Smile Like Teen Spirit
Nirvana Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Load up on guns, bring your friends
It's fun to lose and to pretend
She's over-bored and self-assured
Oh no, I know a dirty word

Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
Yeah, hey

I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end

Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
Yeah, hey

And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, it's hard to find
Oh well, whatever, never mind

Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido




A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” suggest a scene of recklessness and abandon. The invitation to “load up on guns” and bring your friends is not a call to arms, but a plea to let go and lose yourself in the moment. The lines “It's fun to lose and to pretend / She's over-bored and self-assured / Oh no, I know a dirty word” suggest a boredom or numbness in the subject’s everyday life, and an urge to escape it. The feeling is one that almost anyone can relate to: the desire to break free from the constraints of society and responsibilities for just a little while.


The chorus of the song is repeated three times, each one punctuated by the exclamation “hello, hello, hello, how low”. The repetition of this phrase suggests a state of mind that is fixated on a feeling of “low-ness” or depression. The lines “With the lights out, it's less dangerous / Here we are now, entertain us / I feel stupid and contagious / Here we are now, entertain us” suggest a kind of compulsion to be entertained, to distract oneself from negative feelings by indulging in something that requires no thought or effort. The final lines of the song, “A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial / A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial” give the sense that the subject is trapped, that they are doomed to repeat the same patterns over and over again, denying their own feelings of unhappiness and dissatisfaction.


Line by Line Meaning

Load up on guns, bring your friends
Let's gather weapons and invite our pals


It's fun to lose and to pretend
Losing and pretending is enjoyable


She's over-bored and self-assured
She's excessively uninterested and confident


Oh no, I know a dirty word
I'm aware of an obscene term


Hello, hello, hello, how low
Greetings, how low can you go


With the lights out, it's less dangerous
If we switch off the lights, it's not as risky


Here we are now, entertain us
We're present, amuse us


I feel stupid and contagious
I sense foolish and infectious


A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
A person of mixed race, a pale-skinned person, a blood-sucking insect, and my sexual drive


I'm worse at what I do best
I'm less accomplished in my core competencies


And for this gift I feel blessed
Despite that, I feel fortunate for this talent I possess


Our little group has always been
Our small collective has always existed


And always will until the end
And will continue to do so until the conclusion


And I forget just why I taste
I can't remember why I enjoy this sensation


Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
Oh right, I suppose it brings me joy


I found it hard, it's hard to find
I had difficulty, as it's not readily available


Oh well, whatever, never mind
Oh, fine, whatever, no matter


A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
A refusal, a refusal, a refusal, a refusal, a refusal




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS NOVOSELIC, DAVID GROHL, KURT COBAIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@gabriel.imagine

Load up on guns, bring your friends
It's fun to lose and to pretend
She's over-bored and self-assured
Oh, no, I know a dirty word

Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino
A mosquito, my libido
Yeah, hey, yay

I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end

Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino
A mosquito, my libido
Yeah, hey, yay

And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, it's hard to find
Well, whatever, nevermind

Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino
A mosquito, my libido
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial



All comments from YouTube:

@elcoleccionistav9027

Nirvana says goodbye to 2019 with a billion views

@kevinboyle3104

El coleccionista:v and all of the 2010s

@ethanwinters3378

You are a papulince why do use the ";v"

@martinpociecha4287

777 likes i AM NOT GOING to like this

@victorjavierborbonneri8345

Really good for Nirvana, or isn't?

@vadik2k

Xyu

86 More Replies...

@gabe3282

1 billion for a guy that died before youtube existed

@Emilyokcool

Ah nevermind

@Reubenator27

@@Emilyokcool Kurt Cobain, he died 29 years ago.

@dusanvasiljevic1916

Legends never die

More Comments

More Versions