Smells Like Teen Spirit
░Nirvana░ Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
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
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
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, was hard to find
Oh well, whatever, never mind

Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
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, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of ░Nirvana's░ song Smells Like Teen Spirit are often interpreted as a commentary on youth culture and rebellion. The song's opening lines, "Load up on guns, bring your friends / It's fun to lose and to pretend," have been seen as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the nihilistic attitude of some teenagers. The chorus, "Here we are now, entertain us," can be read as a mocking parody of the expectations of MTV and the mainstream music industry, which Nirvana was on the verge of breaking into.


The repetition of "hello, hello, hello, how low" throughout the song has been interpreted as a reference to Kurt Cobain's feelings of depression and isolation, which can also be heard in the line "I feel stupid and contagious." The line, "A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido," has been interpreted as a way of poking fun at the idea of racial purity and the taboo around interracial relationships. The line "And I forget just why I taste / Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile" has been interpreted as a reference to the pleasure and escapism that drugs can provide.


Overall, the song is often seen as a cultural touchstone of the grunge movement of the early 90s, which sought to break free from the glossy, commercial aesthetic of mainstream rock at the time.


Line by Line Meaning

Load up on guns, bring your friends
Bring your squad of rebels with you, it's cool to act like you're losing your mind


It's fun to lose and to pretend
Being reckless and carefree is entertaining


She's over bored and self assured
She's extremely uninterested in everything and full of self-confidence


Oh no, I know a dirty word
I'm aware of language and actions that are not socially acceptable


Hello, hello, hello, how low
An ironic greeting to being at a low point in life


With the lights out, it's less dangerous
In darkness, things feel less threatening


Here we are now, entertain us
We're looking to be entertained by anything


I feel stupid and contagious
I feel foolish and like I'm spreading negative energy


A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
A description of society's diverse population, and the sexual energy that comes with it


I'm worse at what I do best
I'm not good at my strongest skill, which is ironic


And for this gift I feel blessed
Despite not being particularly skilled, I'm grateful for the opportunity to use my talent


Our little group has always been
Our small group of friends has always remained together


And always will until the end
We'll remain friends no matter what happens in life


And I forget just why I taste
I'm not sure why I'm experiencing certain emotions


Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
Actually, nevermind, it does make me happy


I found it hard, was hard to find
It was difficult to discover what I actually enjoy doing


Oh well, whatever, never mind
Well, whatever, it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things


A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
Repetition of denial reflects the frustration of denying something multiple times




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Chris Novoselic, David Grohl, Kurt Cobain

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Davie504

heartbreaking news

Bizon

What's the point tho you sussy

giannisxxx

" Gary Thain " great rock bassist, look for him you are look like him 0.0

Maxine Loto

so heartbreaking

Стас Зайцев

3 ))

hyōketsu

Amongus

129 More Replies...

~cheese_breeze~

If you play bass, you're a bassist.

If you race cars, you're a raci-

ElusiveX

racer*

Someone

Yeah he totally meant that

luke-of-lukes

This logic is flawed. Play bass - bassist; race cars - carist

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