Spank Thru

Album: From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah (1996)
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Songfacts®:

  • This is often credited as being the first ever Nirvana song. It appears on several early demos, including the infamous "Fecal matter demo" which Kurt Cobain made with friend Dale Crover in 1985. The only released version is the live version off the Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah album. The song itself appears to be about masturbation. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Matt - Millbrae, CA
  • Jack Endino produced the demo of this song that made its way to Sub Pop Records owners Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Pavitt was not impressed when he heard it. In our 2013 interview, he recalled listening to the song with Mark Arm of Mudhoney. "We thought the arrangements over a lot of tracks were a little too busy," he said. "The track 'Spank Thru' has a lot of different changes. And the band, as they evolved, became more minimalist and hypnotic and that's where a lot of their power came from. So their songwriting really kept getting better and their stage performances kept getting better."

Comments: 10

  • Luna Loud from Royal Woods, Michigan"The flowers sing in D minor" is a reference to Spinal Tap when they say that D minor is the saddest sounding song key.

    When they play the song live Kurt usually sings, "The flowers have gingivitis", or more rarely, "tendonitis".
  • Cobayn from Pocatello, IdHere are the lyrics for the Sub Pop 200 Version:

    As the Soft Relentless Analysists
    Listen in the light of the trees
    And the flowers sing in E minor
    And the birds fly happily

    We'll be together once again my love
    I need you back, oh baby baby

    I can't explain just why we lost it from the start
    Living without you girl, you only break my heart

    I can feel it, I can hold it
    I can bend it, I can shape it, I can mold it
    I can cut it, I can taste it
    I can spank it, I can beat it, master-uh-bate it

    I've been lookin' for day glow
    Always hearing the same ol'
    Sticky boredom with a book
    I can make it do things you wouldn't think it ever could

    I can feel it, I can hold it
    I can bend it, I can shape it, I can mold it
    I can cut it, I can taste it
    I can spank it, I can beat it, my you uh lay down

    I've been lookin' for day glow
    Always hearing the same ol'
    City boy don't you dare balk
    happens when you do things you wouldn't think it ever could
  • Cam from Liverpool, United KingdomOn the Wishkah one he says "dirty women in bad books" that made me laugh.
  • Shelby from Idiotville , KySo good, classic Nirvana indeed and pretty damn funny to boot.
  • Aaron from Leonardville, KsI think this song is genius nirvana rules and Kurt Cobain is a god i wish i had his talents he
  • Jeff from La Pine, OrCorrection to Matt It's not an EP it's just exclusive stuff that Courtney Love released for MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Joe from Lockport, IlThe version from Fecal Matter is pretty funny. In the begining he just kinda talk off beat and then at the the end he says "Why is that so groovy?" at the end in this weird voice. But the guitar fills in that version are pretty cool.
  • Joe from Lockport, IlThe very best version of this song is when they played it at Reading 1992. Go watch it on Youtube.com right now, its amazing.
  • Jon from Oakridge, OrOne of my favorite Nirvana songs, AND IT'S LIVE.
  • Matt from Millbrae, Caa quick update...the 1985 fecal matter version was recently released on the Best of the Box EP. Hurry you misguided misanthropes and pick it up!
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