Stain
Nirvana Lyrics

The lyrics to Nirvana's "Stain" are characteristically cryptic and enigmatic, but nonetheless provide a provocative lens through which to view themes of frustration, futility, and isolation. The introductory lines set the mood with their caustic and dismissive tone towards a figure who is portrayed as inert and paralyzed by a mixture of incompetence and ill fortune. The singer adopts a cynical perspective towards the subject, portraying them as a passive victim of their own circumstances, doomed to a life of inaction and stagnation. The repetition of the phrase "he's got bad luck" throughout the song is emblematic of a broader sense of fatalism and resignation that pervades the track.

The refrain of the song, "I'm a stain, I'm a stain, I'm a stain" serves as a poignant counterpoint to the opening lines. While the singer has previously spurned the passive and ineffectual figure who is portrayed in the verses, in the chorus they reclaim that same identity themselves. Rather than being a voice of authority or condemnation, the singer instead seeks to identify with the sense of isolation and loneliness that the verses have depicted. By embracing their own sense of inadequacy and weakness, they are able to sublimate their anger and frustration, and instead forge an alliance with the very emotions that they initially sought to discredit. It is this pivot that gives the song its emotional resonance and enduring appeal.