1) Nirvana was a popular and highly influential American grunge band. The band formed in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987, and it was part of the Seattle grunge scene of the late 80s, alongside bands like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden. As their popularity rose, alternative rock became a dominant genre on American and Canadian radio and music television during the early-to-mid '90s.
In late 1987, Cobain and Novoselic recruited drummer Aaron Burckhard (1987–1988).The three practiced material from Cobain's Fecal Matter tape. After losing contact with Burckhard, the pair instead practised with Dale Crover of the Melvins, and Nirvana recorded its first demos in January 1988. Their first single, a cover version of "Love Buzz", a song by Dutch group 'Shocking Blue', was released in November 1988 on the Seattle independent record label Sub Pop. Their debut album, 'Bleach', was produced by Jack Endino and released in June 1989. Later that year, the band recorded the 'Blew EP' with producer Steve Fisk.
At the start of the new decade, the band commenced their first recording sessions to the follow-up album with producer Butch Vig, substituted their drummer by Dave Grohl and signed to DGC Records. The result, 'Nevermind', would eventually sell over seven million copies in the United States, and over 30 million worldwide.
In early 1993, Nirvana released "Puss"/"Oh, the Guilt", a split single with The Jesus Lizard, on the independent label Touch & Go. Meanwhile, the group chose Steve Albini as the producer to record its third album. 'In Utero' debuted at number one on the Billboard album chart in September the same year.
As Nirvana's frontman, Cobain found himself referred to in the media as the "spokesman of a generation", with Nirvana the "flagship band" of "Generation X", their third studio album 'In Utero' was considered to be a conscious attempt to shed their audience. While Nirvana's mainstream popularity waned in the months following its release, their core audience cherished the band's dark interior, particularly after their 1993 performance on MTV Unplugged with the Meat Puppets, a band that Cobain had always idolised, performing with them the songs Oh, Me, Plateau and Lake of Fire. It was later released and topped the charts in 1994.
Nirvana's brief run ended with the suicide of Cobain in 1994, but the band's popularity expanded in the years that followed. Eight years after Cobain's death, "You Know You're Right", an unfinished demo that the band recorded two months prior to Cobain's death, topped radio playlists around the world. Since their debut, the band has sold more than fifty million albums worldwide, including more than ten million copies of Nevermind in the US alone. Nirvana remains a consistent presence on radio stations worldwide.
In 2004, the box set "With the Lights Out", a collection of radio sessions, home demos, studio demos and outtakes, was released. A year later, "Sliver: The Best Of The Box" was released, a compilation of selected "WTLO" tracks, but with 3 new tracks including a track from the famous "Fecal Matter" demo.
Band members: Kurt Cobain - vocals, guitar (1987–1994), Krist Novoselic - bass (1987–1994) Dave Grohl - drums, vocals (1990–1994)
Prior members:Aaron Burckhard - drums (1987–1988), Dale Crover - drums (1988, 1990), Dave Foster - drums (1988), Chad Channing - drums (1988–1990), Jason Everman - guitar (1989), Dan Peters - drums (1990)
Touring members: Pat Smear - guitar (1993–1994), Lori Goldston - cello (1993–1994), Melora Creager - cello (1994)
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2) Nirvana is a UK-based progressive rock band formed in 1967, primarily active in the late 1960s and early 1970s - and still sporadically active to the present day.
The band was formed in the summer of 1967 in an era when melodic pop/rock music with baroque and chamber arrangements and instrumentation was highly-prized. The band, consisted of two songwriter/performers - Greek-born Alex Spyropoulos and Irish-born Patrick Campbell-Lyons who met in London. They produced a number of singles (notably "Rainbow Chaser", "Pentecost Hotel", and "Tiny Goddess") for the fledgling Island Records label.
The band was signed by Island Records' founder Chris Blackwell in the era when he also signed the bands Traffic and Free.
In October 1967 the band released its first album - a concept album produced by Blackwell titled The Story of Simon Simopath. The album was probably the first narrative concept album ever released - predating story-driven concept albums such as The Pretty Things' S.F. Sorrow (December 1968), The Who's Tommy (April 1969) and The Kinks' Arthur (September 1969).
Musically, the group blended myriad musical styles including rock, pop, folk, jazz, Latin rhythms and classical music - primarily augmented by baroque chamber-style arrangements to create a unique entity.
The next year 1968 their follow-up album, All Of Us, featured a similar broad range of musical styles. Their third album To Markos III was released on the Pye label in 1969.
In 1971 the duo amicably separated for a while, with Campbell-Lyons the primary contributor to the next two Nirvana albums, Local Anaesthetic 1971, and Songs Of Love And Praise 1972. Campbell-Lyons subsequently worked as a solo artist and issued further albums: Me And My Friend 1973, Electric Plough 1981, and The Hero I Might Have Been 1983 though these did not enjoy commercial success.
The band reunited in 1985, successfully touring Europe and releasing a compilation album Black Flower 1987 containing some new material. (Black Flower had been the provisional title of their third album.) In the 1990s two further albums were released. Secret Theatre 1994 compiled rare tracks and demos, while Orange And Blue 1996 contained previously unreleased material including a tongue-in-cheek cover of the song "Lithium" originally recorded by the American grunge band Nirvana who released its first album in 1989, and who the band had successfully sued over use of the name Nirvana. The undisclosed terms of the settlement has apparently allowed the original Nirvana to continue using its name and issuing new recordings.
In 1999 the band released a three-disc CD anthology titled "Chemistry" including several previously-unreleased tracks and some new material.
Top musicians who played on Nirvana sessions include: Lesley Duncan, Herbie Flowers, Billy Bremner (later of Rockpile/Dave Edmunds fame), Luther Grosvenor, Wynder K. Frogg, Clem Cattini and the full lineup of rock band Spooky Tooth.
The group was in the school of baroque-flavored, melodic pop-rock music typified by The Beatles of "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver", The Beach Boys of Pet Sounds and God Only Knows, the Zombies of Odessey and Oracle and Time Of The Season, the Procol Harum of A Whiter Shade Of Pale, the Moody Blues of Days of Future Passed and Nights In White Satin and The Kinks of Waterloo Sunset. The majority of the tracks on Nirvana's albums fall into that broad genre of contemporary popular music - not easily categorized - but perhaps best described as the baroque or chamber strand of "progressive rock, soft rock or "orchestral pop".
Their first three albums were reissued on CD by Universal in 2003 and received critical acclaim. In 2005 Universal (Japan) reissued Local Anaesthetic and Songs Of Love And Praise.
As of late 2005 the founding members Alex Spyropoulos and Patrick Campbell-Lyons are still sporadically writing and recording.
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3) Nirvana was a short-lived Finnish punk band formed in 1980, whose sole release was a 7" vinyl with tracks "Kielletyt leikit" and "Kuljen kaupungilla" with 200 pressings.
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4) Nirvana was a Dutch pop group, formed in 1985 by producers Bernard Oattes and Rob van Schaik. The group consisted of Anthony Moendir, Frits Broekrits and Annie Alberti and have released one single, "Say When", which became a big hit. The group split up in 1987.
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5) Nirvana is a side project of The Skaters' James Ferraro. Primitive droning drum beats and swirling synthesizers.
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6) Nirvana was a Slovenian hard-rock band in the early seventies. They appear on several collections (YU Record Collector Dream, Boom Festival 72).
Black Flower
Nirvana Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You miss so give it now
You're the man in the dirty street
With children at your feet
Have a black flower
You Mr Policeman
And High Court serpent judge
Pick a black flower
Girl in the supermart
Holy man in the monastery
With all your mystery
Buy a black flower
You that I don't know yet
Girl in the music scene
And model in between
Black flower grow
Easy easy take it slow
Black flower grow
Red light green light got to go
Black flower grow
Look at all the people down below
Black flower grow
Easy easy easy take it slow
Paradise found
The world is breaking up
Now the devil can spread his wings
And everybody sings
Paint a new world
Now before it is too late
A place where we can dream
Of how the world should seem
Black flower grow
Easy easy take it slow
Black flower grow
Red light green light got to go go
Black flower grow
Look at the people down below
Black flower grow
Easy easy take it slow
The lyrics of Nirvana’s song Black Flower are cryptic and evoke a sense of spiritualism and longing in the listener. The opening line, “Wear a black flower, you miss, so give it now” appears to be an encouragement to embrace the darker aspects of life, to fully experience the pain that comes with it. The line, “You’re the man in the dirty street, with children at your feet” may suggest that the song is addressed to those who are struggling to make ends meet and are perhaps struggling with personal demons.
The lyrics then go on to address various individuals - “Mr Policeman, Holy man in the monastery, girl in the music scene, and model in between”. While it is not clear what message the lyrics are trying to convey to these people, it seems like a call to action to create a better world. The line “Pick a black flower...who never bears a grudge” could be a call for forgiveness and acceptance of others.
As the song progresses, the lyrics continue to emphasize the need to create a new world, a “paradise found”. There is a sense of urgency in the lyrics – “before it is too late” – and a desire to dream of a better world. The repeated chorus of “Black flower grow, easy easy, take it slow” almost seems like a mantra, an encouragement to take small steps towards a better future.
Overall, the lyrics to Nirvana’s Black Flower are enigmatic and leave a lot up to interpretation. It feels like a call to action to create a better world, with all its flaws and challenges, and to embrace the darkness within ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Wear a black flower
Put on a symbol of mourning
You miss so give it now
You feel the absence of something, so obtain it
You're the man in the dirty street
You're a lower-class citizen
With children at your feet
You have significant responsibility
Have a black flower
Possess a symbol of mourning
You Mr Policeman
You are a law enforcement officer
And High Court serpent judge
You are a judge with a deceitful nature
Who never never bears a grudge
You do not hold onto resentment
Pick a black flower
Select a symbol of mourning
Girl in the supermart
Female shopper in a large retail store
Holy man in the monastery
Religious man in a secluded residence
With all your mystery
With all your secrets and enigma
Buy a black flower
Purchase a symbol of mourning
You that I don't know yet
You are someone unfamiliar to me
Girl in the music scene
Female participant in the music industry
And model in between
And someone who serves as a source of inspiration
Black flower grow
The symbol of mourning is growing
Easy easy take it slow
Grow at a comfortable pace
Red light green light got to go
There is an urgency to keep moving forward
Look at all the people down below
Observe the people below you
Paradise found
A perfect place has been discovered
The world is breaking up
The world is falling apart
Now the devil can spread his wings
Now evil has more power to act
And everybody sings
Everyone expresses themselves
Paint a new world
Create a better world
Now before it is too late
The opportunity may soon be lost
A place where we can dream
A place where we can imagine a better life
Of how the world should seem
Of how the world could be
Contributed by Asher G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Johnny
on Lithium
Nice
robin
on Stay Away
love this
CHR!S
on Drain You - Live (1991/Del Mar Fairgrounds)
a-side goes hard from their paramount set tho
El Hrubcová
on Endless, Nameless
That's crazy song! Oh my god...I can't listen it!!!
El Hrubcová
on Territorial Pissings
It's dangerous... That's my drug!! <3