Smells Like Teen Spirit
L.I.F.T. Lyrics


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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

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

And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, it's 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

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" by L.I.F.T. is a cover of Nirvana's 1991 hit song. The song is filled with conflicting feelings and a sense of angst. The first verse sets up the idea that it's good to lose yourself in the moment and pretend, while acknowledging a sense of frustration and confusion. The repetition of "Hello, hello, hello, how low" in the chorus creates a sense of isolation, a feeling that is further emphasized by the line "I feel stupid and contagious." The line "Here we are now, entertain us" speaks to the expectation of the audience to be entertained or distracted from their own problems.


The second verse starts off with the line "With the lights out, it's less dangerous," which implies that hiding from the world can be comforting. The following lines "A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido" have been interpreted as being random words with no real meaning. However, some believe that these are a reference to Nirvana's diverse fan base. The third verse brings up the idea of the singer being blessed with a gift but not feeling completely competent, which ties in with the idea of feeling stupid and contagious.


Overall, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song about the frustration and disillusionment of youth, the desire to escape into a moment, but also feeling disconnected and alone. It speaks to the conflicting emotions and sense of isolation that can accompany adolescence.


Line by Line Meaning

Load up on guns, bring your friends
Come prepared and bring friends along for the ride.


It's fun to lose and to pretend
Sometimes it's enjoyable to lose yourself in a fantasy world.


She's over-bored and self-assured
It seems like she's jaded and confident in her own abilities.


Oh no, I know a dirty word
I know something inappropriate.


Hello, hello, hello, how low
Greeting someone, but also feeling low themselves.


With the lights out, it's less dangerous
In the dark, things are less scary and risky.


Here we are now, entertain us
We're here, do something interesting to keep us entertained.


I feel stupid and contagious
I feel foolish and like my mood is infectious.


A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
Listing a range of random things, possibly showing how disconnected the artist feels from reality.


I'm worse at what I do best
Even though this is what I'm good at, I'm still not that great.


And for this gift I feel blessed
Despite my shortcomings, I'm thankful for my talents.


Our little group has always been and always will until the end
This community has been together for a long time and has no plans of ending soon.


And I forget just why I taste
I don't remember why I like this flavor, but I still do.


Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
It's something that brings me happiness, even if I'm not sure why.


I found it hard, it's hard to find
It was difficult to come across this thing.


Oh well, whatever, never mind
I guess it doesn't matter that much.


A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
Repeatedly rejecting something, possibly indicating someone in denial.




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:

Ace Maisone

"It would get people too excited"
grunge lite on not performing muzak covers of nirvana before Kurts death, Kurt was sad when he heard that

EssexSpark

If Patrick Bateman listened to Grunge....

Jordan May

I love this! It's perfectly perfect in every way. 🤘

ChuckyMack

Oh damn. Kurt would actually appreciate this. this should be played in elevators and grocery stores across the planet hahaha

Chris Southall

nah he said in an interview it was the last nail in the coffin

ChuckyMack

Well it sucks Kurt was so unhappy to be famous and he can cover songs but when he gets covered..he hates it...and I looked this song up after he said he didn't mind hearing lite music. so I'm unsure of what you mean?

Peter Dance

In one of Kurt's final interviews he was asked "What do you think of the Grunge Lite record?" and he said "Great, sure. It's an obvious thing to happen. It's the last chapter on the book of Grunge."

The interview is really good, 27 minutes long, relaxed, and really enjoyable. It's from the WatchMojo channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CTsGievjMU

J

@Chris Southall he was talking about their own album, In Utero, and actually moving on to more electronic/ambient music like this.

2 More Replies...

Desperadow

I never knew Nirvana covered Sara DeBell.

Trey Mc

i can probably say i like the whistle the best

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