The Man Who Sold the World
░Nirvana░ Lyrics
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We spoke of was and when
Although I wasn't there
He said I was his friend
Which came as a surprise
I spoke into his eyes
I thought you died alone
A long, long time ago
Oh no, not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
I laughed and shook his hand
And made my way back home
I searched for form and land
For years and years, I roamed
I gazed a gazeless stare
We walked a million hills
I must have died alone
A long, long time ago
Who knows?
Not me
I never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
Who knows?
Not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
"Thanks, that was a David Bowie song"
"What's next?"
"I didn't screw it up, did I?
Okay, but here's another one I could screw up"
"What is it?"
"Am I going to do this by myself?"
"Do it by yourself"
"Okay, well, I think I'll try it in a different key
I'll try it in the normal key
And if it sounds bad, these people are just gonna have to wait"
The lyrics of "The Man Who Sold the World" by Nirvana are a contemplation on identity and perception. The song begins with the singer encountering an old friend who they thought had died a long time ago. The friend claims to have sold the world but the singer can't understand how that is possible. The encounter leaves the singer feeling disoriented and unsure about the nature of reality. The chorus repeats the idea that they never lost control and that the singer is now face to face with the man who sold the world, leaving a sense of ambiguity about what really happened.
The lyrics can be interpreted in different ways, but one interpretation is that they describe the feeling of being disconnected from one's sense of self and reality. The encounter with the friend who may or may not be dead, and who claims to have sold the world, creates a sense of confusion and loss of control. The repeated assertion that they never lost control may be a way of trying to affirm their own identity and hold onto some sense of certainty.
The closing dialogue between band members at the end of the song adds a layer of meta-awareness to the lyrics. The band members discuss the possibility of screwing up the next song, indicating that the performance itself is a form of identity construction that can be fraught with uncertainty and the possibility of failure.
Line by Line Meaning
We passed upon the stair
We encountered each other on the staircase
We spoke of was and when
We talked about the past
Although I wasn't there
Even though I wasn't present for the events being discussed
He said I was his friend
He referred to me as his friend
Which came as a surprise
I was shocked by this revelation
I spoke into his eyes
I looked directly at him while speaking
I thought you died alone
I believed that you passed away without any companionship
A long, long time ago
Many years in the past
Oh no, not me
I am not in that situation
We never lost control
We were always aware of our actions and decisions
You're face to face
You are in direct contact
With the man who sold the world
You are encountering the person who manipulated and deceived the world
I laughed and shook his hand
I smiled and greeted him with a handshake
And made my way back home
I returned to my place of residence
I searched for form and land
I looked for a sense of identity and a place to belong
For years and years, I roamed
I wandered aimlessly for a prolonged period of time
I gazed a gazeless stare
I looked blankly with no particular focus or concentration
We walked a million hills
We traveled great distances and overcame many obstacles
I must have died alone
I likely passed away without anyone by my side
Who knows?
It is uncertain
Not me
I have no answer
We never lost control
We remained composed and in charge
What's next?
What is the next song to be performed?
I didn't screw it up, did I?
Did I perform the song correctly?
Okay, but here's another one I could screw up
I could potentially make a mistake while performing the next song
Am I going to do this by myself?
Will I be performing alone?
Do it by yourself
Perform the song alone
Okay, well, I think I'll try it in a different key
I will attempt to perform the song in a different musical key
I'll try it in the normal key
I will attempt to perform the song in its original musical key
And if it sounds bad, these people are just gonna have to wait
If the performance is subpar, the audience will need to tolerate it
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@101Volts
@@NirvanaGuitars "Do you see someone truly skilled, and diligent, in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank." - Proverbs 22:29 (I emphasized it a little, but you get the idea.) *
If there's anyone else on all of Youtube who is nailing the Nirvana tone like you are, I haven't seen them.
Any time from 2007 - 2019, I never really saw anyone trying to do tonally accurate covers. These seem to be a lot more recent, but I also wasn't watching every song cover that popped up.
I've also seen Hardly Ramone and Southern Version being into tonal accuracy, but with Ramones covers.
There's another thing here - you know how some tabs say "do this" or "do that" but they're on the wrong frets compared to the version they're tabbing? Yeah, that. How subtle accuracy is not present in all covers uploaded to YT, and sometimes the errors are not so subtle. For example, tons of Ramones covers did down/up strumming when it's supposed to be all down strums and nothing else whatsoever.
* Another version of Proverb 22:29 is "Do you see a man who excels in their work? He will stand before kings, he will not stand before unknown men."
@NirvanaGuitars
Like what I do? Buy me a coffee so I can stay awake while I mix audio and edit videos 😴
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nirvanaguitars
@River_Fath
Nirvana Guitar what is you favorite Nirvana show I am I 10 year old who is a huge fan of you and Nirvana. I’ve always wanted a reply from you. You are my favorite YouTuber of all time. I am from Minnesota and still From:River Fath
@jacobhiemstra309
You wouldn't happen to know anything about the tele that kurt used for a short stint in the Nevermind tour would you, i was just watching there gig in Australia in 1991 and it surprised me to see kurt playing a tele.
@shinjiikari6894
This is probably the highest peak any nirvana fan will ever reach 😭😭
@NirvanaGuitars
I still can't believe that day was real 😭
@randalljolla
This is true, only way to top this is playing a tribute concert with them
@ConkersBFDN64
@@NirvanaGuitarsGood thing you recorded it!
@pilsplease7561
You are lucky@@tencentpistol1
@stevenimeson902
Right!
@krispykrackers8826
Literally the coolest video I've seen on YT in a long time. You played Skystang, met Earnie, and Dave and Pat, all in one day. So happy for you man. Legendary.