristics of a good parent, instead of a the dead beat dad he actually had, it definately has special meaning to me, this is probably one of the most emotionaly changing songs to me.
  • Lisa from Brampton, CanadaI think the line "That legendary divorce is such a bore" is refering to when his parents split up when he was a kid.
  • Sam from Adelaide, AustraliaThis is an awesome song the drums for this are most fun to play and the guitar solo is immensely enjoyable to listen to.
  • Matt from Millbrae, CaAt their MTV Live and Loud show Kurt changed the "I tried hard to have a father" line to "I tried hard to have a sister". Kurt was known to change the lyrics to his songs in concert.
  • Othmane from Rabat, Moroccoi think it's one of the successful songs kurt had ever written...i like ittt
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