The track is a, short, fast-paced, screech, with Cobain being nearly unintelligible throughout the entire song. The only lyrics shown in the album’s booklet are “Fuck shit piss”, none of which are actually used in the song and fits with the title.
Tourette's
Nirvana Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
May day, every day, my day
Could've had a heart attack, my heart
We don't know anything, my heart
We all want something fair, my heart
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Out of town, out of sight, is my heart
Queen of lies, today, my heart
One more on the phone, my heart
One more at the door of my heart
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Mean heart
Cold heart
Cold heart
Cold heart
Cold heart
Cold heart
Cold heart
Cold heart
Yeah
The lyrics of Nirvana's song Tourette's reflect the angsty and erratic mindset of the band's lead singer, Kurt Cobain. The song starts off with a barrage of fragmented phrases that speak to a sense of urgency and anxiety. The repetition of "my heart" indicates a preoccupation with personal struggles and anxieties that are palpable to Cobain. The lyrics then move on to describe a sense of isolation and distrust, with the heart being out of sight and the "queen of lies" making an appearance. This is potentially a reference to Cobain's disillusionment with societal norms and ideologies.
Line by Line Meaning
May day, every day, my day
Every day feels like an emergency or urgent situation for me
Could've had a heart attack, my heart
I could've been so overwhelmed and stressed that I might have had a heart attack
We don't know anything, my heart
We don't understand anything about the nature of our feelings
We all want something fair, my heart
We all crave for justice and fairness in our lives
Out of town, out of sight, is my heart
I feel lost or disconnected from my heart when I'm out of my comfort zone
Queen of lies, today, my heart
My heart is deceiving me today, and I can't trust it
One more on the phone, my heart
One more call or message is causing my heart to race with anxiety
One more at the door of my heart
One more person knocking at my heart is overwhelming me
Mean heart
My heart is filled with bitterness and negativity
Cold heart
My heart is emotionally detached and unfeeling
Cold heart
My heart feels like it's frozen and unresponsive
Cold heart
My heart has become indifferent and uncaring
Cold heart
My heart is rigid and unyielding
Cold heart
My heart is numb and insensible
Cold heart
My heart is devoid of warmth and love
Cold heart
My heart is desolate and empty
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Kurt Cobain
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@HandsOfTheFather
The lyrics.
Down town such a fast, in my eyes
Won't ever let you down, flown home
Granted to your sense of sound, my eyes
You and me, it contains my heart
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Go dark, soundcheck, my eyes!
Everything Teddy sees is all wrong!
Burnin' down half the town and my house
Everything sits inside my heart
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Jonestown such a frown, see yours
Riddle meal left the town, or go home
Rarin' down such a day for me, uh
Hitch a train to Santa Fe or go horse!
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Take...
Mean horse!
Mean horse!
Mean horse!
Mean horse!
@FullmetalJun
From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah version (interpretation)
Downtown sets a frown
in my eyes
Oh no, half are dead
go home
?
of my eyes
Hearin' me I attack
my arm
Hey, hey, heeeey
Go to town, go to jail
my eyes
Never free, cannot see
go home
Burnin' down half the town
my eyes
?
of my heart
Hey, hey, heeeey
Downtown sets a frown
stay off
Burnin' down half the town
go home
?
we are
Imitate cellophane
wore off
Hey, hey, heeeey
Mean heart
@gbzful
Downtown set a frown, of my eyes
One more, half are dead, phone home
Random teeth and sit to sat, of my eyes
Hearin' me, I attack, my arm Hey, hey, hey
Go to town, go to jail, of my eyes
Never free, cannot see, go home
Burnin' down, half the town, my eyes
Random teeth and sit to attack, of my heart Hey, hey, hey
Downtown set a frown, stay off
Burnin' down half the town, go home
We all know some today, we are
Imitate cellophane, wore off Hey, hey, hey
Mean heart Mean hearts Mean hearts Mean hearts
@Mitchnagel58
Why does Krist always look like he's trying to balance on a boat
@Prettypaigexxx
or surf XD
@vividdreams2699
He lets the waves and vibes of the music carry him hahaha jk xD
@jorgek92
sometimes he moves like an inflatable tube man..
@MikeRangel9808
You made laugh so hard that i nearly drown in my own saliva!
@dingleberryliespewer5394
oh my god best description ever
@firedragonofevil
They should've performed this at the Unplugged Show
@maliciouslyContent
+jason rengifo
Imagine,
all the parents that would wake up to hearing Kurt Cobain...
In the middle of the night...
screaming.
@bryceromero5267
I actually was thinking the same thing before I clicked on this video
@Rakhdan
Kurt said early on that show he wasn't gonna scream and play some chill music.