Songs I’ll Always Love: Smells Like Teen Spirit -Nirvana

 

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Before I even start writing my personal ode to one of the best songs ever written and produced- I just want to say I am absolutely KICKING myself for not posting this on the 25th anniversary of Nevermind. I don’t know what I was thinking, what an opportunity missed.

While it might only be listed as #9 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, Smells Like Teen Spirit is known across the country as one of the most iconic songs of all time. When this song was first put into production, nobody, especially Seattle based band members Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and producer Butch Vid, anticipated the success that the track would garner. Released on August 27th 1991, it’s said that as soon as people heard Cobain’s introductory four barre-chord guitar riff – that was it. In an overnight sensation, heavy metal and the lingering traces of 80’s pop were essentially obliterated as the grunge scene of the Seattle underground became all that people wanted to hear. With the release of Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana cemented themselves as one the greatest bands of all time.

The story goes that Cobain came up with the for the title for this 90’s anthem when Dave Grohl’s then girlfriend, Kathleen Hanna, jokingly spray-painted “Kurt smells like teen spirit” on his bedroom wall, referring to the female deodorant “teen spirit”. Kurt took this and ran with it, immediately thinking of what it could do for their band. Other lyrics in the song became iconic as well, such as “oh well, whatever never mind” which encompasses Nirvana’s carefree yet rebellious nature, and “here we are now/ entertain us”, which is rumored to have been something Kurt used to say jokingly at parties.

Other lines prove more confusing to interpret, such as “a mosquito/ my libido”, which I’ve wonder is Cobain referring to his libido as something unimportant, annoying, almost a nuisance- distracting him from bigger things. There are a few eerie lyrics that foreshadow the tragic event that transpired less than three years later on April 5th, 1994, when Kurt Cobain took his own life by shooting himself in the head. The opening lines to the first verse are, “Load up on guns/ Bring your friends/ It’s fun to lose and to pretend” The line “It’s fun to lose and to pretend” makes me think of Cobain’s well known, and ultimately lost, battle with heroin. It’s as though he’s saying grab your needles, bring your friends, and lets lose ourselves to the world of heroin. Of course, this could just be me over analyzing, it could mean anything, but of course that’s the beauty of music- it;s always open to interpretation.

While Smells Like Teen Spirit is by far the most well known and iconic song released by Nirvana, few hardcore Nirvana fans would call it their best track. While it’s nearly impossible to choose my personal favorite Nirvana song, I would toss it up, in no particular order, between Polly, All Apologies, Heart-Shaped Box, and About A Girl. Don’t get me wrong, Smells Like Teen Spirit is an absolutely phenomenal song that influenced an entire generation, but I do think that Nirvana’s other tracks get easily overlooked due to the level of success Teen Spirit generated.

On the bizarre off chance you’re unfamiliar with this track, check it out here