Category : Articles

Sub Category : Miscellaneous

Today's song of the day is Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. Written by Kurt Cobain in 1991 as a throwaway track to fill out the album Nevermind, the song and its video changed the trajectory of music history and ushered in a new era. In January of 1992, Nevermind knocked Michael Jackson's Dangerous off the top of the charts. Grunge and alternative music were here to stay. While Nirvana went on to have several other hits, Kurt Cobain tragically committed suicide in April 1994 and the band dissolved. Their place in music history was secured thanks to Smells Like Teen Spirit, proving that music lives forever. Let me know what you think.

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Load up on guns, bring your friends
It's fun to lose and to pretend
She's over bored and self assured
Oh no, I know a dirty word

Hello, hello, hello, how low? [x3]
Hello, hello, hello!

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My libido
Yeah, hey, yay

I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end

Hello, hello, hello, how low? [x3]
Hello, hello, hello!

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My libido
Yeah, hey, yay

And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, it's hard to find
Oh well, whatever, never mind

Hello, hello, hello, how low? [x3]
Hello, hello, hello!

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My libido

A denial! [x9]

This song came up in a jam session when Kurt Cobain played it for the band. He explained, "I was trying to write the ultimate pop song. I was basically trying to rip off The Pixies."

"Teen Spirit" was a deodorant used by Tobi Vail whom Kurt Cobain went out with at the time. Tobi Vail was a drummer of Bikini Kill, and another member of that band, Kathleen Hanna, wrote "Kurt smells like Teen Spirit" on his bedroom wall in an attempt to say that he had Vail's scent on him.

This track defined grunge as a genre, with its loud guitars and angry lyrics.

Bassist Krist Novoselic explained, "Kurt really despised the mainstream. That's what 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' was all about: The mass mentality of conformity."

The music video was inspired by the film "Rock 'n' Roll High School" featuring the song of the same title by the Ramones.

Weird Al Yankovic made a parody of this song called "Smells Like Nirvana".