Kurt Cobain, Lyrics

[sweatboard]

What do you all think of Kurt's lyric writting?  What are examples of your favorite lyrics he's written, or stuff you think is really bad.  Favorite song and why?  Is he one of the greatest song writters to ever live?

[MMJ_fanatic]

that's a hard one to call.  I love the tongue-in-cheekiness of "In Bloom" and the sarcasm of "Teen Spirit".  This may be a perspective kind of thing, I never got hooked as hard on Nirvana as I did on Soundgarden.  Chris Cornell is my personal fav as a modern day lyricist, but I'm sure there's plenty of folks here who never liked 'em either...

[sweatboard]

I think Kurt had a really original approach to writting lyrics.  It was very stream of consciousness.  It was almost like someone talking in thier sleep, to me listening to his lyrics is kind of like trying to decipher the deeper meanings in a dream.  I also think he had an incredible sense of humor.  I think he was an amazingly intelegent and honest human being.  

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

Whilst driving in to work this a.m., "come as you are" spun for the 900000000000000000000000000th time.  unfortunately for those who were around for the rise and subsequent fall of Nirvana, Kurt's ultimate nightmare has become reality:  his music has become overplayed, overexposed, and downright boring as extremely heavy radioplay for the past 12 freakin' years has turned it into something else.

The initial impact of Kurt Cobain was mind boggling.  Suddenly, the airwaves were overrun with all things flannel and "grunge" instead of hair metal...almost overnight, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, STP, Mudhoney, etc., assumed the Radio Airplay One Way Trip to sonic hell.  All these years later, "alternative" or "new music" stations constantly spin those acts like their records just came out yesterday.

Don't get me wrong:  I love and appreciate Kurt's music.  But after eating that new music salad every day for the past 13 years, it has become the McDonald's Classic Rock of the 90s, right alongside Pearl Jam and the aforementioned acts (other than Mudhoney, which commercial success seemed to miss).  I mean, how long is "jeremy" considered "new"?!  How many spins of "Alive" can one possibly stand?  It's a song about fucking your mother, fer chrissakes.

Having survived what the media called "grunge", the music scene turned into the brow pierced, hate-your-daddy cheesefest that still survives today.  The "scene" has become as stale and predictable as hair metal ever was, even worse-hair metal peaked in '89 with stuff like Warrant and Slaughter, and was "over" by the time radio started spinning Nirvana.  We're working on 9 or so years since this so called "nu metal" schlock has choked the airwave arteries solid with gelatenous goo, so when can we call it day and move on?

Acts like Limp Bizkit and Blink-182 have pretty much polluted far more ear drums than should, so what's the next wave, and when is it going to start?

[sweatboard]

It's funny Pearl Jam and Nirvana are two of my favorite bands, and I change the channel if one of their songs come on the radio.  I really don't listen to the radio unless I have to, which is usually when my wife's in the car with me.  Then she'll be like "hey honey it's Pearl Jam" and I'll immediatly flip the channel.  At some point the media made the bands into charactertures of themselves, but If you scrape all the bullshit aside, and you start to look at Kurt and Eddie just in the context of artist and musicians and not leaders of the grung movement or all these other cliches they get stuck with, I think you find some genuine and talented songwriters.  I listen to Riot Act, Nevermind, Vitalogy, No Code, IN Utero etc. all the time on my headphones and I like it that way.  I think I change the channel when they come on the radio because they play the songs in the context of "hey remember when this was cool Ten years ago and you loved it and we squeezed every single red cent out of it that we could."  Let's just pray that the next wave isn't southern influenced pshycedelic space rock or we'll be eating happy meals with My Morning Jacket and Kings of Leon action figures in them.    

[Chills]

I don't agree John. To me Nirvana are not to blame for Puddle of Mud, The Sex Pistols are not to blame for Blink 182. Nirvana made great songs and they became hugely popular with them even when deliberately trying to destroy part of their audience with the brutal In Utero. I don't care about the grunge scene or any other scene, just try to listen to the music with open ears!

Allright some songs are overplayed and totally seem to have lost their power, but do yourself a favor, grab In Utero when you're in a bad mood and blast out radio friendly unit shifter or tourette's. Is this a mainstream band? Boring? Man those drums by Dave Grohl and Kurt's screams. Pure power and honest passion.
And if this doesn't work where did you sleep last night of Unplugged should convince you of Kurt's genius. Try it, i think you'll like it ;)

[Coltrane]

"I miss the comfort in being sad."
from "Francis Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle",
pure genius.

[The_Link]

I grew up on Kurt cobain and mourned his death as a junior in high school.  He was loved by many, including the asshole jocks and slutty cheerleaders who certainly did not have the intelligence to comprehend his extremely intelligent lyrics.  That, is what made him and Nirvana a great and important band.  Sure, I can appreciate all of his lyrics, but i mostly appreciate the band as a whole.  Now if you want sarcastic lyrics, noone has anything on Isaac Brock.  Although, Isaac probably learned a lot from Kurt when he began MM back in the early nineties as a teen.  Anyways, I miss Kurt and his band.  I mean, the Foo just don't do it for me.  good thing we have MMJ, Modest Mouse, and other great bands to keep good writing and music alive.  And, someday, we may be cursing the fact that they are overplayed and boring.  It happens.  peace.

[katkillad]

I own most of nirvana's cds...but I was more caught up in his voice and the tunes.  The most impressed I was with lyrics was "The man who sold the world" and  "Something in the way" off the unplugged cd.  However, i believe one if not both of them are covers?

I agree MMJ_fanatic...chris cornell had a mesmorizing voice and lyrics to boot.  I was sad that I never got to see sound garden live.  I saw Audioslave at Lollapalooza and they were alright.

[MMJ_fanatic]

I saw Audioslave at Lollapalooza and they were alright.

Not even close to the energy of live Soundgarden unfortunately.  Chris, I still love ya man but I miss the days when you and Kim and Ben stumbled around the stage together seeing how slowly and murkily you could play a Sabbath riff :'(.  Still love your lyrics and vocal range tho' :)

[sweatboard]

Yes Chills well said, In Utero is in fact my favorite Nirvana Album, Kurt did write "Something In The Way" and David Bowie wrote "The Man who sold the world".  I thought everyone had some good things to say on this topic but if you want to see how some folks handled this subject on the Pearl Jam Message board click below.  There are some real fuckers over there.  My screen name over there is James.  And yes I did make a mistake and call that tool song a filter song.

http://www.red-mosquito.de/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=37981

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

I don't agree John. To me Nirvana are not to blame for Puddle of Mud, The Sex Pistols are not to blame for Blink 182. Nirvana made great songs and they became hugely popular with them even when deliberately trying to destroy part of their audience with the brutal In Utero. I don't care about the grunge scene or any other scene, just try to listen to the music with open ears!

Allright some songs are overplayed and totally seem to have lost their power, but do yourself a favor, grab In Utero when you're in a bad mood and blast out radio friendly unit shifter or tourette's. Is this a mainstream band? Boring? Man those drums by Dave Grohl and Kurt's screams. Pure power and honest passion.
And if this doesn't work where did you sleep last night of Unplugged should convince you of Kurt's genius. Try it, i think you'll like it ;)

Oh, believe me, I've worn out a few copies of Nirvana's records in the past.  Back in the day, Nirvana and Screaming Trees were all that mattered.  But it's just that-back in the day.  I can look back to the 70s and remember Steve Miller and Blondie and Santana being the kings of all radio, but other than some rare chestnuts, you wouldn't catch me dead listening to that all over again.  Maybe it's just me.

Honestly my friend, I respect everyone's point of view and that's what this forum is all about:  respect.  As music and all art are subjective anyways, what I think might be totally evil and wrong compared to what you or anyone else thinks about Nirvana.  Don't listen to this old goat, I'm glad you enjoy good music and rock on!

[Chills]

What you think is not wrong John, and certainly not evil!
I can just get kinda defensive about Nirvana. They were the first band that really made me feel the power of music and i still love them right now for that and even if i don't listen to them that much anymore, they still rule to me.
But i certainly appreciate your opinion, don't think i consider you to be an old goat because we think differently about this little subject.  8)

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

Sweet.  I'm just really anxious to have our heroes head up the new wave of rock n roll taking over the airwaves again...a little AOR format would help.

However, as pointed out in the Klear Khannel thread, that may not happen. (the AOR format, that is  ;))

See, this is what I'm talkin' about...(see the this is your life john conaway! thread)...we had a opinion, a discussion, and we're all friends.  THAT is what rules!

[MMJ_fanatic]

Yes Chills well said, In Utero is in fact my favorite Nirvana Album, Kurt did write "Something In The Way" and David Bowie wrote "The Man who sold the world".  I thought everyone had some good things to say on this topic but if you want to see how some folks handled this subject on the Pearl Jam Message board click below.  There are some real fuckers over there.  My screen name over there is James.  And yes I did make a mistake and call that tool song a filter song.

http://www.red-mosquito.de/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=37981

wow, some of those folks are kinda rabid about dissecting and analyzing and comparing..."eddie is a better lyricist than dylan"??? I mean what's up with that...

[dwight]

To reply to best lyrics of a Nirvana song...

Rape me

Nirvana was the best of that bunch and as John said put a stake in the heart of the hair bands.  Good riddence.  Although.... a little GnR, Ratt, and Motley Crue has to be played occassionaly.  Come on... admit it... even the biggest music snobs like a little "paradise city or round and round"

But John's right. We need the next thing. It aint Cold Play (God love em) they're great and all but not ground breaking.

Maybe it's too obvious but MMJ is the most original rocking thing I've listened to in recent years.  I have to give a shout out to Jack White, who's got a great sound but not exactly breaking new ground.