In the Nevermind press kit, Cobain said this about the song: "People who are secluded for so long go insane, and as a last resort they often use religion to keep alive. In the song, the guy's lost his girl and his friends and he's brooding. He's decided to find God before he kills himself. It's hard for me to understand the need for a vice like that, but I can appreciate it too. People need vices."
Bruce Lash did a mellow version that was used in the movie Marley & Me. He told Songfacts: "I was looking for songs that were hard or angry or alienated to make sort of loungy Bossa Novas out of. Calm them down"
(Lithium Songfacts)
Lithium
Nirvana Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've found my friends
They're in my head
I'm so ugly, but that's okay, 'cause so are you
We've broken our mirrors
Sunday morning is everyday for all I care
And I'm not scared
Light my candles in a daze
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm so lonely but that's okay I shaved my head
And I'm not sad
And just maybe I'm to blame for all I've heard
But I'm not sure
I'm so excited, I can't wait to meet you there
But I don't care
I'm so horny but that's okay
My will is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I like it, I'm not gonna crack
I miss you, I'm not gonna crack
I love you, I'm not gonna crack
I killed you, I'm not gonna crack
I like it, I'm not gonna crack
I miss you, I'm not gonna crack
I love you, I'm not gonna crack
I killed you, I'm not gonna crack
I'm so happy 'cause today
I've found my friends
They're in my head
I'm so ugly, that's okay, 'cause so are you
Broke our mirrors
Sunday morning is everyday for all I care
And I'm not scared
Light my candles in a daze
'Cause I've found God
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I like it, I'm not gonna crack
I miss you, I'm not gonna crack
I love you, I'm not gonna crack
I killed you, I'm not gonna crack
I like it, I'm not gonna crack
I miss you, I'm not gonna crack
I love you, I'm not gonna crack
I killed you, I'm not gonna crack
The lyrics to Nirvana’s song Lithium are reflective of the internal battle and emotional struggles that lead singer Kurt Cobain faced. The opening line “I’m so happy cause today, I’ve found my friends, they’re in my head” reveals that Cobain has found comfort in his own mind – the only place where he can find solace. He speaks of being “so ugly” but accepting it, and also of breaking mirrors, representative of a shattered self-image. The line “Sunday morning is everyday for all I care, and I’m not scared” is a nod to the fact that Cobain lived in a constant state of chaos and depression, where every day felt like a Sunday morning – empty, hollow and meaningless.
However, Cobain finds a sense of hope in religion, referring to finding God and lighting his candles in a daze. The repetition of “yeah yeah” throughout the song represents a sense of numbness and disconnection from reality, as though the constant repetition of the phrase is a coping mechanism for Cobain to detach from his emotions. The line “I killed you, I’m not gonna crack” is a reference to the voices inside Cobain’s head, and the struggle to suppress them. Overall, Lithium is an honest depiction of Cobain’s inner turmoil and the ferocious battle he faced daily with his own mind.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm so happy 'cause today
The singer is experiencing joy in the present moment
I've found my friends
The singer has found comfort and companionship, possibly in their own thoughts
They're in my head
The singer's friends exist only in their mind, and not in physical form
I'm so ugly, that's okay, 'cause so are you
The artist acknowledges their own flaws and accepts them, while also acknowledging that others may possess similar flaws
Broke our mirrors
The artist has deliberately destroyed a reflective surface, possibly to avoid seeing their own physical appearance
Sunday morning is everyday for all I care
The singer does not feel tied to traditional concepts of time, possibly due to depression or detachment
And I'm not scared
The singer is not experiencing fear, despite potentially difficult emotions
Light my candles in a daze
The artist is performing a ritualistic action, perhaps to seek comfort or spiritual satisfaction
'Cause I've found God
The artist believes they have made a spiritual discovery or connection
Yeah, yeah
A repeated exclamation, possibly indicating agreement or affirmation
I'm so lonely, that's okay, I shaved my head
The singer is able to cope with feelings of loneliness, perhaps by making a significant change to their appearance
And I'm not sad
The artist does not feel sadness despite potentially difficult circumstances
And just maybe I'm to blame for all I've heard
The singer considers whether they are responsible for negative experiences they have had or negative information they have learned
But I'm not sure
The singer is uncertain about their own culpability in these situations
I'm so excited, I can't wait to meet you there
The singer is anticipating the possibility of a positive future interaction or experience
But I don't care
Despite the excitement, the artist is emotionally detached and does not feel invested in the outcome
I'm so horny, that's okay
The artist is experiencing sexual desire, which they are comfortable with
My will is good
The singer asserts their own ability to make good decisions or choices
I like it, I'm not gonna crack
The singer enjoys their current state of mind, and does not feel that it is at risk of deteriorating
I miss you, I'm not gonna crack
Despite experiencing emotional pain due to a missing person, the artist is able to maintain emotional stability
I love you, I'm not gonna crack
The artist's love for someone does not cause them to feel emotionally overwhelmed or destabilized
I killed you, I'm not gonna crack
The artist has possibly experienced or imagined death, but does not feel emotionally impacted
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Kurt Cobain
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Johnny
Nice
@FiresBZ
El1aZ V I never said lithium was used to cure addiction. Addicts generally have depression when they withdraw.
"You are quite right that lithium is primarily known for its use in bipolar disorder, where it has been shown to be quite effective in treating manias and moderately effective in preventing/treating depression and in keeping people's moods stable over long periods. But it also has been known for years to rapidly convert antidepressant nonresponders to responders and to do so at doses lower than are required for optimal treatment in bipolar disorder. No one knows for sure how it works as an augmenting agent, but many scientists suspect that its effects may trace to an ability to increase activity of the neurotransmitter serotonin." (Raison, 2010)
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/expert.q.a/06/15/lithium.depression.raison/index.html?eref=rss_latest
Other sources:
http://scienceblogs.com/retrospectacle/2006/09/06/how-does-lithium-act-as-an-ant/
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1065-lithium.aspx?activeingredientid=1065&activeingredientname=lithium
Just because potatoes are used for mashed potatoes doesn't mean they can't be used for chips (irrelevant fact: U.S. chips refer to U.K. crisps and U.K. chips refer to U.S. fries; they're both made of potatoes).
@LeesaDeAndrea
Sometimes I feel like the best thing we have ever done is our music.
@zackzallie8735
Music is life.
@Michelle-bt3bl
Agreed
@kycamyt5638
Music is the first thing I hear when I wake up and the last thing before I fall asleep.
@mattsmagicmycology21295
Whos we??
@LeesaDeAndrea
@@mattsmagicmycology21295 human beings.
@catherineyoung8499
He died during my art class when I was 16. Our teacher was so awesome she asked if we were all ok - we had the radio on. That's how we heard the news - Australia. Loved him then and still love him.. thank you miss Collison. Art teacher with sense to know we weren't ok...
@ruaheloah
Thanks for the story, Miss Catherine
@kadenpile-riley2170
Who died?