On A Plain
Nirvana Lyrics


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I'll start this off
Without any words
I got so high
I scratched 'till I bled

I love myself
Better than you
I know it's wrong
So what should I do?

The finest day
That I've ever had
Was when I learned
To cry on command

I love myself
Better than you
I know it's wrong
So what should I do?

I'm on a plain
I can't complain
I'm on a plain

My mother died
Every night
It's safe to say
Quote me on that

I love myself
Better than you
I know it's wrong
So what should I do?

The black sheep got
Blackmailed again
Forgot to put
On the zip code

I love myself
Better than you
I know it's wrong
So what should I do?

I'm on a plain
I can't complain
I'm on a plain

Somewhere I have heard this before
In a dream my memory has stored
As a defense I'm neutered and spayed
What the hell am I trying to say?

It is now time
To make it unclear
To write off lines
That don't make sense

I love myself
Better than you
I know it's wrong
So what should I do?

And one more special
Message to go
And then I'm done
And I can go home

I love myself
Better than you
I know it's wrong
So what should I do?

I'm on a plain
I can't complain
I'm on a plain
I can't complain
I'm on a plain
I can't complain
I'm on a plain




I can't complain
I'm on a plain

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "On a Plain" by Nirvana seem to be about self-love, self-destructive behavior, and the struggle to understand oneself. The song starts with the singer getting high and scratching themselves until they bleed - this illustrates that the character is self-destructive and hurting themselves. The chorus of the song repeats the line "I love myself better than you" which suggests a type of narcissism and self-obsession. This conflicted feeling is further explored in the second verse where the singer talks about wanting to cry on command as if they are trying to prove something to themselves.


The line, "my mother died every night" is a poignant one that suggests a type of guilt or self-hatred that the character is experiencing. There is no apparent reason for this guilt, but it seems to be a reoccurring event in their life. The verse about the black sheep getting blackmailed may be a reference to a personal experience of the songwriter or could be seen as a metaphor for the way the singer feels trapped and manipulated.


The bridge of the song is more abstract and open to interpretation. It could mean that the singer is trying to forget something traumatic that happened to them by "neutering and spaying" their emotions. They are trying to protect themselves, but it's not necessarily helpful or healthy.


Overall, "On a Plain" seems to be a complex exploration of self-love and self-hatred, narcissism, and the struggle to accept oneself.


Line by Line Meaning

I'll start this off
I'm beginning this song.


Without any words
I'm starting this song without an introduction.


I got so high
I got very high on drugs or alcohol.


I scratched 'till I bled
I scratched my body so hard that I started bleeding.


I love myself
I have a high regard for myself.


Better than you
I think I am better than you.


I know it's wrong
I am aware that this way of thinking is improper.


So what should I do?
What is the best course of action for me to take?


The finest day
My best day ever.


That I've ever had
Of all the days of my life.


Was when I learned
This day was when I came to know something.


To cry on command
I learned how to be able to cry instantly when asked.


My mother died
Every night, I feel like a part of me is dying.


Every night
Every time the day comes to its end.


It's safe to say
I can confidently state that.


Quote me on that
Feel free to repeat my statement to someone else.


The black sheep got
A misbehaving or out-of-place person incurred something undesirable.


Blackmailed again
The person was threatened with exposure of a shameful secret or information.


Forgot to put
I made a mistake by not including.


On the zip code
The person forgot to include the area code in their mailing address.


Somewhere I have heard this before
This statement is familiar to me, and I don't know where I heard it.


In a dream my memory has stored
I remember hearing this in a dream.


As a defense I'm neutered and spayed
As a protection, I am without power or influence.


What the hell am I trying to say?
I am unsure what point I am trying to make.


It is now time
The moment has come.


To make it unclear
I am intentionally going to make my message unclear or ambiguous.


To write off lines
I am going to delete certain lines from my message.


That don't make sense
I will be discarding lines that are not logical or reasonable.


And one more special
Finally, I have one last special thing to add.


Message to go
A final communication.


And then I'm done
This is the end of my song.


And I can go home
I can now leave and move on from this song.


I'm on a plain
I am on an airplane or on a plateau.


I can't complain
I can't find anything to complain about this situation.


I'm on a plain
I am still in the same place as before.


I can't complain
Once again, I have no grievances in this situation.


I'm on a plain
Although my location changes, my life remains the same.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kurt Cobain

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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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

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