In Bloom
- Nirvana Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sell the kids for food
Weather changes moods
Spring is here again
Reproductive glands

He's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means
And I say he's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means
And I say yeah

We can have some more
Nature is a whore
Bruises on the fruit
Tender age in bloom

He's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means
And I say he's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means
And I say yeah

He's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means
And I say he's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means
Knows not what it means




Knows not what it means
And I say yeah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Nirvana’s “In Bloom” may seem cryptic, but there is a clear critique of the mainstream culture in them. The first stanza of the song describes the cycle of reproducing and consuming that perpetuates itself in society through the seasons. The line “Sell the kids for food” is a metaphor for how people sell their children’s futures for the short-term satisfaction of having food to eat. Weather changes moods and spring returning represent the cyclical nature of life and how people are always buying into it. The last line, “Reproductive glands,” reminds listeners that all of this life reproduction and consumption is driven by biological factors.


The chorus of the song repeats over and over, “He’s the one who likes all our pretty songs/And he likes to sing along/And he likes to shoot his gun/But he knows not what it means/Knows not what it means/And I say he's the one.” The “he” the lyrics refer to is someone who listens to Nirvana’s music, but does not understand the message behind the lyrics. That person is the world at large, who enjoys the catchy music but does not comprehend the critique of mainstream culture that Nirvana offers.


Line by Line Meaning

Sell the kids for food
The desperation of poverty has led some people to the horrific act of selling their own children for sustenance.


Weather changes moods
The weather can affect one's emotional state and behavior.


Spring is here again
The season of new life and growth has returned.


Reproductive glands
The biological mechanisms responsible for the survival of the species by allowing reproduction.


He's the one Who likes all our pretty songs And he likes to sing along And he likes to shoot his gun But he knows not what it means Knows not what it means And I say he's the one Who likes all our pretty songs And he likes to sing along And he likes to shoot his gun But he knows not what it means Knows not what it means And I say yeah
There is someone who enjoys and participates in the surface-level aspects of the culture, but remains ignorant and unaware of its deeper implications and potential for harm.


We can have some more
There is an insatiable desire for more, even when there is already plenty.


Nature is a whore
The natural world is exploited and used for profit and pleasure without regard for its well-being.


Bruises on the fruit
The visible marks of damage and harm inflicted upon nature and its products.


Tender age in bloom
The vulnerable and delicate time of youth, when one is still developing and growing, and may be susceptible to influence and harm.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Kurt Cobain

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@tylertuncer

This is probably the best Beatles song

@idontlikeseeinglongusernam4589

If they WERE around in the 1960s then they would of been as big as the Beatles.
if not then bigger

@garethjones3227

Don't agree on that one dude, i think they would have been to avant garde for that early on in music history. The worlds ears just wasn't ready back then. Just take the pixies as an example, they were way ahead of thier time and would have been better recieved between 95-05' imho.
It's the whole back to the future johnny b goode scenario.

@clowntrooper61

No they wouldn't. They weren't british.

@Re3Lord

///&&&WTF ???


are you know that in The Beatles - 4 musicians??

@efanoff98

ahahah

571 More Replies...

@ecmoraes86

"I guess you guys aren't ready for that, yet. But your kids are gonna love it."

@reysharp

Back to the future throwback!

@Contemplation9

@@reysharp yes

@12joaoo

what u talkin bout, i love it and my parents loved it lol

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