Album: In Utero (1993)

Charted: 32

Get the Sheet Music License This Song 

Comments: 123

• Stukka63 from St.augustine,fla.The recording industry ripping him off.
• Josh from Champaign, IlI don't know if I've ever read the lyrics before now, but there's no complete story there, it's a fragment, I think Kurt trolled everyone. If you're saying there is, read it again.
• Aaron from Wherever You AreIt actually completely makes sense that Wal-Mart would sell items like guns and cigarettes, but not media objectionable material. Here's why: Wal-mart didn't want to sell items with messages in them that may promote dangerous behavior if they were going to sell items that could be USED for dangerous behavior.
• Tommy from MilanTo anyone saying that this Song is Teen Spirit or Polly backwards and writing wrong chords:
  Rape me chords are A C E G , Teen Spirit F A# G# C# and Polly E G D C.
  Yes Smells Like Teen Spirit and Rape Me are similar, but they dont have the same chords.
  Anyway, it's a fantastic song
  
• Daniel from Winchester, OhioOne of the few songs they allow on the radio still that talks about rape.
• Peter from Toronto, OnThe industry hype around Cobain as a 'genius' is just marketing crap spewed out all year , every year, by all the people still selling the Nirvana brand. Rape me was not about fame, and dealing with media etc., because it was written before Cobain even became famous. Rape Me was written before Nirvana became famous on the their first popular album 'Nevermind'. All the crap about it having been written in reaction to paparazzi etc. is just plain bulls--t. Nirvana were an unknown little bar band traveling around in vans when Rape Me was written. The real origin of Rape Me is more complicated than most know. Cobain was given the lyrics to the song which he later named Smells Like Teen Spirit in 1986, and formed Nirvana later that year. The lyrics had been given to him anonymously, and Cobain had no way of finding the author of the lyrics. Cobain tried to rewrite the lyrics , keeping parts of the original and adding his own. Then he looked into copyright law later and found out he was screwed if he kept even one of the lines of the original lyrics which had been given to him. So Cobain had to scrap the lyrics and rewrite the song lyrics entirely,
  and the song Rape Me was the result. That is why the music and sequence structure of the two songs are so similar (quiet verses building to loud chorus and then backto quiet verses, plus the final repeated two word climax of the song at the end , screaming 'Rape Me!" repeatedly instead of 'A Denial!'. Cobain originally polanned to put Rape Me on Nevermind instead of Smells Like Teen Spirit, but when found out that producer Butch Vig would allow him to mix Smells Like Teen Spirit himself and conceal the lyrics, he changed his mind and opted to record Smells Like Teen Spirit using the lyrics which had been given to him, knowing that he could slur the words and bury the lyrics in distortion so that the original lyric writer would never even hear the words. What is Rape Me about? imo, It is the view and perspective of a broken spirit who has become resigned to being physically and socially dominated and a comment on the 'forced intimacy' which being a 'soul singer' entails. Opening your heart and soul to strangers, the penultimate 'media whore'. For this reason, many leading singers do not even write their own lyrics.
• Zero from Nowhere, NjAnother misconception is that Hendrix "Voodoo Child" intro is Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love" backwards, and although they sound similar, is not the case.
• Zero from Nowhere, NjWell, musically speaking, I agree with the person who said it's not SLTS backwards exactly, just rearranged in a different order. SLTS chords are FFFA#A# GGGCC; whereas Rape Me chords are GGGCC FFFA#A#. Also they're played in the same positions in both songs but the reason they sound lower in Rape Me is because Rape me is played in standard D tuning whereas SLTS is standard D#/Eb tuning. (I'm pretty sure this is right but feel free to correct)
• Anna from Seattle, WaI've said this about other Nirvana songs. I'm the same age (well, 3mos older) as Kurt and grew up in the area (Wash St. but I'm from Seattle) I still am here too, and now old, unlike poor Kurt. . My female peers and I had such a defensive, one dimensional view of his lyrics when he was with us. We NEVER got it that he was AGAINST violence against women, can you believe it? we thought the opposite, "great music but lyrics are sooo rude" omg, for shame. Now that I'm older, I don't see exploitation in everthing males say, write or do. (And if they are being that, I don't give them the power to cause me to feel fear, they are the ones that need to grow up) So, I am able to get past red flag words, like "rape" and look at the context and consider the possiblity that there are alternative meanings. And that is what made Kurt's lyrics so great (and so sad that I miss out on it when he was alive) is that there are so many alternate meanings. I'm sure he had his own meaning but his choice of words lets the listener construct meaning from the obvious "in your face" literal meanings, then there is word play with phonetics and slang, and then there's the social context possibilities (like "bleach" can mean washing away stains, or clean disinfected in general, or in terms of the needle exchange programs), and then one can identify the lyrics in terms of relationships with other humans, love or hate, known or unknown. To me, that's his genius, not being some guitar god or "the Voice for Generation X" He invites you to find something meaningful for you in his lyrics, be it serious or silly, but something that is yours. I really wish I could have be open to seeing this when he was here, but his words and music is still here and in a way, its like a generous gift to those who wish to partake.
• Tom from 0120, Brazilomg guis4e!! kurdt kobainneeee was a frikin geniouse! he writed a song backwrds an then put sum deep lyricsw bout his derpresive side n how eh haetd all taht fame! srsly! i knowed him beter than al of you!!!11
  also he totes didnt kill himself he was murderd by kourtney!!
• Marcus from Jackson, MiJohn from Baumont TX. f--k yes kurt wrote lyrics for us to keep to ourselves. My favorite line is "Im so ugly, thats ok cuz so are you."
• Marcus from Jackson, MiNirvana is a feel good rock band. Which is crazy since their name is nirvana.
• Andrew from Hermosa Beach, Camaybe the line "Im not the only one" is a reference to the John lennon song Imagine where he says im a dreamer but im not the only one
• Claire from Eugene, OrAll musical opinions aside, statuatory "rape" anyone ? As a writer myself, I second the argument that Cobain wrote with the hope that his music would be, to fans, up for interpretation, and, therefore, lacked one specific feeling. For the sake of my argument, however, it would make some sense for someone to beg (so to speak, relative to the song itself) to experience recurring unions of consented rape - statuatory rape. Additionally, as an under-aged subject is less mature than his/ her suitor, it would be comprehensible for said subject to ponder whether or not he/ she is the "only one".
• Devy from Corunna, OnYears back, watching Much Music (music channel in Canada) Kurt was in Vancouver and doing an interview and when he was asked the meaning of the song, he said that he had many homosexual friends, and the song was about the oppression of gay people. Whether that was just his "cause of the moment" or whatever.... hard to say. As suggested earlier, it may just be that it has several meanings to him.
• Theresa from Murfreesboro, TnI never found this song offensive to women - it's an empowering anthem.
• Og from Los Angeles, CaJeff in Austin is right. IMO, Nirvana had 2 maybe 3 good songs. They were not geniuses like most of you portray them to be. Relax people, Nirvana was good, not great.
• Jessica from Columbus, InZOMFG, I really like this song. I'm at school right now so I stay say much, gotta do some classwork(bummer!). Anyway, I think this song is poetic justice, as well as entertaining.
• Landon from Winchester, OhThe lyrics are short and simple, kinda morbid, but it is performed very well. The chorus brings out nothing but raw emotion. It's a shame that Kurt Cobain isn't still here today to give us more music.
• Aaron from Westside, Mii belevie this song is about kurt wanting to be raped alot by some hot chicks becasue his whole life sucked and he wants to get some other than courtney love.
• Lee from Northbend, Orthis song is actually a anti rape song
  and kurt was tired of people trying to find a whole bunch of meanings in his songs
  ironcily what we're doing now
  so he decided to make it blunt and ovious
• Jacob from Rocky Mount, Ncalot of people misunderstand this song and it's meaning, it's really sad. But polly who is about a rapist is not cornered into being "controversial"
  But anyway, LOL, Waif Me!
• AnonymousThis song is about a girl that was raped after a nirvana concert. somepne mentioned that somewhere and thank you for being smart(: its an anti-rape song. dont rape people. its icky and bad.
• Blake from Tahlequah, OkJeff from Texas although that is a really really deep way of looking at it, I dont think thats why cobain killed himself.... I would also suggest you get some medication.
• Patty from China Town, United KingdomJeff, from Austin, you're an ass. A lot of songs from Nirvana have lyrics that are genius. Look at "Heart-Shaped Box" and "Milk it." As for a mediocre band... they were #1 at the end of 1991 and brought Grunge in to mainstream for the next four years and Alternative music in general for longer. They were not losing fame: from their last studio album, two singles, "Heart-Shaped Box" and "All Apologies/Rape Me," topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks at release. Pennyroyal Tea was going to repeat the pattern, had not Kurt killed himself. Also, I've never met anybody who listened to Nirvana because Kurt commited suicide.
• Matthew from Mustang, OkI agree with John, Beaumont, TX. I believe that Curt often would sing a word repeatedly, but would phonetically morph that word into another word, either related or unrelated to the original. This would allow different listeners to find different meanings in his lyrics. Elaine, park city, UT makes a good case for heroin addiction, and the media rape is believable as well. My interpretation has always been rape by Record Execs and other artists. After each round of "new" music comes a plethora of copycat bands (Bush for instance) that either jump on the bandwagon or are formed by the Record Execs themselves. The similarities in the chords and rhythm to Teen Spirit makes a great case for this as Curt was raping himself (plagiarizing his own song) to create a new song that points out the fact that everyone else was doing it to him.
• Kelly from Miami, Flto Jeff, Austin, TX go screw yourself. kurt cobain was a great songwriter. and personally i don't think he killed himself but if you think he did fine. but dont say he did to raise his band to fame. he didnt even like being famous so just shot it! also wal-mart is destroying the world!
  anyway i love this song! i really love his voice right at the end its amazing!
• Gino from Bound Brook, NjThis is incredible. I love the drums and the words.
• Michelle from Brook Park, MnVery good song. I love Nirvana.
• Jeff from Austin, TxWhy is everyone hating on Walmart for selling cigarettes and guns? Kurt smoked...and he obviously liked guns
• John from Beaumont, TxMany people beleive that they know the true meaning of this song. I beleive that Kurt wrote his lyrics not to have one set meaning for all to understand, but to allow his listeners to interpret the songs the way that they see them and then relate them to their own lives. This gives the music a much deeper meaning and makies it much more personal. I personally, beleive that this song has multiple meanings. Firstly, it is about his feeling of being violated or "raped" by the media as the watched his every move and it is also a response to the article that was published in Vanity Fair in 1992 telling about he and Courtney Love's drug use and calling them unfit parents. His daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, was taken away due to this article after exposing his personal life to the public. The line about "inside sources" was sarcasm about he and courtney's beleif that a close friend was the one who leaked information to Vanity Fair. Another meaning: when Kurt was young, he was going to jump off of his roof to commit suicide but decided not to only because he did not want to die a virgin. He followed a slightly retarded girl home from school and started to have sex with her but then became disguisted with himself and left. Later, the girls father found her half naked and took her to the school to file a complaint. The girl was going to identify Kurt by his picture in the school yearbook, but because he was absent on picture day, was unable to. Another dimention to the meaning of this song is that Kurt was very publicly agaist the rape and the abuse of women. This song, no matter how much people want it to be, is not about heroin or any other drug. Another popular belief that is not true is that this song is about a guy who rapes a girl, gets caught, goes to jail, only to be raped there. There is no basis to this belief anywhere in the lyrics however, that is the meaning of Date Rape by Sublime. You people seriously need to look deeper into meaningful words instead of listening to a song, glancing at the lyrics, and just assuming that its about drugs or something like that. while you sometimes may be correct, many songs, such as this one, can have multiple meanings that are much deeper and more meaningful than your initial conclusion.
• Jeff from Austin, TxKurt Cobain is a genius. He truly is. Killing himself was so freaking smart. By blowing his head off, he turned a mediocre band, who was rapidly falling down the backslope of fame, into instant legends. His songwriting skills, which were Junior High level at best, were instantly hailed as superb. WELL DONE KURTY!!!!!
• Sheeberson from Wrightsville Beach, NcWell, Rhiannon, Oklahoma, I'd love to put that up for you, 'cept Nevermind isnt a song. Its an album.
• Laura from Detroit, Mito save from further posts, i know the lyrics are "kiss" not "kick" from my previous comment. that's how it was in the article.
  
• Laura from Detroit, Mi1996 -- In May, "Reverend" Jim Dillon started the Church of Kurt Cobain in Portland, Ore., honoring the late singer-songwriter and challenging "parishioners," MTV and rock radio stations to fight drug abuse and suicide. Dillon said his sermons are based on Nirvana songs; for example, "Rape Me" ("Rape me," "Waste me," "I'll kick your open sores") is actually about brotherly love, he said.
• Katy from Glasgow, ScotlandThe single most beautiful song of all time.
• Echo from Normalville, Mathanks, tracy.
  couldn't have said it better myself
• Vincent from San Fransisco, Cain one of the biographies it said he wrote this song when now that he was famous his old friends were talking advantige of him
• Echo from Normalville, MaHe made the guitar riff like teen spirit for a reason. That was no coincedence. And the whole song...can't you people understand metaphors?
• Leela from Balimore, Mdi love this song
  i though this song was abou the media and how they abuse him.
  anyhow,
  this is possibly the most overratter Nirvana song.
• Shelby from The Other Side , United StatesPretty ironic thing that the riff sounds similiar to Smells Like Teen Spirit, huh? This song is very strangely beautiful.
• Niki from Madison, Wikurt cobain was an inspiration to all of the people who didn't give a damn. he (in my eyes) was one of the most intelligent artists that has ever been heard. all of you who think "they suck" need to listen to the songs before you are too quick to judge..and also..if you can write the kind of poetry that kurt did, then you can say they suck otherwise...***k off! peace
• Jeff from Miller Place, Nyuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh they suck
• Tyler from Toronto, CanadaReally the song has different meanings to different people, but to Kurt Cobain the meaning of the song meant what I posted.
• Tyler from Toronto, CanadaThe song "Rape Me" is simple to find meaning in. He is simply implying that he wants to be raped, most males are pigs, whether they like it or not. Usually when Kurt writes a song, the meaning is right there, you don't have to look deep into his songs. And the line "I'm not the only one" means, he is not the only one who wants to be raped, as many males are horny. Simplicity is sometimes the most complicated.
  
  *End of story*
  
  >I am always right.<
  
  Signed by : Mr. Nirvana
• Artemis from Aberdeen, ScotlandNOT, smells like teen spirit backwards. sounds a little like it but not played that way
• Joe from Chicago, Arawesome song.......that's gay how they had to change it but they still sell guns and ciggertes........i hate wal mart
• Jeff from La Pine, OrWhitneys got the right idea im a thru and thru true NIRVANA fan so i read there bio and the song was to get back at Lynn Herschbergh
• Jake from Tipton, MiTray may been out of line but he did have a point. Kurt definitly wasn't in it for the popularity. And on one occasion, Kurt told the media in interviews how the publicity of "Rape Me" was hurting his family.
  My opinion being out...Kurt was a genuis, have you guys read the intro to the "NIRVANA" album?
• Marko from Novi Sad, SerbiaKurt,Lake Geneva,you can't say that anybody who claims to be a Nirvana fan and think's Kurt comitted suicide isn't a true fan!!Suicide is just a part of his brilliance,one of the parts why he's a legend.
• Jt from Tullahoma, TnI played the rift backwards, I'm sorry, It sounds nothing like Teen Spirit. It reminds me of the song, but I don't think that was true
• Spencer from Mcbride, CanadaTray, your partially wrong. Kurt did not want to be left alone and ignored. Kurt wanted to get his messages across about what he believed in, and so he made himself more popular to do that, and to do that only.
• Jac from Boulder, Cowell Tray from Somewhere, KS. i dont think you understand how some people feel about cobain. i think its ok to concider yourself a fan. but you are right that a true fan can keep it to themselves.
  and dont tell people what kurt wanted. he had a briliant mind. let people think and say what they want about him. if you think he didnt want to be popular thats your opinion, dont be so rude about it.
• Cody from Scottsdale, AzNot sure if anyone's said this, but the main riff actually IS NOT "Smells.." backwards. You can take the chords in Rape Me and put them in a different order, and then it's SLTS half a step (one fret) down, but left the way it is, the main riff isn't the SLTS riff backwards, and it isn't SLTS backwards half a step down either. If you don't play guitar, this may be confusing.
• Kim from Seattle, Wain the second verse i love when he says hate me and the the riff comes in and they blend to make the melody. incredible lyricaly too. GREAT SONG!
• Tray from Somewhere, Ksyou are one messed up person. Maybe you all should get a hint and do what Kurt has asked of you if your such "true fans" and leave him the hell alone. He didn't want all the fame he didn't want to be your idol.... he tried to rebel and everybody thought it was soo cool and liked him even more. Mostely all of his songs aren't so deep as you all try to make them out to be or have you actually tried to read them.. Did you ever notice that after "smells like teen spirit" the lyrics to most of the songs sounded like just a bunch of ramblings.. why do you think that is??? Lets see Kurt was doing all he could to make you people hate him and stop liking him.. he just wanted to be left alone so do the man a favor.
• Kurt from Lake Geneva, WiR.I.P. Kurt Donald Cobain you came as you were!
  This comment really isn't about Kurt Cobain but the kind of person he was. Kurt Cobain would have hated all of us this is something that only Nirvana fans would understand anybody else wouldn't be able to get it. Kurt Cobain was killed. When you "shoot" a lethal amount of heroin your body gets stiff and you wouldn't be able to move your arms how are you going to shoot yourself. Kurt was 5 foot and had his boots on when he was found dead. The gun was so big that to be fired kurt would have to pull the trigger with his foot but his boots were still on. don't worry kurt justice will come some day. anybody who claims to be a nirvana fan and thinks kurt committed suicide isn't a true fan. P.S. see you in hell kurt!
• Girlygirl from Norther Cali, CaAll i know is that while being sexually assaulted, by someone i considered a friend, i just kept going over and over the lyrics to this song in my head. It wasn't so much the thought of this person going to jail and getting raped that kept going through my head, but the phrases "I'm not the only one" and "You're gonna stink and burn" that just kept reminding me that the life that this person was living was going to come back to him and in the end he would pay for what he was doing to me.
• Mykal from Manteca, CaBefore I read that it was about a girl being raped I thought it was about him asking God to find him again. What I mean by again is, as true Nirvana fans know, that when he was living with Krist, he went to church weekly and preached to his stoner friends about the sins of drugs.
• Cassidy from Janesville, WiKurt Cobain often pointed out that the song was written before Nirvana's stardom, and therefore was not a "cynical comment on fame." The song could be misconstrued as a statement about being "raped" by the media or by drugs, but Kurt himself said that it was "a song of poetic justice, in which a man rapes a woman, is sent to jail, and ends up being raped there himself." So... Quit overanalyzing. It is what it is.
• Tom from Dosen't Matter, CtHow can you get any deep meaing out of those lyrics?.....the lyrics are so vauge!! I don't see anything resembling jail or anything!
• Jo Beth from Centreville, MiI've heard a lot of different things about this song. First I heard that it was about a girl who got raped and then the guy who raped her went to prison and then got raped and I also heard it was about how Kurt Cobain felt about being raped by the press. I think the line "Rape me, my friend" could be about a friend selling him out to the media or something. Also if you watch the Inside NIRVANA DVD they have an interview with Alice Wheeler, a close friend of Kurt's, and she said that it was sort of a feminist anthem, because we all know Kurt hated violence against women so I'm thinking the meaning is probably closer to the feminist anthem thing. And whether you like NIRVANA or not Kurt Cobain was a genius. People say his songs weren't that great or that his guitar playing wasn't good enough but people, come on, it was the simplicity that made the songs great, not to mention the sometimes heart-wrenching lyrics. I don't know how many times I have to tell people that a bunch of fancy guitar and drum solos are cool but they don't make the song. NIRVANA was a great band and they would still be as huge as they are today if Kurt hadn't been murdered.
• Daniel from Clinton, ScHey Guys I think Ya'll need to read before trying to analyze a song like this. Originally about Rape the act itself from the victims view later he decided to gear it to how he felt. He was telling the world to stp taking away his feelings in his msic. Kurt wrote songs to ease his mindfirst and foremost so his songs were personal but then he release them and everyone would pretend to understand how he felt and whathe was trying to say and he hated this
• Cowticket from Indiana, InI must say though, if you take the first 20 seconds of rape me and reverse it in an audio editor and play it back, It does sound very very similer to the first 20 seconds of Smells Like Teen Spirit.(the strumming pattern of the guitar) I would suggest anyone who doesnt beleive this myth to try it once.
• Grunge=dead from Nowhereville, CaWhen I first listened to this song, it sounded like "smells like teen spirit," but backwards. How cool is it for a songwritter to play one of his songs backwards to an earlier song that he/she wrote. For all of those people out there who think Nirvana was just a teen angst band with kurt cobain, that druggie skum bag leading them, then F U. I believe that there are mutiple meanings behind the song, but Kurt Cobainh was a genius!
• N.i. from Baltimore, MdThe notion that this song is about a rapist who gets raped in prison is a tale that I have seen going around cyberspace for years. It has no basis whatsoever. As far as I can tell, there is nothing in the lyrics that even remotely hints at such an interpretation. (Sublime's "Date Rape," on the other hand, is clearly about the very theme that has been falsely attributed to this song.) It seems that the fans want an explanation a bit more interesting than the obvious one that this is just another one of Cobain's self-loathing songs.
• Matt from Millbrae, Cathe rape me chords are in the same strumming pattern and are played a half step lower than Teen Spirit. It was done on purpose as a shot at the media
• Elaine from Park City, UtTo whom it may concern,
  Analysis on rape me obviously this is not based on facts though some of the things i have read are just yeah horible! rape me my friend rape me again- is referring to heroin raping or violating his body. how can a friend rape you ? Heroin for a short period of time can give you feelings of euphoria while later once the effects have worn off you feel miserable. Im not the only one - he is not the only heroin addict. hate me do it and do it again- he hated himself for his lack of self control while at the same time he just kept doing it he couldnt stop the repition. waste me- referring to the drugs which were completly distroying his body. taste me my friend- the heroin being shot up and going into his body his friend heroin tasting him. my favorite inside source- possibly heroin being his drug of choice inside his body. ill kiss your open sore- the heroin needle going into his wounds which were probably inflicted by the needle in the first place. appreciate your concern- i think he understood the consequences of his actions yet he couldnt get a hold on the situation. youll always stink and burn - shooting up inevitably causes abscesses which obviously will stink to say the least and as for the burn it always burns shooting up!
• Pat Long from E Nopo, Nydude! this song is soooo good! the instrumentals could be probably be played by 2 brain dead, vegetable, midget toddlers wiht ease! i absolutley love kurt cobain too!nobody else could write a song about sexually abusing people and ruining there lives better than he could! hes my favorite suicidal heroin addict of the 20th century! rock on kurt! all of the people who listen to your crappy music will burn in hell with you some day!
• Matt from Millbrae, CaRape Me was about a lot of things we can't even begin to comprehend. Not only is it about the media and poetic justice, it's about his unhappiness with his bandmates, his stomach ailments, etc.
• Rutgen from AntwerpWe are not raping Kurt(He would think so, but hey..) We are sharing our comments...
  Rape me was (I think) about his fans(and about a raper) who rape him by wanting him to play songs they want and beeing someone he isn't...
• Dan from Lee, NhIn theory you guys are raping Cobain right now coming up with all this crap about what the songs about.
• Marc from Niagara Falls, Canada"in principle the song is a modern contradiction guy rapes a girl goes to jail and is raped there
  Kurt Cobain 1993"
  
  Kurt was also making a statement to vanity fair pubicly raping courtney through their magazine.
• Heather from Bristol, VaI read that Kurt wrote the song about how when a women gets rapes and the raper goes to jail it will all come back to him and he will get raped
• Ant from Cardiff, Walesthis song was writted in around 1991..2 years before it was released..this song was a sequel to polly but then he altered the bridge "my favourite inside source" basically the song evolved from a song about rape( kurt said the song was about a rapist who got raped in jail) then it evolved into him being raped by the media
• Renae from Mill Grove, PaI think that the song is about the feelings frustration and betrayal that comes with rape. (esp. if the act was comitted by a close friend/ relative.)
• Marlee from Nova Scotia, Canadain response to catie from mn, this song is not about pot. obviosly you dont look for the deeper side of the lyrics. This song is a mixture of the media and a sort-of feminist anthem.Its both. It is so not about pot.
• Ginge from England, Englandhey Zach Torronto / Canada i will confirm that if you play rape me in reverse that it does actually say rape you cheers m8 as soon as i saw it i thought hey im gonna try that now and yes it does say rape you m/m/.
• Whitney from North Bay, CanadaYou people are actually kinda stupid. Come on now. If you are going to write something, know what you are writing about. In 1992 when Frances Bean Cobain was born, Lynn Hirschberg, a writer for Vanity Fair and MTV, wrote an article on how Kurt and Courtney were unfit parents. Due to this article, Frances was taken away by the courts. Kurt had written a letter back to Hirschberg and "Empty TV".. and said he would "do nothing but slag MTV and Lynn Hirschberg".. so he did. He wrote 'Rape Me'. It is about the article. The inside source was none other than Hirscheberg, and he talks about how the media (MTV, Vanity Fair, etc,..) basically took his child, and his personal thoughts, thus "raping him".
• Matt from Millbrae, Catrue kurts guitar riffs are not the most difficult to play, but he put more meaning behind his riffs than Eddie Van Halen did with his solos or whoever you want to chose. Kurt understodd that it wasn't just playing the music that makes good music...its understanding why it needs to be played. The same kinda went for all of the alternative artists of the early 90's.
• Rhiannon from Oklahoma'rape me, my friend' i cant beleive thier song "nevermind" isnt on there...can some one put it on there for their friend rhiannon (thats me)? thanks!!!!!!!!
• Doug from Pittsburgh, PaThe media angle is nice but I take this song to be literal. The song can take on a powerful new meaning when you think about the mindset of a truly hopeless person.
• Rob from Castaic, CaA guitarist could be incredibly talented yet play songs that sound like crap. Cobain is a very decent rhythm guitarist. The facts that his riffs aren't "Eruption" doesn't take away from his brilliance as a musician and songwriter.
• Dave from Philadelphia, PaThere are various meanings of the word nirvana but the main one is a state of complete calmness and compassion.
  Kurt Cobain's guitar riffs are easy, he is a horrible guitar player.
• Savio from Toronto, CanadaOMG!!! I don't understand why people think this song is about raping people...cuz it's not! This song is clearly about Kurt being raped of his own personal thoughts by the media, and other people. He even said later on in an interview or sumthing..."I have been violated by the rape of my own personal thoughts. You have raped me harder than you'll ever know." So...that's what this song is about. He says, "Appreciate your concern, your gonna stink and burn" Which means it's nice that you're concerned bout him but ur raping his personal thoughts and he hates u for that.
• Zach from Toronto, CanadaHey! Has anyone verified that if this song is played backwards the chorus is rape you? You can reverse the song using any audio-editor. I reversed the track on In Utero, somebody please confirm what I've found. It gave me chills when I heard it.
• Steve from Albequerque, NmAlso, in yet another demo version of this song on the boxed set, a baby can be heard crying in the begining.
• Steve from Albequerque, NmWhy is one of the lines in the solo boxed-set version of this song, "I'm not a smorgasborg (however you spell it)"
• D from Many, MaNew theory: The song is not about anyone raping anyone. Like most Nirvana songs, it's less likely to be about what anyone thinks about. Like most Nirvana songs, it doesn't particularly matter what it's about. It could be about the media, or perhaps about how salmon swim upstream, mate, and die. Perhaps neither. Perhaps, the simple fact of the matter is Nirvana wrote increasingly raw, loud, and truly spectacular music. This is one of the songs.
• Jonathan from Deltona, FlKurdt(thats how u really spell it. not Kurt)
  
  Actually it is legally Kurt. But he was known for spelling his name many many ways such as: Kurdt Cobain, Kurt Kobain, Kurdt Kobain.
• Matt from Millbrae, CaYou've got to be kidding Jeff. Nirvana changed the face of popular music. They killed off glam rock for good, and they opened the door for so many others. Where the hell do you think Green Day would be right now if it wasn't for Nirvana? As for Kurt and Eddie being the same, that just shows that you don't know much about music. Their styles of writing lyrics are completely different, and their respective bands couldn't sound more different. Nirvana is on the short list of the greatest bands ever, probably only behind Zeppelin and Sabbath, MAYBE Metallica. You wanna see revolutionary? Watch any Nirvana concert and watch how Kurt captivated the audience. When he died, grunge's last breath was gone. And there hasn't been an important band since.
• Zach from Toronto, Canadawhen reversed the chorus instead of Rape Me is Rape You.
  and no it doesnt kind of sound like it or anything like that, it actually is RAPE YOU.
• Jeff from Detroit, MiThere's no difference between Kurt Cobain, or Eddie Vedder or any other grunge rock back 'cept for that Cobain killed himself. He, and his band, were really not that good. At least not as good as people make them out to be.
• Steve from Albequerque, NmI agree that this song is about Kurt's feeling of being raped by the media. I think the lyrics "My favorite inside source. I'll kiss your open sores" refers to how people worshipped celebrity magazines and media.
• Dan from Pacific, MoThe guitar part is in fact "smells Like Teen spirit' backwards Kurdt(thats how u really spell it. not Kurt) hated the polished poppyness of Nevermind so decided to make In Utero the album no one who loved Nevermind would buy. He wanted to make it punk. So he reversed the biggest hit htey would ever have and make the lyrics "offensive" to the main stream. I have no clue wht the lyrics are about though, probaly about Heroine like all of their songs.
• Kevin from Denver, CoKurt wrote this song in response to a vanity fair article about him and courtney. It told about their drug use. They thought one of their good friends told the magazine about them
• Aja from Gloucester, Malet it be what it is. he said something he meant, he was a man to explain himself. not everyone you meet can say that now a days.
• Rowan from Sydney, AustraliaThere is two main theories about what rape me is about. one being that it is about Kurts feelings about how the media treats him and the other is that its the song 'polly' from her point of view.
  its not about his drug addictions and kurt never raped any one
• Amanda from Louisville, KyKurt Cobain was such a genius.I just can't stop thinking about what could have been.Such a terrible waste of talent.He was the best.
• Mario from Riverside, CaThis song is about somekind of addiction. Yes. I think its romantic.
• Josh from Edmonton, CanadaThis song is obviously about his addiction to heroin, and how the drug raped him.
  Listen to the bridge
  
  My favorite inside source (his drug dealer)
  I'll kiss your open sores (his sores from the needle)
  Appreciate your concern (he appreciates people's concerns for him)
  You'll always stink and burn ( the smell and burn of where he injects the heroin)
  
  the chorus: I'm not the only one, refers to people pressuring him.
  
• Manson from Taylor, Mithis song is about how he was a two time loser then he writes a few songs and every one loves him but its this fake love so he says hate me do it (the first time ) and do it again (still hate him cause hes no different then before) this makes him a more decnet human being then any one ive every known kurt lives on
• Julian from Oakland, ArNirvana played this song on Saturday Night Live despite objections from TV censors.
• Matt from Millbrae, CaThe best part of the song is when Dave Grohl freakin pounds the crap out of the drums , cutting the Teen Spirit riff off. THAT's what made Rape Me a classic.
• Catie from Hutchinson, MnTHIS IS TOTALLY RIGHT- the song rape me has to deal with pot. If you've ever smoked pot, particularly dank...and you take one BIG ass hit...you'll just start coughing up a storm, and you'll eventually blow it out....kurt is talkin about the weed raping you (your throat)- and he was baked when he made this song!
• Katie from , MiI absolutly love this song, you can really feel, and hear the pain in Kurt Cobain's voice, i really love the part where it says "Hate me, do it and do it again, waste me, rape me, my friend" this song is so good.
• Matt from Millbrae, Cathe "inside source" line was used because Kurt thought that Pearl Jam's manager had told Vanity Fair magazine that Courtney had used heroin while pregnant with Frances Bean. Its a sarcastic line that accuses the manager of being a liar and a rat.
• Hailey from Chilliwack, Canadathe song rape me is about how the media was "raping" or robbing him of having a normal personal life. And how the media would watch his every move.
• Rob from Castaic, Cathanking the "inside sources" is sarcasm... he's thanking the media for raping him and making his life hell.
• Dave from Brisbane, AustraliaWhy does Kurt thank all his "favourite inside sources" in the sleeve of the In Utero album.
  The song is probably about fame and his inside sources are his fans.
• Ryan from Madisonville, Ky During a concert Kurt played "Polly" which is about a girl being kidnapped and raped. The crowd sang along with the chorus, while this happened a few people were raped toward the very back of the crowd. He felt disgusted by the fact, he went publicly and said "I can't believe plankton like that come to our shows" in response to the comment of the rape. He than made the song "Rape Me" which is about a guy rapes a girl gets placed in prison gets raped their and is justice in its own way. Kurt never did rape anyone. The inspiration came from the event at one of his concerts.
• Kieran from Harlow, United Statesin truth Kurt didnt rape a girl, he slept with a very simple girl who was 18. i think he was the same age, what he did was wanted to lose his virginity so he went round specifically to hers and did it, but was disgusted after. So he left, but on Monday everybody accused him. Although using a girl just for sex (and just to lose it) is sexist anyway. However he didnt rape her, it was blown out of proportion.
• Evan from Orlando, FlOn the greatest hits album version of this song you can hear water trickling at the end of the song. Does anybody know what this represents?
• Stephen from Broadalbin, NyI have never read that it was he lead a girl to the woods to rape her. I read that, one day as a kid he was about to commit suicide by jumping off his roof. He decided though that he couldn't die a virgin so he followed a slightly-retarded girl home from school and ask to go inside. When he started to "do the deed," he became disgusted from it, and that she had a really bad smell, and left. Later her father found her half naked and called the school saying she had been raped. She was going to identify Kurt out of the yearbook, but he had skipped picture day and wasn't in it. Also, he was fasonated by Tobi and her femminism, as well as women in general and their ability to bare children. He highly respected her views and if the song is a reflextion of her it would be a means of respect and not a spoof. All-in-all I believe the song is about the media as well as a friend of his who was raped and then killed. They performed some concerts to raise awareness to rape victims because of his friend, at least I'm pretty sure about that part.
• Gary from Hamilton, AustraliaGREAT SONG...kurt is a genus!!! nuf said
• Gilliann from Dublin, IrelandIts about the media and his record label takin all his money and exposing him, it doesnt mean litteraly "Rape me"
• Jessica from Del Rio , TxI dont think Kurt Cobain would actually rape anyone.
  Quote by Kurt: ||Rape is one of the most terrible crimes on earth. The problem with groups who deal with rape is that they try to educate woman about how to defend themselves What really needs to be done is to teach man not to rape, to go to the source and start there."||
• Patrick from Marlton, NjI read Kurt Cobain's diary, which was published, and in it is a story about how he lured a mentally challanged girl into the woods and raped her, but then she turned out to be smarter than she appeared and told on him. He said it was his inspiration for the song but i don't know if this actually happened or if it was one of his dillusional stories, which is most likely.
• Terri Lynn from Heart's Desire, Canadaive always thought of this song as Kurt's way to lash out at the critics and other people that picked apart every little thing that he did, and read way too far into his lyrics and actions. its like they were raping him...
• Chantal from Whistler, Canadakurt wrote rape me while he was dating tobi from the grunge band "bikini kill". she was a harsh femenist so i guess kurt decided to do a spoof on it sort of.
• Holly from Pensacola, FlI heard Kurt Cobain wrote this song about the press and media always on him.
• Allison from Somewhere, NjWhen Nirvana performed at the VMAs, they wanted to perform this song but MTV thought it would upset people. Instead, they decided on Lithium. However, when performance came, Kurt started playing this song before breaking into Lithium, making the people at MTV nervous. Also, Walmart nearly banned In Utero from it's shelves for this song. Now on the back of In Utero at Walmart, it says "Waif Me" but has the same lyrics.
• Blake from Texarkana, ArVarious "inside sources" told the media about his drug problems out of concern for his daughter and ended up getting her taken away. This was inspiration for the brige of the song.

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.

90s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

First question: Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson appeared in videos for what artist?

Yacht Rock!Song Writing

A scholarly analysis of yacht rock favorites ("Steal Away," "Baker Street"...) with a member of the leading YR cover band.

Fire On The StageSong Writing

When you have a song called "Fire," it's tempting to set one - these guys did.

Concert DisastersFact or Fiction

Ozzy biting a dove? Alice Cooper causing mayhem with a chicken? Creed so bad they were sued? See if you can spot the real concert mishaps.

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock PhotographySong Writing

One of rock's top photographers talks about artistry in photography, raising funds for a documentary, and enjoying a County Fair with Tom Waits.

(I've Had) The Time of My LifeBill Medley & Jennifer Warnes

"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" was a huge hit from the movie Dirty Dancing. It was used in the climactic dance scene at the end, which was actually the first scene shot for the movie.

Livin' La Vida LocaRicky Martin

Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" was the first #1 hit created entirely in Pro Tools.

Ice Ice BabyVanilla Ice

The first rapper with a #1 hit was Vanilla Ice with "Ice Ice Baby" in 1990.

My Ding-a-LingChuck Berry

Chuck Berry's only #1 hit was "My Ding-a-Ling," a novelty song about a boy and his... you know.

Enter SandmanMetallica

The original "Enter Sandman" lyric was about crib death, with the "sandman" killing a baby.

Oh WellFleetwood Mac

"Oh Well," from their 1960s Peter Green era, is the only Fleetwood Mac song played in concert in every decade they've been extant.