There are multiple artists tracked as "Nirvana" on Last.fm. Following are s… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists tracked as "Nirvana" on Last.fm. Following are six, listed in order of prominence:

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).

Mrs. Butterworth (rehearsal
Nirvana Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Your life is shit (shit)
Your life is bogus (bull)
Your life is crime (crime)
Your life is hell (hell)

I'm gonna die, start a new union (Alt: but not before you do)
I'm gonna die, with my libido
I'm gonna die, start a new union (Alt: but not before you do)

I'm gonna die, don't fuck with me

Your life is shit (shit)
Your life is clean (it is clean)
Your life is lame, it's not so funny
Your life is stale (frail, frail!)

I'm gonna die, start a new union (Alt: but not before you do)
I'm gonna hell on my libido
I'm gonna die, start a new union (Alt: but not before you do)
I'm gonna hell on my libido
I'm gonna die, start a new union (Alt: but not before you do)
I'm gonna hell on my libido
I'm gonna die, start a new union (Alt: but not before you do)
I'm gonna die, watch the pain!

Your life is shit.

"I'm gonna open up myself a flea market
I'm gonna open up myself a flea market
And you're gonna wish that you did
And retire on the profits

First off,
I'm gonna empty out all of my Mrs. Butterworth jars
And I'm gonna put 'em on a shelf with my 800 dollar a month tax free Century 21
shop

And then I am going to put my Mrs. Butterworth syrup jars on the shelf
Next to all the commemorative fast food chain glasses and cups I've accumulated
over the past 62 years

Then I'm going to get some plywood

I'm going to get some plywood and cut them up into two by two feet squares
Then I'm going to get some burlap and I'm going to cut them into
two by two feet squares, and then I'm going to put them onto the
pieces of plywood

And then I'm going to go to the beach
I'm going to go to the beach and I'm gonna collect some
shells and driftwood

And then I'm going to take the shells and driftwood and glue them
onto the plywood and burlap

And sell 'em for lots of money

People will be paying top dollar for my kids new used new
toys and clothing

Then maybe someday I can get rid of that
pissed-stained matress I've been sleeping on"

I'm gonna die, start a new union (Alt: but not before you do)
I'm gonna hell on my libido
I'm gonna die, start a new union (Alt: but not before you do)
I'm gonna die on my libido
I'm gonna die, start a new union (Alt: but not before you do)
I'm gonna die on my libido

I'm gonna die, start a new union (Alt: but not before you do)
I'm gonna die watch the pain

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Nirvana's song "Mrs. Butterworth" are cryptic and open to interpretation, but they seem to express a sense of despair and hopelessness. The repeated refrain "Your life is shit" and variations of it suggest a sense of dissatisfaction with the way things are, while the lines "I'm gonna die" and "I'm going to hell" express a sense of resignation and a desire to escape from the current situation.

The verses that follow are equally unclear, but seem to describe a plan to start a new business selling homemade crafts or flea market items. The lines "I'm gonna open up myself a flea market" and "And you're gonna wish that you did" express a sense of defiant optimism, as if the singer is determined to make something of his life despite the odds. The rest of the lyrics describe the various materials and methods he plans to use to create these items, including Mrs. Butterworth syrup jars, burlap, plywood, and driftwood.

Overall, the song seems to be about the frustration and despair of being trapped in a hopeless situation, but also about the human capacity for creativity and resilience in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

There life is shit, shit
Life is unpleasant for some people

My life is full of it, ball
My life is miserable and dreadful

Your life is bright, cry
Your life is happy and fulfilling

Your life is hell, hell
Your life is torturous and unbearable

I'm gonna die
I am going to pass away

Start a new union
Begin a new relationship or group

Wear my libido
Express my sexual desires openly

Who wants to stay
Who else wants to leave with me?

Your life is strange and insane
Your life is abnormal and crazy

Your life has lived a type of crap
Your life has experienced a great deal of negativity

Your life is jail, clam
Your life is confined and oppressive

I'm going to hell
I am headed towards a negative situation

I'ma open up myself a flea market
I am going to start my own business

And you're gonna wish that you did
You will regret not starting your own business

Might retire on the profits
I could potentially live off the income from this business

First of all I'ma empty out all of my Mrs. Butterworth jars
The first step of my plan is to collect empty jars to use for my business

Tax free Century 21, shop
I will also sell my own belongings without being taxed

And then I am going to put my Mrs. Butterworth syrup jars on the shelf
I will use the jars to display my other products

Next to all the commemorative fast food chain glasses and cups
I will also display other collectible items

Then I'm going to get some plywood
Next, I will purchase wood for my project

Then I'm going to get some burlap
I will also need to buy burlap fabric

And then I'm going to put them onto the pieces of plywood
I will use the wood and fabric to create my products

And then I'm going to go to the beach
I will collect materials to decorate my products from the beach

And sell 'em for lots of money
I will then make a profit by selling my unique creations

People will be paying top dollar
Customers will pay a high price for my original products

For my kid's new used new toys and clothing
I will also sell my children's secondhand items

Then maybe someday I can get rid of that piss stained mattress I've been sleeping on
I hope to upgrade my current living situation by making a successful business

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Kurt Cobain

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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