Kurt Cobain wrote "Dumb" in the summer of 1990 after he had begun to follow some of his own poppier instincts. Cobain debuted the song for Calvin Johnson of K Records on KAOS (FM) in the same year.
The first version to be officially released was on the In Utero album in 1993 and Cobain said that he did not – as had been rumoured - want to drive fans of the Nevermind album away from the band with In Utero: "Let’s face it, we already sold out two and a half years ago. There’s no sense in trying to redeem yourself by putting out an abrasive album and pretending you’re a punk rocker again". Cobain also said of the song that using the word "happy" was a nice twist on the negative stuff that they had done before and that he wished he could have written more songs like “Dumb” and “All Apologies” on the other albums. Michael Azerrad in his Story of Nirvana described "Dumb" as "Beatlesque".
The song was ranked at number 39 on WHFS's top 100 played songs of 1994, number 41 on KROQ-FM’s top 100 played songs of 1994, number 51 on Q101's top 100 played songs of 1994, and number 82 on 91X's top 100 played songs of 1994. The song was subsequently released on Nirvana’s two hits compilations, Nirvana in 2002 and Icon in 2010.
Dumb
Nirvana Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I can pretend
The sun is gone
But I have a light
The day is done
But I'm having fun
I think I'm dumb
Think I'm just happy
Think I'm just happy
Think I'm just happy
My heart is broke
But I have some glue
Help me inhale
And mend it with you
We'll float around
And hang out on clouds
Then we'll come down
And have a hangover
Have a hangover
Have a hangover
Have a hangover
Skin the sun
Fall asleep
Wish away
The soul is cheap
Lesson learned
Wish me luck
Soothe the burn
Wake me up
I'm not like them
But I can pretend
The sun is gone
But I have a light
The day is done
But I'm having fun
I think I'm dumb
Maybe just happy
Think I'm just happy
Think I'm just happy
Think I'm just happy
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
The lyrics to Nirvana's "Dumb" suggest a complex emotional state of the singer. The singer begins by stating that they are not like the people they are surrounded by, but they can pretend. This suggests a sort of alienation or disconnect from the singer's environment or society. The line "The sun is gone, but I have a light" can be interpreted as the singer feeling a sense of self-sufficiency, despite lacking the light the sun provides. The following line "The day is done, but I'm having fun" suggests that the singer is enjoying their life, even in the face of adversity.
The pre-chorus of the song changes the tone, introducing the idea that the singer's heart is broken. They ask for someone to help them mend it using glue and to inhale with them. This could suggest that the singer is dealing with drug addiction as a way of coping with their emotional pain. The chorus reiterates the idea of the singer feeling dumb but potentially happy. The repetition of "Think I'm just happy" could suggest that the singer is trying to convince themselves that they are happy despite their struggles.
The bridge of the song suggests a kind of listlessness and desire to escape. The imagery of skinning the sun and falling asleep could suggest a kind of dream state, a wish fulfillment. The soul being cheap could imply that the singer is grappling with their own sense of worthlessness. The line "Soothe the burn, wake me up" could suggest that the singer is experimenting with drugs to alleviate their emotional pain.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not like them
I am different from others
But I can pretend
I can put on a facade
The sun is gone
The happiness in my life is gone
But I have a light
But I still have some hope
The day is done
The day is over
But I'm having fun
But I am enjoying myself
I think I'm dumb
I believe I am not intelligent
Or maybe just happy
Or maybe I'm just content with my life
Think I'm just happy
I feel like I'm only happy
My heart is broke
My heart is broken
But I have some glue
But I have a way to fix it
Help me inhale
Help me breathe
And mend it with you
And fix it with your help
We'll float around
We'll be carefree and happy
And hang out on clouds
And be above all the troubles
Then we'll come down
But eventually, we'll have to come back to reality
And have a hangover
And face the consequences of our actions
Skin the sun
Peel away the brightness of the day
Fall asleep
Go to sleep
Wish away
Wish to escape reality
The soul is cheap
My soul feels worthless
Lesson learned
I have learned my lesson
Wish me luck
Hope for success in my future endeavors
Soothe the burn
Soothe the emotional pain and hurt
Wake me up
Help me come out of this trance-like state
I think I'm dumb
I still believe I'm not intelligent
Maybe just happy
Or maybe I am just content with who I am
Think I'm just happy
I feel like I am only happy
I think I'm dumb
I still think that I am unintelligent
I think I'm dumb
I think that intelligence is not my strong suit
I think I'm dumb
I feel like I am not capable of succeeding
I think I'm dumb
I am still unsure of my worth and intelligence
I think I'm dumb
I am still struggling with my perception of myself
I think I'm dumb
I cannot help but feel like I lack intelligence
I think I'm dumb
I doubt my intelligence and abilities
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Kurt Cobain
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Yoa-cc7bo
I'm not like them
But I can pretend
The sun is gone
But I have a light
The day is done
But I'm having fun
I think I'm dumb
Or maybe just happy
Think I'm just happy
Think I'm just happy
Think I'm just happy
My heart is broke
But I have some glue
Help me inhale
And mend it with you
We'll float around
And hang out on clouds
Then we'll come down
And I have a hangover
Have a hangover
Have a hangover
Have a hangover
Skin the sun, fall asleep
Wish away, the soul is cheap
Lesson learned, wish me luck
Soothing burn, wake me up
I'm not like them
But I can pretend
The sun is gone
But I have a light
The day is done
But I'm having fun
I think I'm dumb
Or maybe just happy
Think I'm just happy
Think I'm just happy
Think I'm just happy
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
@tomcrepaldi
Lyric:
I'm not like them, but I can pretend
The sun is gone, but I have a light
The day is done, but I'm having fun
I think I'm dumb
Or maybe I'm just happy
Think I'm just happy
Think I'm just happy
Think I'm just happy
My heart is broke, but I have some glue
Help me inhale and mend it with you
We'll float around and hang out on clouds
Then we'll come down
And have a hangover
Have a hangover
Have a hangover
Have a hangover
Skin the sun, fall asleep
Wish away, the soul is cheap
Lesson learned, wish me luck
Soothing burn, wake me up
I'm not like them, but I can pretend
The sun is gone, but I have a light
The day is done, but I'm having fun
I think I'm dumb
Or maybe I'm just happy
Think I'm just happy
Think I'm just happy
Think I'm just happy
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
I think I'm dumb
X2
@quietviolence7957
So many years have passed and I still love this song! The less you know, the happier you are. You can be dumb and be happy because you ignore the things that are happening around you.
@1...MusicVideo
▶️🎸🙋♂️🌟
@DaanniellNoveselic
Ignorance is happiness
@doomedcells5994
@@DaanniellNoveselic Bliss*
@craigbruce2037
its called irony
@doomedcells5994
@@craigbruce2037 It sure as hell is xd
@Ella-li3sd
"I'm not like them, but I can pretend" my personal favourite line from this song because of how relatable it is for me
@caryscasablancas
Literally all of middle/high school
@Apletree_Music
💯
@fuzznugget246
It's a very insecure-sounding line, though 😂