Cobain and Nirvana were highly influential, popularizing what came to be known as "grunge music". In 1991, the arrival of Cobain's best known song, "Smells Like Teen Spirit", marked the beginning of a dramatic shift of popular music away from the dominant genres of the 1980s: glam metal, arena rock, and dance-pop. The music media eventually awarded "Smells Like Teen Spirit" "anthem-of-a-generation" status, and, with it, Cobain ascended as the reluctant "spokesman" for Generation X. Kurt Cobain changed the course of music forever even though it was never his intention.
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Kurt Cobain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bring your friends
It's fun to lose
And to pretend
She's overboard
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
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
And I forget
Just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard
It was hard to find
Oh well, whatever, nevermind
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, in denial
In denial [x9]
The lyrics of Kurt Cobain's Smells Like Teen Spirit have been widely debated over the years. One interpretation is that the song is about the apathy felt by a generation of young people who felt disconnected and dissatisfied with the status quo. The opening lines, "Load up on guns and bring your friends / It's fun to lose and to pretend" suggest a desire for reckless abandon and rebellion. The line "She's overboard and self-assured" could be a reference to an individual who is too confident and needs to be brought down a peg, while "A dirty word" could be seen as a metaphorical term for something taboo or even obscene.
Line by Line Meaning
Load up on guns and
Collect up your weapons and ammunition and be ready for something big to happen.
Bring your friends
Have others around you that are willing to join you in what you are doing.
It's fun to lose
It's a thrill to let go and not worry about the consequences of what you do.
And to pretend
To act like you don't care, even though you might.
She's overboard
She has gone too far and is acting in a self-destructive way.
And self assured
She is confident in her actions and doesn't care about consequences.
Oh no, I know
I understand what is happening and what this will lead to.
A dirty word
A taboo expression or thought that is frowned upon in society.
Hello hello hello, how low? [x3]
A sarcastic greeting to the listener, asking them how they are, even if it doesn't matter.
With the lights out it's less dangerous
If there is less visibility, there is less accountability for what one does.
Here we are now
We have arrived at our current state of being.
Entertain us
Provide us with something to occupy our attention and distract us.
I feel stupid and contagious
I feel uninformed and unable to control my own actions, and with that, I'm spreading my negativity to others.
A mulatto
A derogatory term for a person of mixed racial heritage.
An albino
A person with a genetic condition causing pigmentation loss in skin, hair, and eyes.
A mosquito
A small, irritating insect that can be difficult to get rid of.
My Libido
My sexual drive and desires.
Yeah
An affirmation, sometimes used sarcastically.
I'm worse at what I do best
Even though I am skilled in certain areas, I still struggle with them.
And for this gift I feel blessed
I am grateful for my talents, even if they bring me pain.
Our little group has always been
The people I surround myself with are a constant, even if everything else changes.
And always will until the end
Until the time that our story comes to a close, we will remain close to one another.
And I forget
I lose sight of what really matters.
Just why I taste
Why am I experiencing these feelings right now?
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
Even though I don't understand it fully, it still brings me some sort of joy.
I found it hard
This situation is difficult.
It was hard to find
I searched for a long time and had trouble locating what I needed.
Oh well, whatever, nevermind
Sarcastic dismissal of the importance of the previous lines.
Yeah, in denial
I am refusing to accept a reality that is right in front of me.
In denial [x9]
Repeated emphasis on my refusal to accept the truth.
Contributed by Nicholas M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gabe3282
1 billion for a guy that died before youtube existed
@Emilyokcool
Ah nevermind
@Reubenator27
@@Emilyokcool Kurt Cobain, he died 29 years ago.
@dusanvasiljevic1916
Legends never die
@iwakeupcookrice4421
And your point..?
@kevinkibble8342
He died over a decade before YouTube existed too
@elcoleccionistav9027
Nirvana says goodbye to 2019 with a billion views
@kevinboyle3104
El coleccionista:v and all of the 2010s
@ethanwinters3378
You are a papulince why do use the ";v"
@martinpociecha4287
777 likes i AM NOT GOING to like this