Smells Like Teen Spirit
by Nirvana

Album: Nevermind (1991)
Charted: 7 6
Play Video
  • The February 20, 1992 cover of Rolling Stone that used Nirvana's statement against pop culture as a pop culture reference.

Comments: 390

  • Nurse Noe from Earth... AllegedlyNo, Audrey from Alaska...

    The title, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," comes from the very, very, USED-to-be-real, chica scented deodorant, brand "Teen Spirit." I can't say it did it's job for my armpits...but it did have a loyd, colorful, artificially induced fruity scent, for a lack of better wording. IDK (I don't know) if it was a one-scent deodorant stick, but that's how I best remember it. I could be thinking of another deodorant, but for some reason, this is how Teen Spirit deodorant is stamped and tattooed into my mind and memories' banks.

    It smelled..."cheerleadery..." Not that cheerleaders have any particular scent...but if they did...Teen Spirit, or whatever deodorant I'm correctly thinking about... would be it!

    Soooooo....

    Yeah!

    Woooo Hoo!

    Or whatever that deodorant would have said..that I'm either misremembering or have correctly assigned to the past..in my head... would say...were it a cheerleader...

    Yay!
  • Audrey from AlaskaThe song is basically about teenagers, and how they don’t care about getting in trouble: “load up on guns and bring your friends. It’s fun to lose, and to pretend.”
    Just like how teens are rebellious, the title describes how the “teen spirit is real”, as some would say.
  • Dan Gillespy from Courtenay British Columbia Canada I remember when I first saw the video for the song Smells Like Teen Spirit back in 1991 I was 16 years old watching tv on a school night and that song I enjoyed a lot and that song had a huge impact on the Rock scene.
  • Ojaeger from Norway"Load up on guns", what does it refer to?
  • Tommy Nicks from Philadelphia I partied with Kurt when he came to my town and scored for his road guy and probably him, although didn't see him do it. Your all wrong he told me what it's about in his own weird antisocial way, he was a sharp guy but not super social. It's about the angst of himself and his perception of his generation. No conspiracy is everyone on here schizophrenic? Or just13yrs old.....he just had a sad outlook, that's all.....you might too if u shot dope, oh one more conspiracy most people who do heroin either die young, have related medical issues and od on purpose if they can or kill themselves, very few get clean, it's the most difficult thing they will ever do. I know this from 27 years of experience as a heroin addict, I quit alcohol with ease, cigarettes with ease, other drugs were a joke to quit but dope[heroinl) I tried and was in rehabs maybe 40 times to quit and I still don't let my guard down, it's like nothing else, that's why he's dead, you get tired, I've hung myself ,od on purpose [more drugs than most humans can tolerate] and shot myself, I'm just invincible that's why I survived, it's a shame he couldn't get it I would liked to see him play again he was a kind soul...The conspiracies on here are laughable
  • Ralph Hutchinson from New Hampshire The songs were stolen fact, Kurt Cobain was probably murdered because of a huge music conspiracy worth billions because Nirvana was not the only band involved. If you listen closely to Smells Like Teen Spirit, which Kurt did not create the song is telling the listener it's being stolen as it was created in live performance in one take and only one take. The chours was worked out the night before and in the morning was performed adlibing the opening lyrics and the rest of the lyrics around the worked out chorus.
    It tells of the act being unscrupulous in the lyric, "how low" and indicates a great denial if the truth is ever revealed. Here is the truth most artists and bands currently at the top of the industry are doing the same individuals songs. We are talking over a thousand hit songs stolen from one underground artist. A great secret in the industry that is 100% fact and is the truth. This is why the artists have to lie about the songs true origins they were illegally recorded and obtained in a boot leg recording conspiracy. Smells Like Teen Spirit is just one of the thousand hit songs. Many people know this is true, Trent Reznor, Billy Ray Cyrus, Sheryl Crow, Tobey Kieth, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, others involved who are dead like Kurt are Chris Cornell, Chester Bennington and a few others which should be investigated with this revelation of the truth.
    Artists and bands involved include, No Doubt with Gwen Steffani, I'm Just A Girl.
    Taylor Swift does Shake and other songs stolen. Katy Perry does Fireworks and Roar. Nickel Back does many of the songs the individual created. Five Finger Death Punch, Blind Melon, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Foo Fighters, Jlo, Adel and to many to even list here. If you listen closely to many of the songs a theme of reoccurring ideas emerge indicating the songs are all created by one person who is telling a great secret, that not only did he know his songs were being stolen and he coded lyrics, but that the individual is telling the listener he is connected to actual top secrets with the government in the areas of extraterrestrials contact. That's why an alien connection in the music exists. Feel The Light which Jlo ended up with is a song describing a top secret extraterrestrial contact event.
    In the song Hurt the song creator tells his job of being a earth mover "...my empire of dirt!" Which has the obvious double meaning, in other words he knows the truth about his songs being stolen.
    It is long time past this story comes out and the true song creator emerge on to the music scene as it his music that has become the music industry we hear and see today.
  • Carol from C53Brent from Seattle you just have to change the word guns to penis in any of his songs and take a step back and view all of the songs as a collection instead of focusing on one. Teen spirit is both the fighting spirit of the teenager and part of a prayer/ hymn come holy spirt which ties in with come as you are
  • Brent from SeattleCarol from C53 is ridiculous. It has nothing to do with gang rape or the holy spirit.
  • Carol from C53Omg I can’t believe how wrong people are about this song it’s about a teenager being gang raped by an albino a mullato and a mosquito, names that Kurt gave to the people that we’re doing it, he was in love with her. The spirit is as in the Holy Spirit.. referenced in other songs “she’ll come back as fire” and “choking on the ashes of her enemy”. Come as you are are is like a part2 as in Come holy spirit. He doesn’t have a gun meaning he’s not doing it, he’s not like them but he can pretend.
  • Terry Hunt from UkThis music video is watchable again, again and again. What I don't know is whether it is available to buy on a particular DVD. CAN ANYBODY HELP?
  • E from LondonTori Amos performed a great cover of the song that addresses some of the issues with being able to understand the lyrics. It is great in its own right.
  • Lori from Grand Rapids, MiThe only words you could really understand were “Here we are now, entertain us.” Mainstream music had just sucked (in general) for so long, and we felt that this was in response to that and to the fact that all generations were listening to the same music now, and we were all just going along with it. We felt that this song was a wake up call to turn things around and let everyone know that we’re all still here...we’ve just been dormant for awhile. Now it’s time to take the music back!
  • Mc.babyshaker from Between Seattle & Aberdeen, WaI'll probably get blacklisted for this, but..
    I feel that people should know the TRUTH about this song.
    Not just conjecture, guesswork, hyperbole, & WILD THEORIES about the meaning behind this song.
    ...
    First:
    there MIGHT be a correct assumption about AIDS/HIV being hinted at in the lyrics...
    But it's not NEARLY as in depth as was suggested in the comments here.
    ...
    The TRUTH about the meaning behind the lyrics is a lot less 'conspiracy theory' than what has so far been fumbled at.
    ...
    Second:
    the person who said 'taste' refers to drugs is absolutely correct
    in both the term and the addition into the lyrics.
    ...
    It's more about being a "functional addict",
    and all the baggage that comes with it,
    seeing people/friends die from it,
    but still not givin a F#+K,
    and telling yourself that you're fine,
    and you can quit any time you want.
    ..
    "Load up on guns. (grab the 'utensils' needed to 'bang' (inject into a vein)
    Bring your friends. (All the other 'kit' you need, but more than likely just referring the the drugs themselves. Which you are intimately acquainted with, i.e. friends)
    It's fun to lose, and pretend. (This one is iffy. Could mean losing friends to O.D.,
    and then having to act like it doesn't bother you.
    OR, it could reference 'losing your lunch'
    which happens to a lot of people after using I.V. drugs,
    and then getting on with your day,
    without ANYONE in society catching on that you're high)
    She's over-bored, and self-assured
    (The way a certain substance causes someone to feel & act.
    Either "white girl", or "Crystal")
    Oh no, I know a dirty word.
    (The word "F--k",
    as both of those have been known
    to intensify the stimuli during sex,
    and cause an EXPLOSIVE next level orgasm,
    if you're able to achieve one, that is.
    BUT, I have ALWAYS heard this line as
    "and no, I'm not a dirty word",
    but that's another story)
    ...
    Hello, Hello, Hello.
    (Another way to say hello? "Hi"..
    "I'm SO high. I'm SO high. I'm SO high.)
    How low
    (Extreme depression sets in after a bender of the stuff.
    Also ties in to the symptoms of acute withdrawal
    if you're an addict of one and decide
    to throw another in the mix for the weekend)
    ....
    With the lights out it's less dangerous.
    (After the sun goes down
    you're less likely to be seen buying,
    and/or doing stuff,
    or have anyone notice that you're
    acting/behaving/looking like a person
    who is on some massive IV administered spirit quest.)
    Here we are now, entertain us.
    (Common phrase used by Kurt taken to mean
    "Let's party. Another meaning of party: 'gettin high' )
    I feel stupid, and contagious.
    (Either feeling the drug has take over your life & you let it,
    or maybe it was a shared needle experience,
    and he can't believe he stooped so low)
    Here we are now, entertain us.
    (Oh well, I guess... let's party)
    "A mulatto" (dark, black, tar, heroin)
    "An albino" ("white", or "crystal")
    "A Mosquito" (a hypodermic syringe)
    "My libido" (mixing heroin & cocaine/meth is "better than sex")
    .....
    ...
    That's all I have time for....
    But, you get the idea...
    and can now hopefully understand...
    It doesn't diminish the impact, or enjoyability of the song.
    Quite the opposite. It ADDS more substance, & authenticity to it.
  • Josh from UsaKurt lost all credibility when he asked if he could destroy the set. ;) I'm kidding. This is interesting to watch with the sound off, to better absorb what's happening in the video. I noticed the cheerleaders are sometimes mouthing words, I wonder what it was? Did they do shots with no music while filming wherein perhaps they actually did cheers? So here I am, a guy who was in high school when this came out and now our generation is rolling their eyes and the kids coming up, judging their music and attitudes. lol Funny how dumb we were at the time, but what amazing art can come of it.
  • Luke from London, UkA girls' deodorant inspired this? Mind blown.
  • Kraig from South Georgia I was 12 when first heard this song. It was solely responsible for changing music. Nobody but Kurt knew the actual pain he was in. The guy had a ulcer ridden stomach and spent his money on street meds to help deal with pain. I'm talking bout a guy that walked around with only one shoe on sometimes to go meet his drug dealer. Money meant nothing to Kurt. Ms. Love on other hand was greedy. I agree with who said she killed him. Listen to pennyroyal tea. That song explains A LOT!! I owned every album and have EVERY song on my iTunes account. David Grohl (he even said it wasn't Nirvana's best single) btw I consider to be the MOST TALENTED MUSICIAN OF MY LIFETIME!!!!! The guy does it all. plays every instrument better than most can play any instrument Writes lyrics better than most people write lyrics. I was watching SportsCenter tonight and Kevin Ryder was doing an interview with Neal Buccigross he asked who the five coolest people he had ever had on his show he said Dave Grohl Dave Grogl Bono Dave Grohl and Chris Cornell!!!! God rest his soul and his beautiful voice!!!!! Peace out!!!! If you get the chance Google Kevin Ryder interview on SportsCenter
  • Kelly Calk from IrelandThe Song Teen Spirit makes perfect sense, if you just listen to it the way it's written. All the Mystery over words that don't seem to fit. Get with-it. It's the names of different Drinks at the Bar. A Mulatto , an Albino , A Mosquito , And don't forget my Libido , you can see how it all falls together. On the bottle of Johnny Walker Red Label ...What does the man with the Walking Cane look like on the front? Yep a Mosquito sucking-up blood. Kurt just didn't want to promote Drinking. Ever seen a bottle of Johnny Walker 18yr old Whisky? THATS TEEN SPIRIT. It's what we call Hard Alcohol in the U.K. Spirits. Now you know why it's fun to loose and Pretend ...She's over board and self assured. How do people Not see the Forest .. They can't hear the trees they walk into. Your welcome. -Kell from California, England & Ireland
  • Zero from The Abyss, NjRawan Hagag - Just curious, is Metallica's 1989 loss to Jethro Tull also on that list?
  • Rawan Hagag from Cairo,egypt.The song was nominated for two Grammy Awards : Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal and Best Rock Song. Entertainment Weekly would later name Nirvana's loss to Eric Clapton in the Best Rock Song category as one of the 10 biggest upsets in Grammy history.
  • Dennis from Bjørkelangen, NorwayKurt Cobain didn't learn things that fast as the other in the class, and he had problems with his homework. So then his teacher decided to let him skip some of the class and help the janitor instead. The other in the class didn't think that was any cool and started to bully him. In the music video you can see a janitor are happy and dance with his mop, that is Cobain's way to say " haha, I succeeded as well."
  • Chris from Greenville, NcIn a Documentary made specifically about the song, Kris Noveselic says that the song was about "School and youthful rebellion" commenting on how Kurt really liked this movie where the kids of the school "Freak out and take over the school." And that was the genesis of the video which is obviously a bunch of kids moshing in a high school gym. Anarchy and rebellion.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 11th 1992, Nirvana performed "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on the NBC-TV program 'Saturday Night Live'...
    One month earlier on December 1st, 1991 it debut on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #40...
    And one day after their appearance on SNL on January 12th, 1992 it started its 'yo-yo' adventure up and down the Top 10; it first peaked at #6, dropped to #9, then #8 for two weeks, back to #6, dropped down to #9, up to #8, back to #9, and finally off the Top 10 to #12...
    R.I.P Kurt Cobain (1967 - 1994).
  • Zero from Nowhere, NjI just thought of something. This didn't apply back when this song was written but nowadays I feel it sums up the attitudes/personalities of teens perfectly. "Oh, no, I know a dirty word, 'hello'". Nowadays you can't even say hello to a young teenager because they're all into their phones and apps and such. You say hi to a teen and they look at you like you got two heads. Young people don't know how to interact with people anymore unless it's through a phone or computer. Saying "Hello" to them is like a dirty word. Just a thought.
  • Zero from Nowhere, NjShadow, Depression - "Plateau" is a Meat Puppets song that they covered for Unplugged, not an original.
  • Zach from Joliet, IlIf a person finds enjoyment in understanding the song go ahead. I find enjoyment in the song.
  • Shadow from Depression, VaThis song is great- it's one of those songs that can be done by no one except for the original artist/music group. And Kurt Cobain's dead. And Weird Al Yankovic can do what he wants, but his parody is no match for this song. It's not my favorite by Nirvana (that would be either "Plateau"- which doesn't even have a Songfact on here, can someone please change that- or "Come As You Are"), but it is still a great song.
  • Fabian from Chicago, IlScrew all of u, I like this kind of music [and this song], im 13 and it's 2012. What u got 2 say 2 dat? I say that means there's hope 4 future generations.
  • Caleb from Hobart, AustraliaWhy try to understand that which you can never comprehend, such as kurt, his mouth said one thing his mind said another...
  • Pj from Dublin, Irelandteen spirit a classic.i love the way the song digs or mocks the celeb..world,...".you would swear that the grunge generation myself included invented sex ,drugs ,rock n roll ,rebellion, and the feeling that the world is against them by the way we go on about how clever nirvanas interpetation of growing up 80s and 90s", i feel because kurt died so young he ll always be ..... a forever young new romantic ...dare i say a secert pop fan....
  • October from Las Vegas, Nvkurt is an awful influence but hes f--kin EPIC so it evens out!
  • Brianna from Heber Springs, Aryeah, im sure courtney's crazy ass killed him. she brought him down....then to the ultimate end. she is a cancer.....vengeful and jealous
  • Brianna from Heber Springs, ArSean from CA, that was awesome. Thank you for sharing your take on the lyrics.
  • Megan from Stevenson, AlI love this song. I love how his voice breaks at the beginning and then it gets all crazy! I love how Casey Abrams sung this on American Idol! He was amazing!
  • Randy from Houghton Lake, MiWhen this song came out I was in early 40s had 2 teenage kids so I had to watch the video whether I wanted to or not. To be honest I couldn't understand one word of it but had never seen that much emotion put into a song. Kurt Cobain seemed very angry and passionate about what he was trying to say. I eventually became of fan of Nirvana's music and still don't fully understand why such a talented young man took his life so violently.
  • Mark from Tucson, Azsmells like teen spirit
    (you may need to drink atleast a six pack, and a couple shot of tequila, after being up at least 24 hrs, or so to hear this. or not)
    original line, hello, hello, hello, hello

    last chorus,
    hello, hello, halo, hell no

    The rif is Blue Oyster Cult "GodZilla" as is the bend in the tune wah waaah, wah, waaah from Godzilla
  • Jessi from South Bloomfield, OhMy parents just recently gave me a copy of Nevermind, and I feel that it's indubitably Nirvana's best album. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is the epitome of teen angst music, and it accurately portrays the darker portions of the teenage soul. Despite the utter simplicity of the lyrics, the song is really deep in its display of raw emotion.
  • Jonathan from Montreal, QcSmells like teen spirit was a sentence that his then-girlfriend, tori vail, wrote on his bedroom's wall (she wrote: Kurt smells like teen spirit) because she wore a deodorant brand named "teen spirit"

    "Here we are now, entertain us" was something that Kurt Cobain was saying when he entered a party.
  • Amber from Indianapolis, InBrian from Boston: have you ever read his "suicide" note? if not then u really need to read it cause its obvious that he wanted to leave the music business. http://www.kurtcobainssuicidenote.com he clearly wanted to leave music business but he never got the chance to. im not claiming to know everything about Kurt and his life but he really didnt want his music mainstream. he didnt even think of Nirvana as being a real band! why do u act like he has never lead a real life before? he was troubled- no doubt about it- and went through the same stuff that others did too: parents divorce, reliance on drugs to ease his pain, psycho of a wife, and just wanting to do something good for himself for a change.. he couldnt do anything about being a role model and influencing people. what COULD he do? just go up to people and tell them "HEY! stop liking Nirvana!"? how well would that have worked?


    Kurt was anything but selfish too.. he did what he thought was right for the band.
    and yes Jean from Puerto Rico Courtney did murder him!!
  • Townsie from Townsie, MoHey Brian from Boston, he was f--ked up before he was famous and he didn't even want to pursue music that much, and he wasn't planning on mainstream going crazy for nirvana....
  • Jean from San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico1. On Live At Reading they play a part of More Than A Feeling which makes you realize how much the riff looks like the other.
    2. In case you dudnt know, Kurt had a funny point of view in life and he mocked a lot of things. In this he was making a mockery of teens :p
    3. Awesome song. First song i learned to play entirely.
    4. YES COURTNEY LOVE KILLED KURT.
    5.:) i get carried away
  • Sara from Union City, TnI find it really funny how all of these people who never even knew Kurt Cobain for a second seem to know all about his personal life and more so the meaning behind every single song lyric.
  • Nicolas from Montreal, QcHey, Brian from Boston, maybe you've heard of something called Bi-Polar disorder. Kurt Cobain was no more tortured of heroic than you or I, he was simply vulnerable to severe depressive episodes, probably during one of which he took his life. As, unfortunatley,many people with this condition do.
  • Brian from Boston, MaOh please.We're all in pain.Try working a real job for 40 hours a week coming home dead tired and still not being able to pay all your bills.See how much pain you'll be in then. Kurt had a job as proffesional musician.He did the only thing he ever wanted to do for a living.He made millions of dollars and had the world by the balls.I am so sick of hearing about the tortured artists.If he did not want his music commercialized than he should never have signed a record deal.What about his kid.How much pain will his child be in knowing his father killed himself?Complex? No kurt wasn't complex he was selfish.If he did not like the music industry he should have left it.All these people ready to canonize him don't have a clue what they are talking about.If you like his music fine listen to it all you want.But don't make Kurt out to be something he was not.
  • Bloodaxe from Lincoln, NeFrom friends who knew Kurt, he was a very complex person. He wanted to play music, but was conflicted by the "commercialization" of not only his music but himself. He hated the expectations put on him, which just gave him undiagnosed stomach problems from the stress.

    What some Cobain haters here don't realize that KC singlehandedly killed the 80's "hair rock" band look, and destroyed big careers of big bands almost overnight. Why?

    Because Cobain was TRUTH in ROCK - and that is showing unabashed PAIN in who you were and what you thought you were. No other band has had the ability to really push the dirt level rawness of a musical story than Nirvana.

    As far as Grohl making supposedly bad remarks about Kurt, what he was saying is that the style of the Foo Fighters is different than Nirvana, and more commercial... and that's true. Nirvana was hard to listen to beyond their five best songs. The rest was horrific pain from Kurt that didn't spell commercial success.
  • Brian from Boston, MaNirvana is the most overated band of all time. If not for Kurt offfing himself he would not be looked upon with such legendary status. Kurt was a whiney heroin addict that complained about his life and how he was a misunderstood "artist".His music was nothing special. There were and are many "underground" musical acts much better that never got the acclamation they deserve. Paul Westerberg is a much better singer and songwriter than Kurt could ever be. The Replacements were an example of an underground band that had a lot of talent and yet still had a rawness to their sound.Nirvana had the rawness without the talent.
  • Sean Dana from Milpitas, CaI was living in Seattle through most of the "Grunge Movement". I am obviously a long time Nirvana fan. I will try to clear some things up here: Like Dave Grohl said, the lyrics (as a whole) don't necessarily mean anything in particular. What they capture in their essence though; is a defiant, apathetic alienation. Some parts that I can explain are "Load up on guns and bring your friends" (a reference to the redneck fux in his home town) "she's overbored and self assured, oh no, I know a dirty word" (a dig on the cliquey popular people) "here we are now entertain us" (he used to say that when arriving at house parties) "I'm worse at what I do best and for this gift I feel blessed" (a reference to the fact that he never really thought too highly of himself; at the time it was written he had no idea he was going to be a big star and was happy to 'just' be an indie band) "our little group has always been and always will until the end" (reference to his 'alternative' crowd of 'misfits') "and I forget just why I taste oh yeah I guess it makes me smile" (a 'taste' is a shot of heroin; I know... I used to be a junkie) With the exception of the lyrics I pointed out, the rest are just basically poetic angles on the main theme of apathy, alienation and angst like I said before. Myself and Kurt had friends in common, so this is pretty reliable information. Sorry if I burst anybody's bubble. Oh yeah...in regards to his "suicide": I can't say for sure; but I do find it weird that he couldn't reach the trigger with his thumb, yet he was found with his shoes ON.
  • Sean Dana from Milpitas, CaIf you listen to "U-mass" from the Pixies "Trompe Le Monde" album you will hear many parallels between that song and "Teen Spirit". The riff is very similar. The drums are very similar. The angsty, anti-establishment attitude is there. The sloppy guitar solo is there. The loud/soft structuring is the same. The two songs are eerily similar. I don't think it was necessarily intentional on Cobains part, but that is by far the closest Pixies song to Teen Spirit.
  • Steven from Winnipeg, Mbi really like this song i fully understand
    what he was trying to say and it is a real inpration
    to me and my generation...of course i was a baby at the time i discovered it and loved it!
  • Heather from Los Angeles, CaShould be retitled: "Smells like Something I Stepped In", Or "Sounds like Something I Stepped in", or "Sounds like a Smell I Sat in", or "Sounds like Someone didn't clean the Smell, Or, "Sounds like A Smelly Teen" Or "Sounds Like a Smell I made....."
  • Lily from Los Angeles, CaHey, this song is probably a combination of all the things you think it's about. So stop stressing.
    Love you Kurt.
  • Charlie from Las Vegas, Nvtake or leave this next comment anyway you like but if to give you an idea just how big an impact this song has on the entire music world: i wasn't even born when this song came out and yet it's still one of my favorite songs of all time.
  • Joe from Pontiac, MiIts not everyday you come across a song that litterly changed music and the world in general forever. Kurt Cobain was a lyrical guiness who could also play a pretty mean electic guitar...hes no jimi hendrix but hes not bad.
  • Angela from Cartersville, Georgiau know what sucks, that fact that everyone knows nirvana for just this song and not the other ones he did!!! but this song is still awesome
  • Sonu from Temecula, CaThis song has changed the Music bank in the 90's..and still till this very day, it is still an amzing song..you guys smell that...smells like teen spirit lol
  • Greg from New York, Nyhow the f--k could you not like this song like wtf this man was one of the greatest song writers ever when im on itunes nd i see people who bought nirvana also got pink floyd hendrix zeppelin these are all great song writers nd a song and band cant be bad if they have this many fans on this website alone
  • Unka from Mars, Kiribatigoogle 'the true story behind the lyrics to Smells Like Teen Spirit" for the whole story. You'll know everything. The official story of this song is a lie, so almost all of the comments here are sadly misinformed speculation. The guy who said the song is about how people are like zombies who only want to be entertained with crap is right.
  • Unka from Mars, Kiribatiyou are exactly right. the song was about how people are like zombies who don't give a s--t what they are entertained by, so long as they don't have to come out of the shadows themselves. (Cobain did not even write these lyrics, btw) The singer is sick of being judged by the audience, and his life has become a freak show (a mulatto! an albino! a mosquito, my libido! yay!) The zombies want their freak show entertainment, anything to beat the boredom, and the feminists want their revenge on the white male by belittling him and demanding 'alternatives' such as hiphop etc. It is mocking their demands to be entertained and eventually impregnated to meet their warped demands.
  • Nobody's Business from Nobody\'s Concern, Ohummm can someone tell me why nirvana got more airplay than aic cuz i heard that Kurt didnt want to go mainstream and layne staley wanted to be famous so his dad would come back and stuff... so i've heard
  • Chris from Yakima, WaTo those who say they are mad at Dave Grohl for some of the things he said about KC or the meaning of SLTS (Grohl says there is no meaning): remember, Nirvana was 'just ok' before Grohl came on board. Don't pile on me, I like KC and Nirvana, but it's true. Grohl actually gave them the edge and direction that KC could not harness. The band was called NIRVANA, not "Kurt Cobain and Two Other Guys". In other words, the THREE made the band what it was. And to everyone who tries to assign meaning to the song, if Grohl says it has no meaning, then it probably doesn't. HE WAS THERE WHEN IT WAS WRITTEN. I think I'd trust him when he says it has no meaning. And by the way, he has never said a 'bad' thing about KC, only the truth. He was one of Kurt's biggest fans and a good friend. Sometimes the truth hurts, but Grohl just tells it like it is, just like Kurt would have.
  • Lorraine Davis from Greeley, CoI love it when they play the riff backwards on Rape Me, it sounds realy cool. And kurt wasn't murdered, its ridiculous to think that. And i love Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, but if i had the same life and troubles he did, i would prolly kill myself eventually too. Even thinking about it makes me kinda depressed
  • Unka from Mars, KiribatiCobain did not the lyrics to Smells Like Teen Spirit or Come As You Are. The real writer has come forward and revealed that the lyrics were given to Cobain in Banff when Cobain was traveling with the Melvins as a roadie to Calgary, Alberta in 1986. Cobain formed Nirvana about a year after being given the lyrics.

    See this thread:

    http://www.topix.com/forum/who/nirvana/TAP8NSTHB7L2O1R6T
  • Jeany from Whittier, CaYou know I use to like Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters but after hearing some of his negative comments about Kurt and Nirvana's music, I don't even want to listen to Foo Fighters anymore. He seriously thinks he and his music are superior? Dave could kill himself tomorrow and never be as great as Kurt Cobain. He needs to remember where he came from and recognize that even though Foo has turned into a good band, they never would have gotten so popular without his Nirvana connection. PS this song is not about aids.
  • Rahul from Chennai, Indiahats off to the song which redefined grunge music....and a definite milestone in nirvana's career..... what a rock anthem!
  • Paul from San Benito, Txthis song is one of my favorite songs to listen to. its a lil awkward cuz you cant understand the lyrics the first hundred times you listen to it and weird al's "smells like nirvana" mock this point. oh well and for all you KC haters i say why the hell are you wanting to get SONGFACTS about a song from an artist YOU HATE you filthy hippocrites. it also applies to every other song on this freaken site!!! well its a awesom.e song about so many things and i love this song. and Kurt hated this song and hardly ever played it but it was a hit anyways lol thats ironic
  • Billy from Nederland , Tx"Smells like Teen Spirit" is a awesome song, it's just that the lyrics are so hard to understand.
  • Christian from New York, Nyin m opinion, this song is about what it is like being a teenager. As a teenager i know what the mindset of most teenagers is; sex, rebellion, and rocking out hard!! so this song is sorta like a tribute of being that age.
  • Joe from Lincoln, NeOne of the facts is incorrect, this was not the First Grunge hit, that belongs to "Man in the Box" by Alice in Chains. (editor's note: we're talking about the first Grunge song to be a Pop hit - AiC didn't have any of those)
  • Theresa from Murfreesboro, TnThe ultimate pop/rock song. Tori Amos did a cover of this song in 1992, her version gives me chills.
  • Craig from Scotland, United KingdomI can't believe this song is in the top 10 or even debated about at all. Kurt Cobain was such a bad song writer he had to steal a line from "hey hey, my my" for his suicide note!
  • Dan from Vagina, ArgentinaMan has and always will be a tribal animal, research it. Kurt Cobain-"I'm in a group,(interchanged with tribe) it's always been, it always will untill the end." Dual meanings, with insight into human tendencies and teenage clicks.
  • Dan from Vagina, ArgentinaIt's a song about revolution. Cobain hated the idea of a corperate-white america, and wrote about taking over America from within, with agents disguised as janitors, with loaded guns. This song is absoluteley political, as Nirvana was a "political band" and is almost conceptually similar to the ideas, in the movie V for Vendetta. Also kurt's idol was Lennon, who was also heavily into American Revolution.
  • Truth from Mississauga, CanadaI thought this was supposed to be for posting the song meaning, not arguing if it was suicide or not.Bottom line is none of us will ever know and Kurt's probably smiling down on us.Can more people who were in the video post? Specifically Karen, Chicago, IL?
  • Bryan from Fayetteville, Ncthe janitor is there because kurt dropped out of high school and the only job he could get was a job as a janitor.....at the hi school he dropped out of
  • Aaron from Westside, MiThis song is legit but I dont think Kurt cobain killed himself there is alot of things that do not add up in his "suicide" Go to www.Cobaincase.com and you will see that Kurt cobain is a victim of a murder not his own suicide.
  • Jesus from Jeruslam, EthiopiaI think it is about puppy AIDS this was a serious issue in the mind of a 10-30 year old.
  • Nick from Indianapolis, InThis is the second best song I have ever heard(the first is obviously Stairway to Heaven)!
  • Goku from South City, Pathis is about teens and how they act. this song some how captures the whole teen spirit. its freakin amzing
  • Austin from Smallsville,new England, --In my personal interpritation I think the song is what every teenager goes through-Boredom. Its one of the hardest things to avoid so when you are bored you act "stupid" and it gets "contagious". Also here we are now entertain us could work with my theory. And the random words like mosquito and albino ect. could represent non-sequisiters which are popular among the youth.
  • Kane from Wytheville, Vaaint this song about a school shootings
    with phrases " i know a dirty word hello"
    meaning some stranger welcoming there selves to the school wheather the kids want it or not
    "with the lights out it's less dangerous" meaning if they hide from the stranger they'll be safe
    "here we are now enter tain us" meaning if your gonna do something do something now
    think about
    "load up on guns" "bring your friends"
  • Bob from Melbourne, AustraliaAs far as I am concerned, Kurt Cobain was the greatest poet of my generation. With just a few words, he told the world how I felt about being a teenager and all the crap that went along with that little retarded road trip. I am endebted to him for flying the flag for all us dispossessed children of the 90's.
  • Tabia from Washington Dc, CaRe: Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but when this song was written, everyone was paranoid at the time the song was released about "catching AIDS". Back then, AIDS was a big worry for young people -- like Kurt Cobain. Read the lyrics and you'll see almost every verse is a veiled comment on AIDS. I put the lyric interpretation in parenthesis (like this): "Load up on guns and bring your friends (everyone bring booze and drugs to the party) It's fun to lose and to pretend (even if you think you're a loser, pretend you're cool, being cool means "who cares what people think?") She's over bored and self assured (the hot chicks are bored, and want to have sex with bad boys) And all I know are dirty words (I'm a bad boy, so I get the hot chicks) "Hello, hello, hello, how low? ("How low" can a person go?) "With the lights out, it's less dangerous (Have sex in the dark without a condom, it seems less dangerous) Here we are now, entertain us (disdain and cynicism for sex education and warnings about AIDS - sneering at the authorities, makes them laugh "entertain us") I feel stupid and contagious (I am horny so I don't think about the consequences that I might have AIDS and might give it to someone) Here we are now, entertain us A mulatto (CIA secret testing of AIDS virus on Africans - look it up) An albino (Albinos supposedly are immune to AIDS - look it up) A mosquito (The AIDS virus was spread in Africa by mosquitoes infected by CIA germ warfare spooks - look it up) My libido (My sexual urges can't stop me from from having sex even though I might have AIDS) I'm worse at what I do best (I'm good at sex, but I might have AIDS so that makes me 'worse') And for this gift I feel blessed (I'm so good, that nobody asks me if I have AIDS before we have sex) Our little group has always been (all my friends sleep around casually) And always will until the end (we have sex until the disease kills us all) "And I forget just why I taste (oral sex) Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile (likes reaction of partner) I found it hard, it's hard to find (male/female sexual organ comparison) "Oh well, whatever, nevermind (casual sex has no answer, it's just done without thinking) A denial! (Don't worry, I don't have AIDS and I won't catch AIDS) Kurt was never said to have AIDS, but wrote this song definitely laughing in the face of the heavy paranoia of AIDS and the history of how AIDS supposedly came about. The sleazy hooker cheerleaders and the teenage abandon in the song video backs up this song interpretation. I wrote this interpretation when the song came out, over 17 years ago.
    - bloodaxe, Lincoln,

    --

    wow. respect.
  • Todd from Toronto, CanadaSmells Like Teen Spirit is about how Kurt Dropped out of High School early, and the only job choice he had was a janitor at the school he just left.
    - Evan, blahblagh, DC



    no its not!
  • Andres from Los Angeles, Cathis song kicks ass.my emo friends luv the rhythm.they rock because all the nirvana songs have a dark side.i LOVE kurt cobain.his voice make the nirvana songs
    rock!
  • Jim from Rochester, NyTeen Spirit / Nirvana
    1st Spin
    Even from under the cultural rock where I was in the early 90's, I had heard OF Nirvana and the whole north-west, Seattle, grunge thing. I knew they were big on mtv and a couple of radio stations I didn't listen to. I was a busy late 30's, family raiseing, married guy working 50 hours a week at my main job as an pd/md/at and ae (hah, it was a small place) at an AC station in NNY. I wasn't watching a lot of mtv at the time. So, the first time I actually HEARD this song and the band (and all that)was from the booth of a roller rink. One of my 2nd jobs. I jocked there 2 nites a week in the winter of '91 - '92. One of the kids brought me the cd, I didn't know any of it so I just cued the first track. Believe it or not, the sound quality in a roller rink dj booth is not always that great, with a hundred or so people rolling by you on 8 wheels each in a wooden acoustical nitemare, and I thought "this is noise". But the energy of it's impact, instant and almost troubleing, on the kids was un-mistakable. It made me remember what it felt like to be young and deeply affected by music, but also think that kids seemed much more violent and angry these days. Maybe age takes the edge off memories of being mad. I don't know but I would get asked to play that song probably 25 times a nite, and spun it at least three or four times and the line that would be stuck in my head on the way home was "..I feel stupid and contagious, here we are now, entertain us.."
    This song (and saddly, K Cobain) are among those few that come (and go) along every once in a while and become cultural icons. I would go on to discover the rest of Nirvana, and like most culturally iconic songs, it is not my favorite of the groups' but it was, with no doubt, it's most impactfull. And a great tune to dj with at the time.
    Today, after hearing it so many times in the past, this song still feels fresh and, for lack of a better term, arouseing, to me(of course,now i'm listening under slightly better conditions;)
  • Alexandria from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emiratesyaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
    i love this song,ITS MY ANTHEM!!
  • Ralph from Houston, TxOne of the greatest songs of all time, without a doubt. Melancholy and cryptic and reminiscent of the hard rock of the 70s. We should be forever grateful to Cobain and Nirvana for getting radio stations to stop playing pop metal hair band crap like 'Cherry Pie' and 'Unskinny Bop', even if just for a few years, until the greedy record industry tried to capitalize on grunge and ruined it too. Thank God for Independent music.
  • Nate from Syrause, Nythe line "I'm worse at what I do best..." is my favorite
  • Austin from Smallsville,new England, --When Dave Grohl was asked what he thought the meaning of the song was he replied..."Just seeing Kurt write the lyrics to a song five minutes before he first sings them, you just kind of find it a little bit hard to believe that the song has a lot to say about something. You need syllables to fill up this space or you need something that rhymes"-Dave Grohl
  • Austin from Smallsville,new England, --The song is run over a four chord progression F,B flat,G sharp,and C sharp.
  • Roldo from Winnipeg, MbI was in my early 50's when this song came out and I DUG it. Lifted my spirit to see the open rebellion. As soon as Kurt Cobain started talking publically about the dark side of "success" I knew he wouldn't be around long. The "biz" is no place for someone real, and I consider him to have been murdered, whether he pulled the trigger himself or not.
  • Bob from Dumbsville, BelarusTeen Spirit is my favorite song ever! Shame Cobain died but now we have Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters as a result.
  • Mle from Plano, UtNo matter how hard all of us try to understand Kurt's mind, we will never, he was too complicated
  • Evan from Blahblagh, DcSmells Like Teen Spirit is about how Kurt Dropped out of High School early, and the only job choice he had was a janitor at the school he just left.
  • Raevonn from San Jose, Vai think this song is a good perspective nirvana did a great job with this song and lyrics if kurt cobain wasnt dead theyd still be number one on the pop charts
  • Mayy from Boston, Mathis song kicks ass, but nirvana's best song is "i hate my self and want to die" off of the With the Lights Out box set
  • Melvin from Ijsselstein, NetherlandsThis song is intense...grungy...Best of the best.
  • Bloodaxe from Lincoln, NeFor the poster TRUTH asking why Kurt screams "a denial" at the end of the song...

    He's declaring his denial that he could have AIDS, and is having free and easy sex without caring about the possible consequences. Millions of teenagers do it everyday. Kurt was tuned into that.

    "A DENIAL, A DENIAL" means "no way, I don't have any disease, let's make love" - which he translated to the carefree days of sex before everyone (including the condom industry) pushed wearing condoms.
  • Cristina from Long Beach, Cakurt was like so freakin cool...this man new how to rock!!!! this song so kicks ass!!!!! this song will 4ever kick ass ..no song can be compared to this..thats why it won first place in the kroq memorial 500!!!! it will 4ever rock!!!
  • Claire from Peterborough, United KingdomOkay.. people asking how you shoot yourself in the head with a shotgun: Simple, you place the butt of the shotgun on the floor, place the muzzle in your mouth or against your throat and pull the trigger with your toe. That's how you manage to shoot yourself with a shotgun.

    Personally, Nirvana passed me by in the nineties, music never bothered me when I was a teen. I like their stuff but I'm not bowled over by it. If kurt didn't like his success he should have done what Kate Bush did, have a couple of hits and fade into the background.
  • Bloodaxe from Lincoln, NeSorry to burst everyone's bubble, but when this song was written, everyone was paranoid at the time the song was released about "catching AIDS". Back then, AIDS was a big worry for young people -- like Kurt Cobain.

    Read the lyrics and you'll see almost every verse is a veiled comment on AIDS. I put the lyric interpretation in parenthesis (like this):

    "Load up on guns and bring your friends (everyone bring booze and drugs to the party)
    It's fun to lose and to pretend (even if you think you're a loser, pretend you're cool, being cool means "who cares what people think?")
    She's over bored and self assured (the hot chicks are bored, and want to have sex with bad boys)
    And all I know are dirty words (I'm a bad boy, so I get the hot chicks)

    "Hello, hello, hello, how low? ("How low" can a person go?)

    "With the lights out, it's less dangerous (Have sex in the dark without a condom, it seems less dangerous)
    Here we are now, entertain us (disdain and cynicism for sex education and warnings about AIDS - sneering at the authorities, makes them laugh "entertain us")
    I feel stupid and contagious (I am horny so I don't think about the consequences that I might have AIDS and might give it to someone)

    Here we are now, entertain us
    A mulatto (CIA secret testing of AIDS virus on Africans - look it up)
    An albino (Albinos supposedly are immune to AIDS - look it up)
    A mosquito (The AIDS virus was spread in Africa by mosquitoes infected by CIA germ warfare spooks - look it up)
    My libido (My sexual urges can't stop me from from having sex even though I might have AIDS)

    I'm worse at what I do best (I'm good at sex, but I might have AIDS so that makes me 'worse')
    And for this gift I feel blessed (I'm so good, that nobody asks me if I have AIDS before we have sex)
    Our little group has always been (all my friends sleep around casually)
    And always will until the end (we have sex until the disease kills us all)

    "And I forget just why I taste (oral sex)
    Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile (likes reaction of partner)
    I found it hard, it's hard to find (male/female sexual organ comparison)
    "Oh well, whatever, nevermind (casual sex has no answer, it's just done without thinking)

    A denial! (Don't worry, I don't have AIDS and I won't catch AIDS)

    Kurt was never said to have AIDS, but wrote this song definitely laughing in the face of the heavy paranoia of AIDS and the history of how AIDS supposedly came about. The sleazy hooker cheerleaders and the teenage abandon in the song video backs up this song interpretation. I wrote this interpretation when the song came out, over 17 years ago.

  • Josh from Melbourne, AustraliaThe biggest Nirvana song but not the best. Still freaking awesome though!
  • Amber from San Francisco, CaLet's see you do a better job at playing guitar, RYAN. I'm sick of people saying that Kurt wasn't a good guitarist. He was better than any of you would ever be! To all the Kurt haters: suck my left nut and keep your stupid opinions to yourselves. NIRVANA RULES!!
  • Sadie from Arlington, VaPlease Flyleaf has nothing on Nirvana. Stupid go get smarter. This song is my athem I Love generation X
    R.I.P Cobain
  • Kadie from Corpus Christi, TxThis song was remade by Flyleaf.
  • Erica from Orlando, FlThis song can mean many things to someone, it's all in how you percieve it. It's a great song and influenced a whole generation of people, as The Beatles did in the 60's/70's. But this was not there only great song, and instead of just listening to this song over and over, give the other amazing songs(and amazing lyrics) a chance. Nirvana will not be forgotten in the years to come.
  • Jeff from Austin, Txgod, how could someone be living on Earth and NOT have seen this video? I always thought this was a good song, not a great song, but a good song. It just came along at the right place, and right time. Teenagers (I was 15 when this came out) just needed something new to come along that they could call their own and relate to. We grew up in the 80s, with everything being outrageous and over the top. This song is so simple and the band looked so ordinary that kids immediately flocked to it. It also helped that the powers that be at MTV liked it as well and played the living hell out of it. But when it's all said and done, I think it's just a pretty average song. This page wouldn't be full of comments of Cobain hadn't blown his head off.
  • David from Madrid, SpainThis song here is what immortalizes Nirvana as a deities in the history of rock music. In grunge music, there is "before" Kurt Cobain and "after" Kurt Cobain. Simple as that. Generation-X lost a John Lennon in the 90's but the eternal king of grunge lives on. Eternally.
  • Tomislav from Zagreb, CroatiaDoesn't he say "And all I know are dirty words"
    instead of "Oh no, I know a dirty word"?
  • Keydo from Madrid, SurinameIn the concert from 06/30/92 - Sjöhistoriska Museet,Stockholm, SE
    In the intro Kurt says:
    This song was written by a woman called Tori Amos.
  • Chris from Los Angeles, CaAccording to the book "Come as you are", the chorus says and means the following: A mullato, an Albino; A mosquito, my libido" -- he's setting up a comparison... A mullato is the opposite (or close to it) of an albino, so a mosquito is the opposite (or close to it) of his libido. Basically, he's horny and expressing it in an incredibly poetic way.
  • Brian from Richmond , VaI don't think there has ever been a song that had more effect on me. I was in college in my early 20s, 21 to be exact, when I heard this in the Fall of 1991. A local radio station was doing a "test press" of the song and were asking listeners to call in. I called in and asked "Who is this?" I further asked "Who is that lead singer?" It was Kurt Cobain and I was hooked. A record store on campus had a midnight music sale and there was a long line outside the store. This song really affected people.

    The music is great and it is so simple. The lyrics according to Moby are insouciant. This is basic hard rock the way it should be.
  • Austin from Smallsville, NeCobian said that he was making fun of revolution. But Grohl said that song had no point at all saying it took him K.C 5 minutes. I kind of think the song has no point to. But that is what grunge is all about. Not getting it is what makes the music unique
  • Blake from Manchester, TnIt's a good song but Christ it's overrated. "Lithium" is much better.
  • Julie from Taylor, TxI found the inspiration fo this song funny. This song is rated the #1 song f the 90s...and who could argue with a rocker song about highschool from hell? Now that is a true work of art.
  • Rebecca from Vancouver, BcWhen I finally start a band with my friend who plays guitar too, we are probably going to play this in practice and at shows if we ever play somewhere other than each other's houses. Anyways great song, one of the best of the 90's, and great guitar!
  • Karen from Chicago, IlI was actually in the Smells Like Teen Spirit video (pan of crowd, girl playing with her hair in the middle-ish row).

    A couple of things I'd like to correct from above:

    The mosh pit didn't develop at the end of the day. It started at around the second take of the crowd's actions and disintegrated from there. In fact the director (Sam Bayer) make a huge gaffe in that he did a "practice run" but didn't film it.

    During the practice run the crowd on the bleachers actually made a pit on the bleachers themselves. This was never repeated because by the second or third take all that kept happening was camera hogs running up in front of the camera to ensure on-screen time.

    So that whole thing about the kids getting angry because it was a long day and then wanting to destroy the set because of their anger is B.S. I didn't see anyone who was angry. Just rambunctious. It's not like they didn't feed us.

    Additionally, the set was comprised of a sweep, drum kit, a basketball hoop, and bleachers. It's not like you could really destroy anything other than the drums. The hanging from the basketball hoop was encouraged because it was good film -- not because teen angst got in the way.

    Another thing that's mistaken above is that I believe the cheerleaders were just regular actresses (not strippers). The tattoo sleeves were makeup. This was really cheesy. It would have made more sense to have had L7 as the cheerleaders, but maybe they were on tour at the time.

    On the what's true side of the equation, flyers for the shoot were handed out at the Roxy show and Chaka was a very well known graffiti artist at the time.
  • Bertrand from Paris, FranceThe emergence of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as a top 10 pop hit remains one of the most dramatic events in pop music of the 1990's. Kurt Cobain's sardonic view of teenagers set amongst a pop melody pounded out by drums and guitars bathed in fuzzed up distortion rattled the pop music establishment. It was all accompanied by a music video that presented a memorable and unrelentingly dark view of the classic school pep rally. Grunge had arrived.
  • Keriah from Naples, Fli believ Kurt was the mosquito, and my guess about the labido is oviously Courtney
  • Reid from Houston, Txok, you guys need to shut up about someone killing him. but to answer one of the questions posted near the top, he says a mulatto, an albino, a mosqitoe, my libido, he was describing the band members, himself being the mulatto, dave grohl being the mosqitoe, and the bass player guy being the albino (just cause he had really light skin). i don't know why he said my libido, but i guess it's because it rhymed.
  • Sheeberson from Wrightsville Beach, NcI know that a lot of people (especially true Nirvana fans) hate this song, but you gotta understand: it killed hair metal, and HELPED start the grunge movement. Now this song probably wouldnt be in my top... even 15... favorite Nirvana songs, BUT, you gotta understand the song's impact.
  • Truth from Mississauga, Canadawhy does he scream a denial at the end?
  • Truth from Mississauga, Canadacan people PLEASE stop talking about if he was killed or not over here at least.i just wanna know the song meaning.why does he say a mulatto, an albino, a mosquito,my libido? im really impressed with brian, Mayfield Heights, OH take on this song.but i would love some more clarification.some people just pick up on things faster
  • Kris from Wichita, KsIdk if that's true i think Kurt did kill himself. I mean it points to it but idk it makes sense if he did and i wouldn't blame him if he did. He couldn't stand seeing his music being in mainstream
  • Sarah from Madison, WiGreat song- but not their best. If it wasn't for this song though, I never would have heard more Nirvana. There is no way in hell that Kurt killed himself. He bought a gun a few days before because he was afraid that someone was going to try to murder him. Courtney Love is too stupid to plan and murder him, but she was for sure involved in it somehow.
  • Scott from Wyandotte, MiThis song was about the "Apatheticy"Of teenagers in america and the Stupidity in america including the lines "I feel stupid and contagious here we are now enertain us"
  • Rachel from Lennonville, InHaha
    I find it funny how Kurt didn't know what Teen Spirit was.
    He makes the name work tho.
  • Angela from Cartersville, GaI love this song so much I only wish he was still alive to sing more and see how much people really love him.
  • Heather from Los Angeles, CaI think when you hear the song played forwards it sounds like he's screaming "I hate you". Forwards or backwards it's complete basura.
  • Jason from Lilburn, GaI don't know if it's just me but if you play this song backwords it sounds like he is saying "i hate you"
  • Kevin from Albany, OrThe beginning doesn't sound anything like More Than A Feeling. It does sound like the beginning ofPeace Of Mind, the next track on the album, though. It also sounds like the beginning of Blue Oyster Cult's In Thee. (I think)
  • Andrew from Bartlett, TnI think the reason this song was so successful was because it was so unexpected and new.
    Smells Like Teen Spirit will live on.
  • Vicky from Larissa, GreeceNIRVANA is a very good band.. I love em... I can't understand why all u say that Kurt was addicted to drugs.. and so?
  • Daniel from Sydney, Australiathe song became endorsed by jock types all over the world, people who he hated. he also hated the fact that people only like nirvana for this song, and on a few occassions refused to play the song. Grohl commented on the WTLO dvd that "its fun to play, but for alot of people its the only nirvana song which is dissapointing"
    the lyrics dont really mean anything, just saying sort of like "what are we supposed to do" when 'we' is a collective term.
    also, it sucks how people listen to this one song repeat like 300 times and are like zomg i love nirvana im such a hardcore person! dikeads. SLTS isnt even their best song, its just a radio friendly unit shifter.
    ;)
  • Keriah from Naples, FlIf other grunge bands like pearljam were so great and so much better than Nirvana then why did the grunge era died pretty much right after Cobain died. the answer is simply grunge couldnt have suvive without Kurt Cobain. he's the grunge king. and all those other bands wre reproduction of Nirvana
  • Keriah from Naples, FlDo you know Kurt Cobain was left handed and was a left hand guiter player but eventually he learned to write with his left hand also. Kurt was not a crappy giuter player.
  • Kirsten from Tampa, Flseriously
    Courntney was too stupid to plan his murder.
    Look at the song Heart shaped box.
    He mentions the zodiac.
    "she has me like a pisces when I am weak."
    He mentions pisces which is his zodiac sign.
    He says in his suicide letter
    "Im just a sensitive, unappreciative pisces."
    It shows how this letter is genuine because it has personal connections with him and his lyrics.
    And he talks about guns and has a picture with him with a gun in his mouth.
    He was probably suicidal most of his life
    and displays it in his music.
    He was addicted to drugs
    dealing with personal issues and fame problems.
    He says so many times how he hates mainstream and how sometimes he feels like a sell out.
    He wrote it in his suicide letter as well.
    He killed himself.
    Thats what happened.
  • Pat from Reading, Mathe bullet that killed him would be from a gun that would be too long to shoot him in the head with his hand. unless he did it with hi
    s feet, i think he was murdered
  • Keeton from Mesquite, TxThis song was rated by Rolling Stones magazine as the 9th best song of all time. AMAZING song but not top 10 material. Pretty crazy
  • Fani from Avlon, GreeceC'mon guys........It doesn't matter if Kurt Cobain killed himself or he was killed but it does matter that ppl love his songs and I have to say that this song means a lot of things to me
  • Haley from Manhattan, NyOkay, for all those squares that think KURT COBAIN KILLED HIMSELF.

    Okay, only reason I could think of that would have killed himself is because he was married to COURTNEY LOVE. I would kill myself. -_- Except, I would not leave all my money to Courtney Love. Who would?

    THERE IS NO WAY ON ANY EARTH THAT KURT KILLED HIMSELF. Before you make your own opinion, take the damn time to read the FACTS.
  • Eric from Maastrichtit's not just a baby swimmiong under water
    its taken from the film "The Blue Lagoon"

    check it out
  • Joe from Bellingham, WaI pretty much agree with "That's me" from KY.
    at first I didn't believe it, but go to Wikipedia, search "Kurt Cobain" and scroll down until you find "Suicide Dispute" this will totally disprove the suicide theories. its sacry. After reading it, you'll see that it was IMPOSSIBLE that Kurt committed suicide
  • Max from Long Beach, NyIn a interview with kurt from mtv(kurt hated music television) kurt said that the song was about "lazy teenagers"
  • Kuzma from Moscow, EuropeKurt was alcoholic and totally insane. This is what I think the song about.
  • Thats Me. from [[here]], Kyi dont even know why im gona say this cuz its not like ur gona come back just to read new comments but im gona tell everyone else what i think. [[this is about dylans comment which said kurt killed himself.]]

    if he killed himself, then none of this stuff could hav happened.:.:.:.:.
    There was not a single finger print on the shot-gun. This indicates that it was wiped. Now if Kurt shot himself there would have to be a finger print, belonging to him, on the trigger. There wasn't.

    The amount of heroin found in Kurt's blood after the autopsy was very high. Infact it was so high that the toxicologist stated that a person under the influence of that bigger doseage would be totally incapacitated. He said that there is no way Kurt would have been conscious, let alone been able to write a note, load a gun and pull the trigger.

    Marks on Kurt's body idicated some kind of struggle before death occured. The puncher wound left by the needle used to inject the heroin was deep and messy, indicating the needle had been stabed into the flesh, as if by another person.

    The suposed suiside note makes no mention of Kurt killing him self or atempting suiside. The note is more like an appolagy for leaving the band Nirvana. The last 4 lines appear to have been added by someone else, handwriting experts agree this and the ink in the last 4 lines was fresher and different to the ink on the rest of the note.

    Courtney had tryed to hire a hit man to kill Kurt before for $50,000. There marrige was over according to friends and witnesses, Kurt was talking about changing his will and writting Courtney out of it and leaving everything to Frances. This was witnessed by the Nanny.

    A stool was used in the investigation, which it was said that Kurt used to block a door. The door used had no access from the outside anyway.

    The blast patern left by the gun shot indicates Kurt was shot/shot himself whilst laying down on his back.

    but yeah this is a great song! not nirvanas best but truly awesome. if u want to see more about kurt you can visit my webpage[[this is the nirvana page]] by going here.
    http://pic3.piczo.com/irock2100/?g=9288912&cr=3



  • Echo from Normalville, MaChaka

    (watch the drum head in the music video)
  • Dylan from New Britain, CtIm sick of all this whining about Kurt being murdered. Cant you guys just accept the fact that he killed himself? Jeezome.

    Over played, But a great song none the less.
  • Brooke from M-town, MeKurdt Kobain Rules RIP to my brotha
  • Gsdfgsdfgsdfg from Nmbnm, Ne1 block 2 block 3 block 12,stash my gat, so stand back, blow em off tha map, run up in the reserve, wavin round my 9, more than a match 4 bows and arrows, aint no one quicker doin crime, creep up behind the bushes, hold up the syndicate, sentenceses says 25 but i dont really give a sh*t, so keep your eye out on the block, run up on you with the glock, takes no time to stop and cock, because the syndicate im bout to rock.
  • Noe from Los Angeles, CaI read some of the comments and most of them said about how they like the song, his death, the song name,and how the song make them feel, nobody said what the song is about, the song is about going with some friend out with this girl that is half black who going to entertain them with oral sex in the dark.
  • Ronnie from Morganton, OhI dont care who you are Nirvana is THE best band of all time
  • Tom from Westfield, NjMost of you are ignorant, YOu only like the song because "it makes you wanna smash stuff" you don't know true music
  • Sara from Traverse City, MiI was very young when this song first came out, but now that I'm a lot older, I really like this song a lot. It's a good song.
  • Spog Zallagi from Blue Hill, MeThis song make angry and insanely happy (I am NOT a violent person). But the deodorant thing just killed me when I read it. I almost dropped my laptop.
  • Jeeves from Dc, Dcthis song is a little too popular cuz polly heart shaped box all apologies and come as you are are all better but after them is definitely teen spirit
  • Jeeves from Dc, Dcevery time i hear this song i wanna smash stuff and ive never seen the video
  • Zack from Sandwich, IlKurt's ingenuity came from the simple fact that his awesome music came from simple chord combinations that anyone can do. What nobody can do though is write the music from those chords. Thats why it sounds soooo good! Think about it...
  • Ryan from Cincinnati, Ohcobain isnt the greatest guitarist..but what he lacks in talent and virtuosity he makes up with powerful riffs and really a lot of passion into his playing, and his songwriting is a plus...
    ~justice for kurt~...(yeah he was MURDERED)
  • Joe from Chicago, Arthis song will get annoying after a few listenings but it's the first nirvana music video i ever saw so i like to remember it
  • Stephen from Denver, CoI get what you're saying. I wore a Nirvana shirt to school today and all kids would say is that they "love smells like teen spirit". I of course think Kurt was brilliant, but I do not defend his suicide. The only reason people like this song is because this was offficially the song that killed 80's glam metal. I am a big fan of GNR too and I still love this song though Dive and Come as you are-are my favorites
  • Gary from Somewhere, Mncobain got this title from one of his ex girlfriends, in a book about kurt cobain i have, it reads one night while dancing around drunk and spray painting on cobains walls in his home his girlfriend at the time sprayed "kurt smells like teen spirit" referring to the teenage girls deoderant called "teen spirit"
  • Caitlin from Sault Sainte Marie, MiHonestly, I really don't like this song too much...I mean it's all right but it's definatly over-played, and I hate it how some people only know of Nirvana because of this song. After Kurt Cobain wrote this song, he hated it, he even said that he never wanted fame and this song it what mainly gave it too him. It wasn't Courtney Love who drove him to suicide, it was the fame and the media...he just didn't want it.
  • Izzy from Buffalo, Nyi always thought it said, 'here we are now, entertainers.' i dunno why...but like Weird Al said, it is kinda hard to understand them sometimes. still love them though, im from seattle to!
  • Copperhed from Jupiter, FlI wish that nirvana still played because they made such great music and my band plays smells like teen spirit and that is fast and so much fun to play on drums guitar and bass. I love that super long fill right before the chorus
  • Aggie from Suva, Otheri can listen to this song a billion times and never get tired of it ^_^
    Nirvana's a top band. & Nevermind is one of my fave albums.
    I honestly have no idea what this song's about. It reminds of wild parties tho...and losing yourself =]

  • Emmie from Long Island, NyThis isn't a pathetic song. Sure, it's not as good as other Nirvana things like Pennyroyal Tea or Lithium, but it's still good. This is actually the song that inspired me to play the guitar...funny, since now I know the chords and I see that it's really pretty simple.
  • Emmie from Long Island, NyI like this song. Not as much as other Nirvana stuff like Lithium or Pennyroyal Tea, but I still like it. This is actually the song that inspired me to play the guitar...funny, because now I know the chords and I see that it's pretty simple.
  • Kira from Bonita Springs, FlThe one matt guy is wrong. Yes i think Kurt is an a**h*** too for killing himself (even though me and my friends think that maybe courtney killed him or atleast drove him to it) but he was not shot in the head it was in the mouth and we only think courtney killed him because at the end of his suicide not if you have ever read it it is not his hand writing at the end
  • Joe from Lockport, IlMan, the Pixies were awesome.
  • John from Mexico DfMany things have said about the riff of this song, it's said that it sounds like Pixies's "U-mass", "debaser", Boston's "More than a felling", Blue Oyster Club's "Godzilla", Men without Hats's "Sideways", etc, etc. I've listen again carefully to those songs's riffs and none of them sounds even closely similar to this nirvana's song (but they all do sound similar to each other- except for "Godzilla" - so they share a very common chord progression)
    In "Smells like Teen Spirit"'s riff, the change from the 2nd to 3th chord is unique and that's what makes this song incredibly awesome. I understand some guys can get confused (actually some friends of mine use to play it in the wrong way and they couldn't note the difference!)
  • Bob from Rio Vista, CaDid the bridge in the middle use a voicebox? It sounds like Hello hello hello how low.
  • Matt from Millbrae, Canirvana certainly sid not have the best guitarist out of "the big 4", nor were they master msucians. but they crafted songs better than all three and despite what people say, kurt COUL sing. im really tired (as im sure a lot of people are) about talking about which one of these bands was the greatest. they all had different styles of music and different messages.
  • Jason from Eberdeen, WaJerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains guitarist) said on I Love the 90's that Cobain was a horrible guitarist, but a great song writer. I agree. Nirvana couldn't even compare to Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, or Alice in Chains talent-wise. And the main reason people like Cobain was because he died. Don't get me wrong, i like nirvana i just think they're overrated a tiny bit and teen spirit is wayyyyyyyyy overplayed.
  • Jeff from Jackson, Netruly a great song but not their best, as most ignorant poser fans believe, i would have to say somen of their best are actually acoustic instead of the heavier stuff.
  • Jac from Boulder, Coits said that kurt had an imaginary freind 'boddah'....... that realtes to the 'suicide' note he wrote. well....just thought all you nirvana fans might be inrerested. this is a great song! i could listen to it 20 timen in a row and still love it yet not understand it at all.
  • Matt from Millbrae, Cawhile kurt was certainly a drug addict, i doubt it affected his songwriting that much, since he did heroin, and when you're high on heroin theres no way you can pick up a pen much less write a song. kurt wrote most of his stuff while sober. second, pearl jam and soundgarden are both amazing bands along with nirvana, and are ranked pretty close to kurt and company in my opinion. while they did not have the impact that Nirvana had, PJ and SG still made some of the best music of the 1990's.
  • Jac from Boulder, Co.....if you think about it nirvanas music wouldnt be as good if Kurt wasnt so addicted to heroine and always stoned out of his mind?......the random, yet deep lyrics and insanity of it make it good.....in my opinion
  • Matt from Millbrae, Cadave makes a good point. cobain definitely did not come up with grunge, as bands like Green River and Malfunkshun were probably the first grunge bands. He did not single handedly change music. But his band did. While grunge may have become somewhat successful a few years later, Nirvana not only sped up the process but expanded it as well. Without this song or the band, I doubt grunge would have become as big a phenomenon as it did.
  • Dave from Cardiff, WalesI disagree with Wes, Kurt Cobain didn't single-handedly change music, he merely speeded up the grunge revolution. The genre was already starting to gain momentum, it simply hadn't burst by then - if Kurt Cobain hadn't come about, the grunge revolution would simply have occurred several years later. And Cobain didn't invent grunge either - haven't you never heard of Mother Love Bone or Temple Of The Dog (both fore-runners of the line-up that would eventually evolve into Pearl Jam? They were just two of a number of grunge bands who preceded Nirvana. Grunge didn't just start with Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. That said, Cobain's INFLUENCE on grunge was massive and cannot be disputed or ignored, but he did not INVENT the genre, neither did he single-handedly change the music industry
  • Lacie from Whitefish, MtGreat song!!

    To bad about cobain, he could of made some more really awesome songs....
  • Amy from Dallas, Txv Definitely agree with you Sidic from Canada.
  • Sidic from Penticton, CanadaBut we still love him
  • Wes from Slotown, Cai agree with Forrest, today's "music" can't hold anything to the incredible musical fusion created by Nirvana and other bands of the time...Cobain changed everything of the time and one thing Forrest there wouldn't be a grunge world if Cobain and Nirvana hadn't created it
  • Unknown from Unknown, United StatesDoes it matter what the song meant ... you people didnt write it ...so stop guessing an blow ur head off to find out the truth.. ~Nirvana~
  • Wes from Slotown, CaIf you really like Nirvana i highly recommend getting the "With The Lights Out" Boxed set, the DVD clips are amazing and its got so many unreleased recordings...i got it yesterday and i can tell i won't be needing any new music for quite some time...3 disks of music and 1 dvd it rocks
  • Wes from Slotown, CaIt makes me really angry when ppl trash talk Cobain and the band...Pearl Jam and Soundgarden have nothing to these guys...Nirvana revolutionized the music world of the 90s and PJ and Soundgarden couldn't match what Nirvana did

    I also would like to note how AWEFUL Tori Amos's acoustic piano version bull s*** was, nobody should be trying to cover a song so great as Teen Spirit unless they're gonna play it how Cobain wrote it, with the heavy overdrive guitar and everything

    NO PIANO FOR GOD SAKES!
  • Wes from Slotown, CaThis song rocks...its my fav song to play on guitar as it is with a ton of my buddies
    i like 2 get together with like 10 of my frends on a saturday night @ like 10:00 and wake up the whole neighborhood with 10 guitars on 10 amps playin full blast with a drummer...its awesome
    The lyrics match how i feel..."I feel stupid and contagious here we are now entertain us." Its how i feel about my parents, they treat me like i'm stupid and refuse to b near me
  • Hidde from Rijswijk, NetherlandsThe video for Smells Like Teen Spirit was also watched in Beavis & Butthead, wich gave it good reviews.
    kurt cobian said he was pleased with the good review
  • Josh from New York, Nythe 3rd fact says kathleeen hanna and toby vail were both lead singers for bikini kill. so... who was the real lead singer
  • Matt from Millbrae, Cait wasn't a quote from a comic...it was a comic that was written after smells like teen spirit became huge. it had nirvana it it. its clearly a drawn kurt singing the lines in the comic. yeah
  • Nathan from Insomeplace, Kythe beginning guitar riff on this was "Borrowed" from Sideways by Men Without Hats
  • Mike from New York, Ny"With the lights out, it's less dangerous. Here we are now, entertain us" was a quote from a comic that was cut out and glued into one of his journals. It can be seen in the book..-"Journals"
  • Matt from Millbrae, CaNirvana covered songs because they respected the artists that influenced them enough to pass on their message. Oasis is just a wannabe Radiohead. Please, people, dont come on Nirvana pages and say how bad Nirvana was because Kurt was a horrible guitar player.....yadda yadda yadda we've heard it all
  • Aaron from Baltimore, MdThat guy from england pissed me off, im sorry, because grunge was made popular by reporters from all over europe, there is this tape dedicated to kurt called "Smells Like Teen Spirit", its kinda like that Chuck Berry Video of him at concert.
  • Aaron from Baltimore, Mdyo Ant dude, the box set version is the album version that appears on Nevermind. The Boom Box version of smells like teen spirit is on dick two as well, my favorite dick in the box set, besides the dvd with IMMIGRANT SONG!!!!!
  • Saylar from Dothan, Alas a matter oof a fact i do...kurt cobain was found dead...courtney love wasnt even there...she got a call that he had escaped from rehab...i like the kangaroo theroy though...
  • Kim from Seattle, Wathis song has so many parts... all truly great i cant say enough. the drums in the intro, the guitar in the verse, the melody, the bass line, the hello how low section that builds in intensety until the the chorus explodes out of the speakers then the post chorus when he says hey and bends the string then it smoothly flows into the verse great song.
  • Declan from Liverpoolwow Pearl Jam admitted they could never be as good as Nirvana, I gotta give them respect for that as its certainly true.
    As for Kurt Cobains death have any of these conspiracy people on here got any proof to back their claims, if not just say "I THINK Kurt got trampled by a stampede of raging kangaroos"
  • Saylar from Dothan, AlKURT COBAIN WAS NOT MURDERED!!he had and overdose on heroine(as you all know)and shot him self in the head...courtney love was more messed up than he was and passed out...and nobody truly knows what this song is about unless you have heard it from kurt cobain himself...stop making predictions...
  • Nicholas from Birkirkara, EuropeWell, Nirvana often mentioned that SLTS was a failed attempt at a Pixies song. In fact the structure is rather similar.

    Besides probably being the song that contributed mostly to their success (due to excessive ariplay it recieved on MTV), the song is subtly criticising the apathetic herd instinct of youth. The irony is that the very people it criticises are the people who actually like it. For the people who can actually understand the meaning, its an amazing song.

    Personally, being a Nirvana fan I feel insulted when people tell me they like Nirvana and then tell me they've only listened to SLTS.
  • Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScThe "It's better to burn out than to fade away" quote is originally from a Neil Young song, not from Kurt.
  • Josh from New York, Nypretty overrated in my opinion. if you want good grunge go to alive (pearl jam) or jesus christ pose (soundgarden).
  • Matt from Millbrae, Caha i like the part where they're talking about playing catch with vibes from the audience
  • Daniel from Thayer, MoI've got the same video, some funny stuff in there, especially Krist's part about the escaltors.
  • Matt from Millbrae, Cayea nate i have that same video...it's pretty funny to watch the band completely toked and giving this interview where they keep drifting off into other conversations
  • Nate from Chicago, IlI dont know if this is already posted, but i have a video of kurt cobain i downloaded off of limewire saying what teen spirit says. I will quote possibly the whole video.'Kris Novoselic-This song is about lazy teenagers or abity or just nobody cares about anything anymore.Interviewers-Do you think thats true?Bass-Yeah,nobody cares,ya know more people smoke marjiuwana in the united states that voted for george bush.'Think about it. Then it cuts off to something else. The band was all there and they were all stoned
  • Ashlee from Hobarti got told that this was used in moulin rouge, but im not sure where. was it actually in there?
  • Anonymous from Camden, Methis is an awesome song! i don't really get how it's like teen spirit, but it's helping me convince my friends that nirvana is a great dark rock band.
  • Stacey from Nowra, AustraliaI can never understand a word that Kurt is singing (although the lyrics are good)i think he uses his voice like an instrument to add to the great sound coming from the drums and guitar. this song was voted no.1 song of the 90's they ARE the 90's and they are the origins of most grunge music. can e stop saying pearljam is original they have done heaps of covers.daniel thayer ppl who don't know about the pasteg, nivana can never understand the future. Quote from Kurt cobain "Its better to burn out then fade away"
  • Alyssa from London, EnglandStop saying Courtney killed Kurt....she may have driven him to do it but she didn't pull the trigger and there is proof! Anyway that man was screwed in the head from all those drugs he took...it's not surprising he killed himself!
  • Alyssa from London, EnglandThis song is very over-rated. I don't think it was their best song at all. It's a beautiful song but I don't think it deserves to be voted 2nd best rock song ever.
  • Simon from Liverpool, EnglandI saw a DVD that showed the "Top of the Pops" performance where the band move their arms and pretend to play. I heard they did it because they were pissed off that they could not play live, but the audience loved it.

    Also they appeared on the "Jonathan Ross Show" when the sound failed and they trashed the set its amazing footage.
  • Kelli from Helena, MtThis is a great song!! I loved their MTV special in 2004!!(dedicated for the 10 years after Cobain's death)
  • Real from Atlanta, GaIrony is that as anti-mainstream Cobain was and this song's message, this song created a mainstream that lasted nearly a decade. And the 'grunge' mainstream did exactly what Cobain and this song vented about. All with the help of these Cobain and 'grunge' worshipers. You who went out and hyped up Nirvana as cool and 'representing' the 90's generation, You who constantly called in to request Nirvana songs because you thought EVERYONE needs to be cool like you, You who told record companies and the media to saturate the market with grunge music (good or bad, mostly bad) because that's what you were willing to buy in order to stay or be cool, and you who helped this grunge mainstream bury other quality music under its saturation. Several non grunge acts, some good some bad, had their label support snatched away and couldn't fing good gigs because they weren't part of this mainstream.
  • Donald from Festus, Mothis song was the hits that started it all in the early 90s....the anti-mainstream beacme the main-stream.....and the rebels became trendy. It started such an identity crisis within the high school walls. all the cool kids like the popular music and all the non cool kids enjoyed the non-conformity feel of grunge. The type of music sorta unified the trends but only on the outside of course. I appreciate this song most for it impact....for probably the first time in history the cool kids wanted to be the rebels.... RIP kurt
  • Charlie from Bethersden, EnglandI am a believer in the Cobain case because it all adds up. This song sums up being a teenage weirdo for me. Well done, Kurt. You were a genius and very hot. You died when I was two. I wish you hadn't. R.I.P. Cobain.
  • Haley from Los Angeles, CaOk: This song is about how teenagers in the 90s generation, and still today are just so rude, insensitive people."here we are now entertain us" describes that.
  • Dan from Lee, NhMaybe Colette, but maybe not. It's easy to sell that kind of story esspecially if it's the kind of story talking about a wildly insecure person like Cobain. Although I do think your point is a good one, but this case will never go to rest.
  • Colette from Fraser, Mi"We all know this, and there is a lot of proof showing that this is wht hapened,"- no, there isn't, otherwise she would have been convicted. What there are are distorted truths, rumors, misunderstandings, and myths ... what you have is a semi-anecdotal. "when he was found dead, he had 3 times the lethal dose of heroin, so is it really possible that he would be able to pick up a shotgun, which is fairly heavy and be able to aim it at his head and then even if he managed that would he be able to pull the trigger?"- those reports were confidential so we don't know what he had in him in actuality, this was just a rumor never verified. Supposing he had that in him, though, there is a thing called tolerance that junkies develope where their bodies are no longer like your's and mine; keep hitting your arm over and over again and soon you'll be able to tolerate that pain, then take it further and do things that cause more damage, but if you slice through your bone you'll still cut it off even if it doesn't hurt as much. Further, again suppossing the rumors are true, we don't know if Kurt shot all that up at the same time ... he could have easily done some earlier, wrote everything, shot up again and - before it took it's toll - pulled the trigger. Plus even the mortician/whatever went on record saying the way his hands were on the gun that only Kurt could have pulled the trigger. Come on, Cobain was depressed but he certainly wasn't stupid. "kurt was in the process of filing a divorce when he was found dead, was this courtney getting revenge?" - after all this time? Just THEN? You know there is also a quote from Kurt saying tht he'd rather die than get a divorce...As for the nanny thing, that has been disected many times and is the least credible of all the Roswell-esque theories, my favorite being that Courtney has mob ties and is the reason everybody in Seattle for the last, oh, 15 years felt there was no reason to reopen the case.
    Sometimes a suicide? Is JUST a suicide, dudes.

    Oh, and great song (not the best Nirvana one) but it appears everything about it has been said. I felt it was an ironic reflection of teen tired of apathy of his/her generation and lack of engagment by their parents.
  • Max from Austin, TxChances are, most people on this website arent looking for people showing them how to go gay. How did you post have anything to do with the song?
  • Max from Austin, TxThis song, by far is not Nirvana's best. Cobain even admitted himself that it was his least favorite off of Nevermind. This song just sounds like he was on an acid trip when he wrote it. How else could he have possibly have related a mosquito, and mulatto, and his sex drive all in one phrase? Nirvana is still the best band of all time, but I wouldn't put too much thought into this song if I were you.
  • Grace from Fairfax Station, VaI really like this song. Not only does it have a really good beat and mood to it, but it spoke to a lot of teenagers. What teenager doesn't feel hopelessly bored sometimes? This is the most un-boring song about boredom I've ever heard. Nirvana was a trio of geniuses!
  • Clare from Liverpool, Englandi really like this song. They kinda started it all off for kids who like heavy rock and stuff now, and thats really great. even though kurt didnt have the intention to start one of the most well known rock bands of the 90s, he sure as hell made a good job of doing it!
  • Raphael from Wayland, MaWell, I think it's meant to be offensive. How else do you explain a naked baby swimming after a dollar bill? I would also like to agree with Ontario. Nirvana?s popularity was Kurt Cobain?s and subsequently Nirvana?s downfall.
  • Dennis from Chicagoland Burrows, IlThis song was played by Tori Amos soon after Cobain's death, and to communicate feelings of respect, and reolization that a great loss was felt by the music community of singer-songwriters (different group than "write me songs I can sing to people to make lots of money" singers) she performed the song in a melody with Don McLean's
    "American Pie". She was not trying to rip anyone off, or do anything better than anyone else.
  • Philip from Omaha, NeSince when did a song facts page become a Cobain-worship forum. Good song, fun riff.
  • Dafydd from Wales ,llanfair Pg, Canadaovbiously teen spirit is about teenage angst and rebellion but it is definetley not the only nirvana song that describes teenage angst and rebellion .the best in my opinion is mr moustache it's a song about living in a redneck town(like i do) and wanting to break free from the hypocrites and cynical losers who surround you
  • Ontario from Ft Lauderdale, FlDon't you think it's pretty ironic that this song is about the mainstream sucking,

    yet the mainstream loved it? It was one of the most popular songs in the 90s, and even now it is still very well known.

    It reminds me of "Spit It Out" by Slipknot, which was about how this radio station kept bashing the band. The song ended up being played on that radio station regularly.
  • Ashley from Some Hick Town, Ini agree amber, i like them i think it is sad, just like alice in chains, i wish their lead singer was stell around, and he was hot too!! but i can play this song on my bass and it is farly simple.... verry actuily, but it sounds cool to every one but my boyfriend who hates the song >.<
  • Ben from Chinatownthat kid spencer elden goes to my school, no lie. he's in 9th grade, acts all poser-ish/emo, and is really gay now. He used to be friends w/ my younger bro who's in the same grade. Oh and the school is eagle rock high school in eagle rock.
  • Rikki from Ashtabula, OhThe song that hanged my life...I remember watching Weird Al's video "Smells like Nirvana" and thinkin to myself "that sounds cool, I wonder what the real thing sounds like". Luckily for me my friend had a copy of the Nirvana Greatest htis cd. Thank god for that! I was hooked on rock from that point on. It got me to pick up a guitar, which I've been playing for 1 and a half year. I can play lots of stuff, solo to "One", Eruption, all of Crazy Train, a lot of other stuff. Anyhow, this is the song that changed me. Kurt will always be my hero and Nirvana will always be my favorite band. Even though I don't listen to them anymore.....My taste has gone to 80s metal. But it's cause of them so I thank Nirvana.
  • Declan from Liverpool, EnglandI think this song is about teenspirt! We are the most neglected and discriminated age range there is and it can be the worst and best time of your life!
  • Dean from Maple CreekHi I think this song is about the fountain of youth, the lyrics posted on the fifth verse should not read "Oh Well, Whatever Nevermind" but sounds like & I'm sure this is it "it's hard to find, (The Well),Whatever Nevermind. These lyrics were never really published by Cobain so therefore it sounds like "The Well" & not "Oh Well" which totally suggests that Curt was singing about youth & staying young & not growing older, to find the fountain of youth everyday! Just listin to the song again with this perspective & it will come to you, you'll see what I mean about this song being about finding the fountain of youth! it's total Genius! & totaly awesome! by Lysergic Animal
  • Reg from New, York, NyWhen I was in 7th grade I was real depressed cause I was such a loser. I was starting to learn more stuff about Nirvana and then I saw the Smells Like Teen Spirit video and I was amazed. Nirvana has been a big influence on my life ever since.
  • Erica from Staten Island, NyDoes anyone else find it really hypocritical that Kurt despised the mainstream, yet this became the most popular song of the 90's? All the same I love Nirvana!
  • Zachary from Charlotte, NcRaven, it doesn't matter who killed him he is dead now, I really wish people would let him live through his music instead of through conspiracy theories.
  • Jane from Geraldton, Wahay, i would just like to say, smells like teen spirit was a very good song, its one of the best known songs by nirvana but i personally like about a girl better. yeh that Zacc guy had a point. jane.
  • Daniel from Thayer, MoWhile this is a GREAT Nirvana song (Not the best, but certainly revoultionary, you don't have to justify it, just live with it)

    Not everybody knows of and not everybody loves it, the girls next door to me (Who are 13 and 15) have never even heard of Nirvana, nor have their boyfriends or any of their friends. I guess the song is a self forfilling prophocy. Lack of atttention span and dis regard for the past arew certainly here, because average teenagers don't even know this song, it's pitifull. I know kids whjo havn't heard of Nirvana, Kurt, SLTS, Grunge, or hell, people who don't even know what Led Zeppelin is. Thats gross...
  • Zachary from Charlotte, NcLook, I wasn't really trying to be that funny so much as trying to rid the message board of the Kurt Cobain conspiracy theory talk, It worked I got rid of that and got you focused on me, but its only a short period of time before someone rights a book on why Kurt didn't actually kill himself...
  • Renee from Corona, Caits an alright song. i like all apologies and lithium better...but yeah. i notice theres a lot of young nirvana fans out there, hah. i lied, i live in CT. and im 13. my mom grew up in the same neigborhood as Ronnie Cerrito. he discovered Nirvana. so, thats pretty cool. hes friends with ozzy osbourne too. yepp...
  • Mia from Wellston, MiI really love this song but there is one thing this song has always reminded me of. In about 1998 when i was about 6 or 7 (i'm 13 now) my family visited my cousin and his dad living in an apartment about 1 hour away from my granpas house who lives in ohio (i live in michigan). I remeber walking in and there was trash and stuff and my cousin (who was about 12 or 13 at the time) was drinking coffee. My mom said your too young and stuff and I also remember Beanie Babies (which were soo.. popular at the time) were laying around. In my cousins room in the apartment he had bands spray painted on his wall. ( I remeber seeing Ac/dc metallica but no nirvana) I have no idea why when i hear this song i think of that time becuase i didnt know the song untill i was like 12. Does anyone else have a story like this?? i would like to hear it!...Nirvana Rocks.
  • Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScBy the band, I meant Nirvana.
  • Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScBtw, great song. I just like bands like Led Zeppelin, the beatles, the Who, and Pink Floyd better. But this song is great and so is the band.
  • Mia from Wellston, MiI agree with matt and becca...geez what are you talking about...Bigfoot??
  • Matt from Millbrae, Cano ones gettin u wrong anthony...totally agree
  • Anthony from Beverly, NjDont get me wrong I love Nirvana but if you want to hear influentail music listen to pink floyd
  • Eloise from London, EnglandYep, not even funny Zac.
  • Matt from Millbrae, CaI think Zac is on more heroin than Kurt was.
  • Zac from Charlotte, NcOKAY EVERYBODY HERE IT IS ITS TIME FOR MY KURT COBAIN CONSPIRACY THEORY OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!

    How could Kurt Cobain have shot himself???? When he was out deer hunting with Big Foot don't you see what happened Big Foot rolls with the East Compton Crypts and some Bloods saw them fools and started shooting Big Foot carried Kurt off to Santa's house in the North Pole so he could live with Elvis, and Tupac... Note also that while it isn't confirmed Jesus could be with them as well...
  • Tanya from Rotterdam, NetherlandsElliot, there is a whole world between being a musical nothing and a musical God. Kurt Cobain was musically talented. I think that's a fact because so many people still listen to his music after more then 10 years and feel an urge to share this with others.
  • Elliot from St. Louis, MoAnt, Pearl Jam is incredible, and the almost all grunge bands became big because of the popularity of Nirvana, but Nirvana became famous because of the support of the Seattle bands.
  • Elliot from St. Louis, Moe, I apologize for really assisting in this war of musical preference, but it is out of anyone's control now, if u notice, the first few facts at the bottom of the page are more fact realted, now it is just kind insulting the other opinions. I dont idolize Kurt, I think he was a great rocker, but not a musical god. He was influential in rock music, and you cannot deny this. But he was destructive and depressed, and couldn't become anything more than an indie band that got to be huge. He knew that, he hated being popular. It is the people who do think he was a musical god that ruin all he stood for. He hated when people idolized him, he couldn't handle it. You should read his "suicide" letter. It is moving. From, a sleepy grunge fan.
  • Dom from Staten Island, NyKurt Cobain was a lyrical Genius and i Wish he was still around to show what modern rock really is to these pretty little boy bands like Good Charlotte, New Found Glory, Blink 182,etc.Alright Nirvana Kick Ass Rock On !.;!
  • Matt from Millbrae, Cai dont think many Nirvana fans "worship" Kurt Cobain (the guy put a shotgun pellet through his head, unless you listen to the millions of conspiratists on this damn web site). He wasn't God, he didn't die for rock and roll. Quite frankly, he was an a**hole for doing what he did. But the music. The great music is all I care about.
  • Ant from Cardiff, Walesi hate pearl jam..and the one thing im gutted about that nirvana became big was the fact that pearl jam became big because of it..eddie vedder didnt even deserve to tune kurts guitar..

    "here we are now entertain us" was about kurt turning up at parties and saying that line

    i much prefer the boxset version(butch vig remix)
  • E from Vancouver, CanadaElliot, I'm not anti-Nirvana at all. I'm just saying that people should stop worshiping Cobain. I know what grunge was about, and i believe that a band like Pearl Jam delivered the messages far better than Nirvana did. As for Cobain's lyrics, I know that he wrote symbolic lyrics, but thats what writing is all about. Any good writer does this. Nirvana worshipers all say that the greatness of Nirvana was in Cobain's lyrics, but I don't think he was the greatest lyricist in rock. Very good I will admit, but just because it is poetic doesn't mean that much. As for the distorted guitar, the Smashing Pumpkins did wonders with it, but Nirvana just used it in ugly fashions if you ask me. Anyway im not at all anti-Nirvana, but they are legendary for changing the course of pop culture, which is far less important than being legendary for superb music.

    And Tanya you are right, the first few Beatles albums were crap, and they only began getting really good several albums down the line. Nirvana may have been able to do this, but you can't give them credit for something they never did. We will never know if they would really become innovative.

    Thats the last time i post a message this long.
  • Elliot from St. Louis, MoDear "e" and e's anti-Nirvana followers, I have said it before and I will say it again, grunge rock was hardly looked at for musical talent. Grunge was all about the meaning and art and anti-corporalization (is that a word?). Kurt was a genius in his lyrics, as were many grunge bands. Though his voice may not have been "beautiful", not a voice that holds up anything beyond rock, but it was something different. His guitar playing was great, not in a sense of skill (though he was a really good guitarist), but it's distorted sound gave the 90's something to rock with. If anything read his lyrics and examine them symbolically, then you will understand why he is a genius. From a huge grunge fan.
  • Tanya from Rotterdam, Netherlandse, I understand what you're saying. The thing is, that The Beatles really started being original and innovative only after a few years. In fact, in the beginning they were mostly covering songs, and their first albums are rather 'plain'. Not innovative at all. Not different than any other Merseybeat-band. Over the years they developed. Kurt Cobain never had that time. In the first place he was distroying his own life, and by doing that, this must have had an effect on his music. And by the time The Beatles were ready to make their Help-record, Kurt Cobain was dead. Again, I understand what you're saying, but to me it doesn't prove that Cobain didn't have talent. The Nevermind-album has no weak song on it. And no covers. And the songs ARE original. Cobain decided he was going to write a hit. And he did. I don't think there are a lot of people around that can make a desicion like that and make it work. I first started to be a bit interested in Nirvana only a year ago. I'm not young (actually I'm two months older than Courtney Love), to me Nirvana was not 'at the right place at the right time'. I'm in no way interested in grunge or hardrock. So it must be something else. Of course: the poppy melody's. I admit, I'm sensitive to that. But there is something else there too, I assure you. Something you can't explain with technical details like '3 chord combinations'. Do you know the One Note Samba (Astrud Gilberto)? That's an amazing song. Based on one note only.
  • Scott from Bismarck, NdAnyone who thinks that Nirvana didn't have any thing going for them needs to accept that there was one thing that made Nirvana awesome, no matter what your opinion is. No it isn't Kurt's voice (tho I love it) or Kurt's lyrics (also love that) or Kurt's music (also love) but no, there is one driving musical force that is so amazing you HAVE to appreciate that, and that is Dave Grohl, no one can even come close to touching Grohl now a days, and as far as the past goes, only Keith Moon, Bonzo, and Neil Pert can even exist on the same plane of existance as Dave Grohl.
  • E from Vancouver, CanadaI just don't understand how people can even compare Nirvana to PJ and Soundgarden (and TOTD), let alone the greats from the past such as The Beatles and Zep... Their music is superior to Nirvana's in every single way. They were far more talented than Cobain... the only reason Nirvana was so popular is for the same reason that in today's times crappy bands like Green Day get more attention than superior bands like Audioslave. The reason being that Nirvana's music was simply based on simple, pop-friendly hooks, making them appeal to a larger variety of rock fans. Now this isn't a bad thing. The Beatles did the same. However in this process the Beatles were actually original and innovative. Nirvana did not really do anything innovative with the music itself. Just plain, un-interesting 3 chord combinations with a gloomy, melodic feel. I know there's nothing wrong with being simple, but don't treat these guys like gods just because they had an affect on pop culture, because after all pop culture changes all the time and its really not an important aspect of life.
  • Zac from Charlotte, NcZach, Houston Texas... at the point in time when Nirvana hit it big listening to music wasn't about being cool anymore it was the opposite of that it was music for an uninspired youth unmoved by the musical land scape at that time without Nirvana it seems unlikely that any other band would have appealed to the depressed anti-popular youth in the U.S. at that time and therefore would have dramatically changed the Musical landscape, just because you watched a show on VH1 about Metal doesn't make you an expert on it, the Metal scene was going to hang on for dear life until it just couldn't anymore and without Nirvana who knows when the final nail would have been hammered into the 'Big Haired Metal Scene's' coffin and changed the musical landscape forever
  • Matt from Millbrae, Casorry that was Billy Corgan not Chris Cornell
  • Matt from Millbrae, Cahey zack...no one who is a real Nirvana fan thinks they are cool because they listen to them. Fans listen to music because they like the artist and hwat they stand for...not because they're cool. As for "things would have changed anyway"...we'll never know that. What we do know is that Nirvana actually DID change things, and it took a song like SLTS to do it. I know Soundgarden's songs and Pearl Jam's songs are amazing, but I doubt if any of them had the power to completely change the music scene. Anyone else notice a dropoff once Nirvana was gone? Chris Cornell even admitted that Kurt's death "took the wind out of everybody's sails".,
  • Martin from Ã?stersund, SwedenThis has to be the most overrated song of all time. I like Nirvana though, Marigold, Hairspray Queen and Something in the way are all good songs.
  • Baki from Perth, Australia"Here we are now, tntertain us" - Cobain and his friends used to announce themselves at parties with this line.
    Read the book about his life. Not riverting stuff but if you are into Cobain then go for it.

    He seems to have loved The Beatles a lot.
  • Zach from Houston, TxI hate to break this to all u Nirvana fans, but Cobain is no better of a writer than plenty of other musicians. Sure he was a poet, but there are plenty of bands who have poetic lyrics. SLTS CHANGED POP CULTURE BUT SO WHAT?!?!? Musicaly Nirvana's sound was NOTHING SPECIAL. I totally disagree with people who say that simple=bad, but Nirvana's music was simple AND bad. Even if Nirvana had never existed, music would have durasticaly changed course anyway as the hair metal fad was practically dead anyway. All you dumb kids who think you are cool because you like Nirvana... get a life!
  • Adam from Durham, United Statesthis song speaks to me, what the hell cobain was trying to say i have no freggin clue but it speaks to me none the less.
  • Tayo from Estacada, OrWould people stop thinking of flannel shirts as "grunge". That's what we wear in the Northwest! Especially in small mountain/woodland towns. We go out in the woods to fish, hunt, hike, camp etc. We wear that stuff. It's not a fashion statement. Hollywood and the mainstream media was the ones that started this crap about flannel as being a signal for "grunge". You people in L.A. can go screw yourselves.
  • Tanya from Rotterdam, Netherlandse, you mistake making a big thing out of something with being talented. I once saw an interview with Bob Dylan and one with Johnny Rotten at one evening. I knew neighter one of them very well. Dylan had nothing to say. He, quite frankly sounded rather dumb (or maybe just happy...? No). He wasn't acting dumb, he was acting very interesting. But not one original line passed his lips! Johnny Rotten on the other hand was acting dumb, but couldn't hide that in fact he was sharp as a razor and amazingly intelligent. As I said, I didn't know that much about them, but I always thought it was the other way around. It is possible that you don't like Cobain's sound. In fact, I can understand that. I have the same with the voice of Mick Jagger. I HATE it, while others love it. It's a question of taste, I think. But Cobain CAN sing. It's amazing what he can do with his voice (ever heard Hairspray Queen?). Apart from that he wrote lyrics that were completely unpretentious. But at the same time very very clear and bright. That's a gift. An finally: Cobain had a Lennon-McCartneylike talent for writing good melody's. It's nothing more, nothing less.
  • Tanya from Rotterdam, NetherlandsSasha, I'm a Beatles-fan as you are, but that fact doesn't mean that bands that didn't change the face of rock are 'boring'. In fact, one could say that Nirvana never really succesfully was imitated because they were quite unique in the way they combined hardrock with pop. Beatles-like pop. You could say that The Beatles are much easier to imitate then Nirvana. Don't let the fact that the songs sound 'simple' deceive you. The greatest artists make it look easy. And when you really analyse it, is "Yesterday" that brilliant? Nirvana and Kurt Cobain made a difference. Otherwise they would have been long forgotten now, and they're not, prove all the discussions on this site alone about their music.
  • E from Vancouver, CanadaHaving to sing and play guitar at the same time is no excuse... look at Dylan, Hendrix, Neil Young. They display true musical talent, and lyrics-wise better than Cobain. Nirvana's grunge was just punk rock with a bit slower tempo and a darkness to it (I'll admit, far better musicianship than Green Day or modern day pop punk bands)... truly great grunge bands like PJ and Soundgarden were far more original. Their music actually sounded like a genre of its own... not just a twisted punk feel like Nirvana, but something actually new that went deeper than just a gloomy sound with Cobains annoying, raspy voice to accompany it.
  • Matt from Millbrae, CaYou asked for a defense, e. I know that those lists are all speculation, but what else is there to judge from other than just our opinions? And boring song structure? if you look closely, Nirvana's songs were structured like, well, like the Beatles songs! Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Solo, etc. As for depressing lyrics, not all of the songs are depressing. In fact, songs like Breed, Stay Away, On A Plain, Drain You, Very Ape, and Territorial Pissings are particularly upbeat. And 3 chords...most people forget that Kurt had to sing and play guitar at the same time, something Eddie Vedder never had to worry about. By the way, many of Nirvana's songs are not that simple, either, and the ones that are don't rank as some of their best work.
  • Sasha from San Fransisco, CaI agree with "e". Nirvana was not great at all. The Beatles changed the face of rock, but Nirvana just helped to usher in the crap that has plagued the airwaves for the past 13 years. The only exceptional bands of today either existed before the grunge movement (eg: RHCP) or are supergroups (Audioslave, VR) or are a totally different genre of music not influenced by Nirvana (Radiohead, The Music). Sure there are more good bands today than that, but nothing outstanding. Really, Nirvana didn't do anything great, and their music was too boring and depressing. Although I must agree with those who say Cobain was a great lyricist. He really was. But on the other hand, there are a lot of great lyricists. Eddie Vedder was a better lyricist if you ask me, and seeing that the only good thing about Nirvana is the lyrics, I can safely conclude that they were an average band, and cannot be compared to the Beatles... or most other bands for that matter.
  • Matt from Millbrae, Ca"e"...search on the other songfacts for Nirvana when I and others have come up with countless reasons defending Nirvana...I'm sick and tired of saying that they were most likely the most revolutionary band since the Beatles...that whenever you see a list of the greatest bands or greatest songs, Nirvana's up there with the rest of them. Did you know Hey Jude beat out Teen Spirit by ONE SPOT in the Rolling Stone list of the greatest songs? SLTS isn't even Nirvana's best song, either. You need proof? watch Nirvana's unplugged performance...the command Kurt had over an audience is something you might never see again. Yes, bands like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden are amazing as well, but don't ever discount Nirvana because they opened the doors for those bands.
  • Matt from Millbrae, CaNirvana is not overhyped. I am not going to make myself look like an idiot by raving about all the reasons that they are one of if not the most important bands ever. You're just wrong Jose.
  • Jose from New York, NyNirvana is the most overhyped band in history!!
    Cobain could not sing for Sh*t. He could not play guitar for sh*t. HIS LYRICS ARE NOT THAT OUTSTANDING. there are wayyy better lyricists such as Bob Dylan. Smells Like Teen Spirit is not a great song. Its just an average song which becomes unbearable after the 3rd listen.
    Pearl Jam blows Nirvana out of the water.
  • Jeff from Edmonton, Ale I honestly don't know how you can say this sh;t, except to get people going...Nirvana was a completely original band, I think the analogy of The Beatles meets punk rock fits well, kurts voice was melodic and emotional but still grinding and raspy his guitar work was catchy and poppy while still being heavy and distorted, the lyrics are cryptic, meaningful, poetic and often twisted. The pounding drums and basslines that perfectly accent the song top it off. Nirvana changed the face of popular music, they inspired a generation of kids to learn to play guitar, they became an international hit while still remaining street credible. It's impossible to over-rate a band like Nirvana, because they every ounce of credit they get they deserve, because they were Nirvana they were the second Beatles, and outstanding revolutionary band, that really got the kids going, that everyone gave a sh;t about one way or the other.

    ps
    I was a complete skeptic about the murder theories "this is all conspiracy theory bullsh;t, let him rest in peace." but i got the book Love and Hate as a gift and I read it and there are a lot of unexplained coincidences, and the investigators immediately jumped to the suicide conclusion without fully investigating. Maybe Kurt can finally rest in peace once ALL options are investigated, and we know once and for all what happened in that greenhouse.
  • E from Vancouver, Canadawell I'm sorry if I'm not a "true grunge fan". If liking good bands like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam makes me a "poser" then so be it. Why the hell would I care if you concider me a poser... I like what is good, I'm not gonan say I like Nirvana to please you "true grunge fans". And Cobain may have written good lyrics, but thats not all there is to being a good musician.
  • E from Vancouver, CanadaHow do you know what he would have been? Even if he would have been great, it doesn't matter because he WASN'T. You can't justify his under-achievement by using heroin as an excuse. Nirvana released a few albums that are better than most of today's, but overall they did not do anything exeptional, and their sound was so damn annoying.
  • Elliot from St. Louis, MoDear "e", you have no appreciation of grunge rock. You might claim you are a grunge fan, but you are a poser. Real grunge fans know what music is about. It is intended to send a message to people, and Kurt singing is, though not considered beautiful, there is no tribute band or other singer who can get on the same level of vocals as Kurt. Also if you read through the lyrics of his songs, especially in the album In Utero, you can understand how incredibly genius he is. P.S. True grunge fans don't only like the hits because they sound good, but the like the songs not intended to be hits (Territorial Pissings by Nirvana, Bugs by Pearl Jam, and countless other) by appreciating what the artist was trying to say in these songs.
  • Nick from Toedo, OhKurt was a great singer and would of been really big if he didn't do haroen. He would of been like Stevie Ray Von after he stopped taking haroen his writting got better but then Steve diedin a helicopter
  • Josh from Palmerston North, New Zealandwhy are people saying this is a good riff this is a shockingly bad and boring riff which i personally thnk is their worst cuming rite behind the milk it solo. Kurt Cobain was never that good at anything he did but write lyrics and still they are hard to pick up
  • Scott from Bismarck, Ndtoo bad you don't even have your facts straight 'e', SLTS wasn't even the first huge hit of grunge, that would have to go to 'Touch Me I'm Sick' by Mudhoney, bet you didn't know that, huh? So therefore I find your grunge knowledge to be incredibly limited, therefore nulling your Nirvana diss.

    tada.
  • Ash from Charleston, WvWhoa, "e" in Vancouver. You best gear-up for an onslaught of backlash for that one. Personally, I'm not a huge Nirvana defender or anything. I really like the band a lot, but I actually have always felt that they were perhaps a bit overrated (note the extensive use of qualifiers here, Nirvana fans). Is Pearl Jam a better band? Definitely. Soundgarden? Maybe. Foo Fighters? No question about it. Sorry, but that's just me.
  • E from Vancouver, CanadaI like this song, it has a good riff and i can definitly see why its an important song. However other than having the first huge hit of the grunge era, Nirvana SUCKED. They are way overrated. Cobain's voice sucked, his guitar skills were no better than any other half decent guitarist, and I think that Grohl is the biggest talent in that band. I do like grunge and im a fan of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, but Nirvana just doesn't do it for me.
  • Suraj from Mumbai, IndiaNIRVANA was the greatest band there ever was and and will be. I love each and every one of their songs.NIRVANA & KURT rule!!!!
  • Ash from Charleston, WvI do get what you are saying as well. You're saying the music IMMEDIATELY preceeding this era was hardly angst-ridden, I believe. I was referring mostly to punk rock, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and so on, which of course were all LONG before 1991. But I would argue that there was still angst-filled music a plenty in the late 80's: Jane's Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers (sometimes), The Smiths, U2 and so on. You just had to know where to find it. And with all due respect, "the first coming of emotionally potent rock and roll?" I don't subscribe to that at all. Need I name names again? Well, okay: Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Clash, The Who, etc., etc., ad infinitum....
  • Matt from Millbrae, CaAsh i get wat ur sayin, but the music before Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, etc. was hardly angst-ridden. You had Motely Crue with the horrible "Girls Girls Girls" and Guns & Roses with "Sweet Child O Mine" (which is a great song but definitely not angst ridden). This was the first coming of emotionally potent rock and roll. I don't call it grunge either, but somehow the term stuck.
  • Ash from Charleston, WvI have never understood the term "grunge." The above songfacts define it as "characterized by loud guitars, angst-ridden lyrics and flannel." The last time I checked, loud guitars and angst-ridden lyrics predated the year 1991 by several decades. That music was called "rock and roll." Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc., should also be referred to only as "rock and roll." That just leaves us with "flannel," so essentially "grunge" can be defined as music being played by people wearing a certain kind of shirt??? That is absurd. Let's put the term "grunge" to rest, already.
  • Niall from Toulouse, FranceActually Eloise, it was El Duce who was hit by the train. Sorry, I shold have made that more specific.
  • Eloise from London, EnglandOh, Ok Niall....just re-read it - you meant the killer was hit by the train. This place gets weird sometimes - yours sounded like some new conspiracy theory there for a moment!
  • Eloise from London, EnglandOk, Matt. Truce on the "Yank/Yeeeurch" thing! No offence meant from this end either. "Yeeeurch" was just onomatopeia, not a real word. While I'm here, what do you mean about Kurt being "hit by a train", Niall from France?
  • Niall from Toulouse, FranceGive me a BREAK! What has Courtney ever done to make most of the girls on this comment page seem to love her? It's an opinion, whether Kurt Cobain was murdered. But I think he was murdered, but that's just my opinion. Go think Kurt was suicidal if you want to. See what I care.
  • Mia from Wellston, MiHey charlie... My friend heard the same thing only she thought it was " here we are now..mashed potatoes" Lol NiRvAnA RoCkS
  • Becca from Hamilton, CanadaNo it is not enough proof. If I said I was the Queen of England would you believe me? People say things that aren't true. So the guy might not have been telling the whole truth about Courtney. Kurt would be rolling over in his grave if he knew people thought that he was murdered. Everyone should just let Kurt rest in peace and give it a break. He was not murdered. It was suicide.
  • Niall from Toulouse, FranceAll of you out there who think Courtney Love is innocent, well, I've got a story to tell. This punk rock singer called El Duce was interviewed once on the death of Kurt. He said that Courtney once came up to him and offered him 50,000 dollars to blow Cobain's head off. He refused. He told the interviewer he knew who the real killer was, someone else who was offered the money by Courtney: Allen Wrench. Less than a week later he was found dead, mysteriously hit by a train. Is that enough proof?
  • Matt from Millbrae, CaEloise I'm sure I'm not the only "Yankee" who was confused by the whole yeeurch thing. It wasn't meant to be an insult, I just wanted to know what it meant. And by the way, I'm not a yankee. yankees are those macho idiots who wear red white and blue every day. Nirvana rocks.
  • Becca from Hamilton, CanadaI love Nirvana more than any other band. But I HATE this song. It is so overplayed and overrated. Tell me,what is so good about it?
  • John from Noodleberry, MiThe entire song is about teenage revolution, and uprising read his journals you morons. and the lyrics in the recorded version meant nothing to him... "Load up on guns and bring your friends" meaning get prepared for war, "It's fun to lose and to pretend" notice that people want you to grow up and stop pretending on how life is?! "she's overboard and self-assured" meaning that she reflects society being sure that they can control teenagers. "oh no i know a dirty word" as in when you were little you were punished for saying a dirty word and parents wondered where you learned it cuz they don't like it "hello how low?" refers to him asking everyone that's on the opposite side how low they want him to feel. "with the lights out it's less dangerous here we are now entertain us" you can't shoot someone accurately with the lights out meaning it's not as dangerous for the opposition, the teens are there and in power so entertain them or else just like a kind and jester do. "i feel stupid and contagious" meaning that his lack of well planning makes him know they're goona lose anyways but he still holds the power and says "here we are know entertain us" the four words he says are basically images of their own... teh rest is easy to understand if you know how to analyse songs... in his journals tho he wrote next to the original lyrics a line of how to gain control note at the end he says They will be assassinated with a hoe to the back of the neck to save bullets, and kurt never liked the publicity people just liking "SLTS" ticked him off
  • Scott from Bismarck, NdSteve, its written in a total stream of conciousness style, so no the words in individual lines are not supposed to have meaning, or make sense, but instead the overall use of words is supposed to make you have a 'feeling' instead of a meaning, that's the best I can explain it, it's how the Pixies (and to an extent, Sonic Youth) wrote as well.
  • Steven from Harrison, OhIve listened to this song a million times and I still cant find a meaning for it. To me it just sounds like a bunch of words said together that just happens to sound good, im not saying the song is bad Actually I like the song.
  • Cody from Cicero, Inumm is there anybody in here that doesnt think that courtney killed kurt? probly not........so i can feel warm with u ppl who take this a ,litle too seriously....thats awesome keep doing it
  • Eloise from London, EnglandEnough already! Jurrian, you're never gonna change the world - it's done, stop tryin'. Matt and Jason, you both love this great band so isn't that enough? Teen Spirit is a great song, Cobain was a great artist - millions of people would say the greatest, millions would say "Yeeeurch". Don't take it all so seriously. As we Brits say "Keep yer hair on" !
  • Matt from Millbrae, Cauh no offense jurriaan but youre kinda just repeating the facts that everyone uses in defense of the "murder theory". when someone comes along with NEW evidence, then I'll be interested. until then, we should just focus on the music and not worry about theother stuff. Rest in Turmoil Kurt Cobain.
  • Rob from Castaic, CaYou need direct evidence to convict Courtney. You know where that piece of evidence is? It's flowing down a Washington river in thousands of pieces.
  • Jurriaan from Rosendal, Netherlandsthe reason i have become involved with kurt cobain is because of one of my neighboors, when i was 8, there was a new guy who moved in on our street, he personally knew kurt cobain,as he grew up on kurt's street, they werent that good of friends, but they knew who the other one was, and kurt went to one of his birthdays and eventually my friend moved but he has the school year book of him and kurt. then one day kurt was looking through an old box and he found the birthdasy invitation, he remembered the guy but threw the card away. the year was 1987. my friend was now finishing highschool and he had a spring break. he decided to back to seattle to visit his grandma. on the way he was traveling on east east raymond willipa road when he heard a loud music, he made a left turn on to nussbaum road, he thought the music was really cool so he stopped by and realized it was a private house, but he knocked on the door anyway and the guy asked waddayawant, aqnd he replied whose playing that music? and he replied thets my friend kurts band, and he asked kurt who and he said cobain why? then it hit him, it was that guy who used to live in his neighboorhood, so he asked to come in, they refused, but he asked for kurts address and number, so he gave it, he was completely surprizssed,he later called kurt and they both rememebred,but my friend still had to finish school and couldnt come up to visit. he only saw kurt once at a concert, but had at least a couple phone conversations with him. when he later heard that kurt had commited scuicide, and the first thing he thought was thats BSkurt was one of the most unscuicial people ever, but kurt has died and when i was 8 he told me this story, later showing me nirvana, which he owns original copies of all the CDsthanks tho my friend, nirvana would have been nothing to me, but if you dont belive this, you dont have tooand i am not saying the name of my friend for his protection this is just a story i thought id share with you, and this is why we are trying to convict Courtney
  • Jurriaan from Rosendal, Netherlandsoh yeah, yuo can email me at justiceforcobain@yahoo.com
  • Jurriaan from Rosendal, NetherlandsATTENTION!!
    me and my friends are trying to start a court case. We need to prove that courtney love is the killer of
    Kurt Cobain. We all know this, and there is a lot of proof showing that this is wht hapened,
    1. when he was found dead, he had 3 times the lethal dose of heroin, so is it really possible that he would be able to pick up a shotgun, which is fairly heavy and be able to aim it at his head and then even if he managed that would he be able to pull the trigger? think about it

    2. kurt was in the process of filing a divorce when he was found dead, was this courtney getting revenge? i think so, and was the male nanny at the house, michael dewitt also involved for a high payment, because of the low salary he recived? i think so

    there are many more peices of evidence
    if you want to see them please visit www.cobaincase.com
    thanks guys and we need to put this criminal Courtney Love to Justice.
  • James Wells from Queens, NyThe lyric at the end "a DENIAL" i believe is Kurts true pain from his addiction coming out in words. I am a recovering cocaine addict and alcoholic and I could hear that rage in my own head for years when I tried to stop using but just could not. I don't know how kurt truly felt about his addiction but when I listen I hear his Heroin addiction killing him and he is becoming hopeless at that time.........Hear him scream a DENIAL and I feel he is screaming for help and cannot stop using

    theevolution4285@aol.com
  • Ross from Independence, MoThis is #9 in Rolling Stone's list of 500 greatest songs.
  • Rj from Commerce, MiThis song is over rated but still cool it was my favorite nirvana song when i just started listing to them but there are ten times better ones
  • Matt from Millbrae, CaHey Jason, Nirvana is my favorite band, but by no means is it the only band I listen to. Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam, Hole, Foo Fighters, Sex Pistols, Pixies, Sabbath, King's X, Rage Against the Machine, The Doors, The Who, are just a few of my other favorite bands. And what kind of "kicks" do you get out of spelling town's names wrong? If that's what you do for fun, then you really need to get out. If you were actually on other bands songfacts you would see ive posted on many other songs. Yes, I did know that Nirvana's first name was Skid Row. They also performed as Cat Butt, Stiff Woodies, and a bunch of other names before settling on Nirvana. I don't go around making fun of people unless they say something about me first (which you did). I mention Nirvana when talking about bands like Good Charlotte because you and I both know that bands like Charlotte and Simple Plan and whatever try to copy those 90's bands and pass themselves off as alternative when they're just pop. I just use Nirvana as an example. I'm willing to let this go if you will, just don't judge.
  • Tanya from Rotterdam, NetherlandsKurt hated this song? That would be the same like hating your own child, wouldn't it? In other words: even if that's something he really said at one point: I don't believe it. And apart from that: I don't hate the song, I like it a lot. Like I like many other Nirvanasongs. And I'm not a retard. It's stupid to call peolple you don't even know that. We're just talking about songs we like, and about what they mean to us. I just can't imagine why that would be a reason to start calling people names.
  • Will from Moraga, CaThe first line "Load up on guns, and bring your friends" could refer to heroin. A hypodermic needle is commonly referred to as "a gun" so loading up on guns would mean 'preparing to get high'
    This is evident in the first three songs off Nevermind.

    Load up on guns... (SLTS)

    He's the one who like all our pretty songs and he likes to sing along and he likes to shoot his gun, but he knows not what it means (IN BLOOM)

    And I swear that I don't have a gun (COME AS YOU ARE)
  • Jason from Eberdeen, WaMatt, I know I spelled the city name wrong, it was just for kicks.Anyway, I don't think you should be making fun of anyone. Are the only bands you know are Nirvana, and Good Charlotte? Did you know the bands name back then was Skid Row, the famous hair metal band. The only band you write about is Nirvana, come on. I think the only comment you made about another band was Good Charlotte and you still mentioned Nirvana. Quit being such a pr*ck. Before you go around making fun of other people look at you. There's other great bands out there, not JUST Nirvana.
  • Niall from Toulouse, FranceSeam, I totally agree with you.
  • Tanya from Rotterdam, NetherlandsHye, Jade, I am 40, and I say that Kurt Cobain was and still is sexy and gorgeous;-).
  • Paula T. from Portland, OrHi
    Somebody please help me!!! I need to find out about "Smells like teen spirit" means. I read the lyrics and read this message board..... but still can't figure out what this song really means .... especially the first verse. Thanks
  • Tanya from Rotterdam, Netherlands"I can't believe Nirvana has been lowered down to people like yo." Well, but you're lifting the Nirvana fan-level again, aren't you, Pete? They are so lucky with someone like you! By the way: Cobain was a huge Beatles-fan. Liked their tunes a lot, and wanted to combine their style with punkrock. For "posers" I guess. Maybe Kurt liked posers a little bit, secretly... Again: what IS your problem?! What do you care...?
  • Jade from London, EnglandNirvana's greatest song ever is, " Smell's like teen spirit ", at 14 now i can relate to this song because it's all about the teenage era. I was 1 when this song was released, but discovered it & loved it, i love all of Nirvana's song's, " In bloom, Come as you are ", all of them but " Smell's like teen spirit " is amazing the sound is awesome! This April was Kurt Cobain's 11th year anniversary of his death, & i mourned as he was & still is sooo sexy & gorgeous! & he was a fantastic singer! I would of loved to of seen them play live!!! x x x
  • Renee from Auckland, New ZealandI am still young i guess im the "back lag" of "generation x" so i am not a nirvana fan because of this song but it is the first nirvana song i rember hearing because its the most played on mi mums raido station and i personlly thin it one of their best
  • Seam from Bangkok, ThailandKurt Cobain did not commit suicide. It was murder...you people should of known that by now.
  • Brigitte from Portland, OrKurt Cobain came up with this song title, because his girlfriend smelled like teen spirit a brand of deoderant for teens.
  • Pete from Seattle, WaKurt got the riff rom Boston's "More Than A Feeling"!!!!!!!!
  • Tanya from Rotterdam, NetherlandsJesse, why don't you listen with your own ears, instead off repeating what "The Master" had to say about his work? I don't care if Cobain thought that Nevermind was too slick. I love the songs on Nevermind. I only love a few songs on In Utero (you can guess which ones I think) and Incesticide is far too heavy for me. He even rapes 'Polly' into an emotionless uptempo song! (Although I do admire a song like Hairspray Queen in a strange way). There is not one truth about music. Not even when the writer and singer himself claims it to be.
  • Mario from Riverside, CaI respect anyone who saw Nirvana in concert. I saw the Teen spirit video when I was only 12. I loved it.(diff things mean diff to other people). Second, many artist covered Nirvana, from sinead o conner to tori amos to Pearl Jam. Thats respect. It shows Kurt did something they or anyone else could never do or be. I think about him sometimes. To me this song has diff meanings like sarcasim.
  • Jesse from Atlanta, GaSo often, a great band is a great band because people generalize the band's creative output from the pop-iest, catchiest song that is played on the radio over and over. Even Kurt himself made fun of this song on British TV's "Top of the Pops", singing in opera-tone "Load up all guns and kill your friends...". Kurt has been quoted as saying that he hated this album: "When they asked me to sing a verse again I didn't realize they were mixing it over the other one". He states that the album was too "slick". So many people bought this CD for one song and disregarded Bleach, Incesticide, and their best album (a work Kurt was most proud of) In Utero, etc. The sad thing is that the best album was In Utero followed by any bootleg you can possibly get your hands on. Nirvana was a live band: every live version of Teen Spirit is far superior to the LP version. This should have been on the S.A.T. tests that all you preppy cheerleaders and jocks took, humming this ONE song: Sweet Home Alabama is to Lynyrd Skynyrd as Teen Spirit is to _______________. ... Milk It, get a Love Buzz, or just Dive.
  • Riley from Toronto, CanadaThis song is about teenagers and all the things that they go through. How they feel like as if it were them against the world. Also, its about how society looks down upon young people. Its like..the way the kids act vs. the way society thinks they should act.
    This song came out when I was about 14 and it was as if Cobain new exactly how every teenager in the world felt.Even if you werent a Nirvana fan, you felt a connection with the song. It was the ultimate teenage anthem then and it seems like it still is today.
  • Seth from Bourne, MaAnybody notice a distinct similarity between this song and the book Fahrenheit 451?
  • Ellie from Ptbo, Canada"teen spirit" is actually a deodorant that kurt's girlfriend tracy used... kurt old girlfriends friend wrote on the wall in spray paint "kurt smells like teen spirit" and he thought she was complimenting him. but, it turns out, she was mocking him for smelling like his girlfriend. he was hurt. but the song is great.
  • Michael "chimo" from Seattle, WaYou know Courtney Love wouldn't have worked so hard at getting the media to stop talking about kurt's death if she wasn't connected to it in a bad way...
  • Matt from Millbrae, CaJust figured this out...the riff to Rape Me is 'Teen Spirit' backward, and a lot softer.
  • Matt from Millbrae, Caok jason i do agree with you, but i doubt that this song alone brought kurt to suicide. his turbulent marriage, unhappiness with his bandmates, and his rocky childhood all contributed. i did like the point you made about the playing into the chorus. to really be a nirvana fan you have to understand kurt's message, not just in smells like teen spirit, but the rest of the songs too. If you listen to this song and say "wow, he screams really good and his voice goes up and down! i like this song!" then you are absolutley not a nirvana fan.
  • Jason from Battle Ground, WaOkay, there's one thing in common with all interpretations of this song: guesswork. There are little links here and there, like the band always saying "Hear we are now, entertain us" at parties, the origin of the title, and stream-of-consciousness references to Tobi Vail and such, however these do not substantiate an overal meaning for the song. You cannot make this song have a deep, specific meaning without completely metaphorizing and distorting everything in it. Those who have noticed that the focus of the song is on the syllables and rhyme have the most of a clue in its meaning. Kurt Cobain was a Nihilist: one who believes that truth cannot be known by our flawed minds. As soon as they got popular, this defeated his whole outlook on life and killed himself. For the one who doesn't believe in God and ultimate meaning, death is the only escape to unending meaninglessness. Meaningless is "Smells Like Teen Spirit", and you play right into the absurdity of the chorus when you say, "I don't know what it means, but I sure like it!"
  • Matt from Millbrae, CaRolling Stone called this the #9 song of all time, though I think it should be higher. Smells Like Teen Spirit changed the entire face of music, and Nirvana was and remains the last important rock band. You get bands like freakin good charlotte today who try to copy Nirvana and all their songs are about the same thing. I agree that Nirvana had some songs that were as good as and even better than Smells Like Teen Spirit (Heart Shaped Box is my personal favorite) but the influence of this song cannot, and will not, be forgotten.
  • Noli from Manila, Othermy band palys this song by nirvana. actually it's the only nirvana song that i know but it really puts me in a good mood (although i don't know what it means)listening, and playing the song on drums!!!
  • God from UsaI agree with Kayla...the lyrics say mosquito, not miskito.
  • Rynn from Rogers, ArI love this site i was helping my little sister do a project and she ws looking for Nirvana and this site helped her out so much. Thanx a bunch!
  • Brendon from Paxton, IlThat's crap about how Tori Amos was trying to outdo Nirvana, she holds a lot of respect for Cobain. Also, she has a lot of relation to the song's lyrics, and it shows in the emotion in her voice. I know you all think I'm a baby for saying this, but it's the truth, just listen to Amos' version yourself.
  • Scott from Bismarck, NdUmm, the riff is 'borrowed' not from Godzilla, but from University of Massachusetts by The Pixies.
  • Stan from Los Angeles, Cai dont believe that Kurt stole that riff and i never will!
  • Mia from Wellston, MiThis song was #1 on FUSE top 20 anthems
  • Ryan from Lackawanna, NyKirk Cobain Has Said that he stole the Riff From Blue Oyster Cults 'Godzilla,'
  • Cameron from Mesquite, TxWell some of the lyrics, such as "over-bored" and "self-assured" are about his ex- Tobi Vail. After they broke up he wrote I think 6 songs about her, and included partial lyrics about her in other songs such as this one. Also a lot of his writings were stream-of-conscious writings, which is evident in almost every one of his journal entries, when it seems like he talks about one thing and then goes off something else and you never really can understand what he's trying to say. I think most of "Teen Spirit" he just tried to make things fit and sound good. I think he changed the lyrics to this song many different times, and most of the time when he changed the lyrics, he changed them to something completely different. So it probably doesn't really have ONE set meaning.
  • Kayla from Nowhere, Miok to everyone who "thinks" this song is about teens and so......this song was actually written about our generations lack of interest....and it is NOT MISKITO..its mosquito that thing that flies around and annoys people kinda like the point he was trying to make in his song.


    IluvKurt13
  • Kayla from Nowhere, MiMallory Jem- this song is NOT about how he felt when he went to concerts....it was actually written about the lack of interest in our generation.


    KurtCobainLuver
  • Cameron from Mesquite, TxThe janitor in the video is a reference to Kurt Cobain. Before he released Nevermind, and even while trying to release Bleach he had many jobs, and one of them included being a janitor at his old high school. The *inside joke* was that the poor janitor had now come back to his old high school, though now famous and rich.
  • Scott from Chicago, IlI was able to see Kurt and Nirvana on their last U.S tour in Chicago.I'm forever grateful for the experience.I was 16 then, and Kurt was my hero. His legacy will always live on because of all the fans like myself, whose life was forever changed by his life and music.R.I.P. You're forever missed,but not forgotten.E-mail me fellow Nirvana fans. FloydtheBarber28@aol.com
  • Randi from Linton, Mesmells like teen spirit is a good song, but i dont feel like its really nirvana. i mean if you listen to any of their other albums, their music is less mainstream adn more alternative. it's almost like all of these fans that got into nirvana b/c of this song or b/c of nevermind weren't seeing nirvana for what they really were/are. i have to admit, it is a little disappointing...
  • Ryan from Madisonville, KyIn the music video of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" The word Chaka can be read on David Grohls drums. In California a man spray painted Chaka on houses, walls, sidewalks, and buildings. When he was cought he was put on probation as long as he did community service and promised to never damage anymore property. When he was told he was free to go he took off running from the court room, the judge and bayliff followed him, when entering the elevator they picked the lobby button, when the elevator doors closed, the word "Chaka" could be read on the doors. :)
  • Rob from Castaic, CaTeen Spirit may be an awesome song, but the other songs are just as good if not better... Drain You is my favorite off of Nevermind.
  • Kyle from Memphis, TnCobain wasn't exactly the best guitar player ive ever heard, but atleast he was original
  • Ben from Aguadilla, United Statesthis is a great song deffinantly one of nirvanas best...(although the majority of the guitar part consists of one chord) but you have to listen to nirvana this isnt their only song keep that in mind and please dont say your a nirvana fan if the only song you know is this.....
  • Nate Goeman from Lake City, MnKurt Cobain will always be remembered for this song, its really a shame because he wrote so many better songs.
  • Andres from Hudson, WiI don't like this song but i still remain amazed at the artistic talents of Kurt. What i feel from the lyrics in Smells Like Teen Spirit and many other of his songs is that he isn't trying to make you see a big picture but feel an emotion through the sound of the words and his voice.
  • Nader from New York, NyEveryone, GO OUT AND READ "ABOUT A BOY" BY NICK HORNBY!!! I'm not sure if anyone else said this before me, but Nick Hornby wrote this great book and Kurt Cobain is an important person in the book and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is mentioned too, and the ending actually happens the way it does because of Kurt Cobain's death. It's a comic-relief book.
  • Jason from Toronto, Canadathe song is just comparing teens to zombies...all they want to be is entertained, they don't care how, as long as they are entertained...ironically , this song entertained most teens even tho they had no clue of the meaning :s
  • James from Wellington, New ZealandAparently when Kurt went to a party that was rocking he would say "Smells like teen spirit." This is because he did not understand what the line "Kurt smells like teen spirit" meant.
  • James from Covina, CaI recently read in some magazine that showed some of Cobain's letters and one letter, I think it was to Courtney Love, that he was envisioning at the time for "Smells Like Teen Spirit," a video where the bad enters a mall and mocks the material superficiality of the place. Obviously something different emerged.
  • Madison from Redondo, Ca"We thaught that there would be more hits on that cd like Lithium or In Bloom." -Krist
    "We came in one day and they played a rough mix of it and were like yeah this rocks" Krist
  • Chainy from Largo, FlI have always thought that the song was about teenage sterotypes. Here we are now, entertain us...Load up on guns and bring your friends...oh well, whatever, nevermind. Those all sound like things that people would think a teenager would say.
  • Luke from Worthing, EnglandNirvana were asked to "play" this song with the music taped and Kurt just singing on Top of the Pops in the UK once, and Kurt sang really slow and monotone and changed the lyrics a bit, all i can remember is the first line: "Load up on drugs and kill your friends." The band also weren't trying to look like they were playing their instruments, they were just randomly waving their arms.
  • Simon from Lexington, MaDefinitely not Nirvana's best. People make a big deal out of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. It's a GREAT song, but Nirvana has much better songs.

    And just a comment: Kurt Cobain HATED playing this song.
  • Jason from Worcester, MaThe opening riff is based on the riff from the song "More then a feeling" by Boston
  • Andrew from Bowmanville, CanadaAmazin' riff at the beginning.
    Rest In Peace Kurt Cobain
  • Jessica from Saint Louis, MoThe opening riff to this song was echoed on a later song, "Rape Me," which was (at least partly) about the band's experiences with the entertainment industry.

    Mennen, the makers of Teen Spirit deodorant, attempted to capitalize on the song's success in advertisements made after the song topped the charts. The ad was aired during an episode of Saturday Night Live -- the musical guest that night was, of course, Nirvana.
  • Greg from Sugar Land, TxOk I beleive this is about the short attention span of so many teenagers(notice chorus saying hello a lot). It also seems that the song is just put together so randomly and changes riffs quick.
    This song is about how teens cant just focus on one thing.
  • Phil from Sydney, AustraliaPersonaly i prefer some of Nirvana's other songs i think that must be because i have heard this so many times. Although i love the intro guitar beat.
  • Sean from Sydney, AustraliaUh its not misquito its miskito meaning native american notice how they always use tribe in live version of slts
  • Lorne from Toronto, CanadaI always thought that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was a referance to the "b.o." that is o so common in a teenagers life. (or at least mine:( )
    Goes to show how nieve I am
  • Tom from Trowbridge, EnglandI said this defined the 90s, well I was wrong. It defines alternative music full stop. It is loved by people even if they know no other Nirvana songs. It is loved by people even if they hate all other rock music. Whether you're 8 or 108, you know this song and can't help loving it for all it's worth. Very few songs have that kind of influence and this shows just how great a musician Kurt Cobain was.
  • Tessa from Louisville, KyThis is a great song and is my fave by far. It shows how some one can be so grunge yet so "POP-y" at the same time. It is amazing how Kurt can pull that off. It's a great song!!!!
  • Brian from Mayfield Heights, OhThe song is about misfits and akward social situations. As printed in the facts part, Kurt said "here we are now, entertain us".. but he said that in order to break the ice. The mullato, mosquito, albino, and libido, are all symbolisms for misfits- mosquito, someone annoying whom you dont want to be around... mullato, half-black, half-white, symbolizing someone who doesnt quite fit in with either of two groups, the albino, the physically different one, and the libido, the overtly sexually person/pervert, who chicks don't want to be around because they don't want to get hit on. Rachel was probly the closest to what the meaning is. The song is also about what goes on at the party, and I'm guessing, the reluctance to try any of it for the first time, to stay secure in their own social identity.. even as misfits (the "our little group" line)

  • Jenny from Everett, WaDespite the band members, especially Kurt, disliking this song, I'm so glad that public America is the way it is so that this band received the recognition it deserves and will always be known as the band who changed music forvever
  • Trevor from Nowhere, NmAs far as I've read or heard, from this song you can gather two things Kurt was writing about......"the apathy of that current generation" or it was Kurt honored by his friend writing with "teen spirit" deodorant. That said "kurt smells like teen spirit" although he'd never heard of the deodorant. He jus thought she meant he could incite a teenage revolution. So maybe that was his inspiration.
  • Travis from Sacramento, Cathis song did bring a huge amount of glamor to to the group. its a shame that Nirvana is mostly known for that song because there is so many others that are just as good if not better. "Smells Like Teen Spirt" will remain a rock/grunge trademark song for many, many years to come.
  • Terri Lynn from Heart's Desire, Canadagreat song, this song was a sort of parody on the people that soon began to love it, and thus nirvana...
  • Kirsten from Brampton, CanadaThis is an awesome song. But I can't help but feel bad when i say this. I know that when this song came out it became a huge hit. I understand that this frustrated Kurt because it attracted so many new fans. Fans that werent considered fans in an artists mind. These new fans may have only liked Nirvana for this one song and didnt truely understand the band and their previous songs/messages. So i think that when Kurt relised this he got frustrated which is totaly understandable. After all, what kind of artist wouldnt want realy fans?So its ok to love the song, dont get me wrong. But i do ask everybody one favor for Kurts sake. Love the songs,love the lyrics, understand nirvana.
  • Austin from Holly, Mii've heard that kurt was the mosquito, krist was the mulatto and dave was the albino, these were references to themselves using their nicknames
  • Ana from Louisville, KyI always thought it was about teenagers having sex for the first time, and feeling really awkward and nervous about it. Whether that's what he actually meant by it, I have no idea (little confused about the mosquito...)
  • Fredharris from Forest Hill, MdKurt wrote this song to God. He sang it to God. He was angry with God. He gave up on God. He surrendered to God. His lights are out. He's out of danger now. Or is he?
  • Abby from Altoona, IaMallory- this song was in no way inspired by going to concerts...nor did it have anything to do with Tori Amos! He wrote this song before they were ever signed to Geffen Records and Kurt never wanted it to be released as a single.
  • Tom from Trowbridge, EnglandThis is the song that defines the 90s!
  • Rachel from Dearborn Heights, Mi"with the lights out its less dangerous" sounds like its about teenagers... social accepatance and such "i feel stupid and contagious" "our little group has always been" .... get me? its like being at a party... Download "smells like thirtysomething spirit" .. its this religous group who covers songs its hilarious
  • Lucas from Buenos Aires, South Americaa great song very 'quemada' (burned) though. still a classic of the 90s
  • Allison from Somewhere, NjMany Nirvana fans are resentful towards Tori Amos for covering this song, because it just shouldn't be done, and because she used pianos and tried to outdo Nirvana.
  • Ryan from Brisbane, AustraliaThe lyrics are like the pixies' lyrics, they are about the syllables, not the words, he probably just said these things over the music and thought the words sounded good together.
  • Mallory Jem from Bremerton, WaPersonaly I think "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is how Kurt felt about the concerts he went like when he say "here we are now, entertain us" which makes perfect since to me and I hope to others. And about the title Kurt was totally obsessed over smells he jus payed alot of attention 2 them.........I also believe it has sumthing 2 do with tori thou. Mal
  • Jad from Batroun, Othera french writer wrote her book in french and named it "Smells Like Teen SPirit" ! I don't know why
  • Kristian from Asker, Norwayon a pre-release show in a mall, kids (or fans if you will) stormed the band like in the music video... Kurt loved it
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