Smells Like Teen Spirit
The Robert Glasper Experiment Lyrics
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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
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
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
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
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
The Robert Glasper Experiment's version of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" manages to make the iconic grunge song fresh and exciting again. The song starts with the classic Nirvana riff which is then joined by Glasper's piano and Casey Benjamin's vocoder creating a futuristic sound. The lyrics of "Smells like Teen Spirit" are famously cryptic but they have been interpreted as a criticism of the mainstream. The opening line "Load up on guns, bring your friends" is seen as a reference to the glorification of firearms in American culture, while the second line "It's fun to lose and to pretend" could reflect the apathy of the youth of that era towards social issues.
The chorus "Here we are now; entertain us" is interpreted as a plea to the entertainment industry to provide something meaningful rather than just consumerist distractions. The line "I feel stupid and contagious" is seen as reflecting the isolation and sense of alienation felt by many teenagers. The repeated phrase "Hello, hello, hello, how low" is also open to interpretation, but it is generally considered to be a nihilistic nod to the slacker culture that was prevalent in the 90s. However, the ending of the song with the line "A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido" is often considered to be an absurdist punchline.
Line by Line Meaning
Load up on guns, bring your friends
Gather all your weapons and invite your companions
It's fun to lose and to pretend
It's enjoyable to purposely make mistakes and imagine
She's over-bored and self-assured
She is feeling bored and overly confident
Oh no, I know a dirty word
Oh no, I have knowledge of a vulgar language
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Greetings, greetings, greetings, how are you feeling down there?
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Turning off the lights makes the situation less hazardous
Here we are now; entertain us
We have arrived; do something to amuse us
I feel stupid and contagious
I feel unintelligent and infectious
I'm worse at what I do best
I am less competent at my strongest pursuit
And for this gift I feel blessed
And for this talent that I have, I feel grateful
Our little group has always been
Our small clique has always existed
And always will until the end
And will persist until the conclusion
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
A child of mixed race, a person without coloring, a bloodsucking insect, my sexual drive
Yeah, hey
Yes, hey
And I forget just why I taste
And I fail to recall the reason for my sense of taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
Oh yeah, I suppose it causes me to grin
I found it hard; it's hard to find
I encountered difficulty; it is challenging to discover
Oh well, whatever, never mind
Oh well, at any rate, forget about it
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
A child of mixed race, a person without coloring, a bloodsucking insect, my sexual drive
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Turning off the lights makes the situation less hazardous
Here we are now; entertain us
We have arrived; do something to amuse us
I feel stupid and contagious
I feel unintelligent and infectious
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
A child of mixed race, a person without coloring, a bloodsucking insect, my sexual drive
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: David Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Kurt Cobain
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vintage Things
As an improvising musician, I know that if ever I think these guys are playing off tempo, it's because I've gotta do some work and understand how they are splitting the time so finely or playing cross rhythms. They offer us the chance to raise our listening to a higher level.
Daplin1
7 years ago no vids. Improvise me something I'll watch. I promise
Yvonne Skinner
Yes...simply amazing to the ear and the spirit. We get it! Highly Skilled Musical Geniuses. Listen...no textbooks needed! Ya know whatcha know!
Mike Robinson
👍💯 Yes. U got to get in the music by feeling it & not try to label it. A good musician that feels his way can take one song / composition & play it in every style and genre known to man on planet Earth 🌎. How so❓ Bcuz music has no boundaries & no limitations except for those boundaries & limitations of which man ignorantly bestows upon it with human / man-made labels & analyzations. Every sound in the universe & beyond is music
DankyD दिति अदिति
🤣
Vintage Things
@Daplin1Everytthing is improvised at some point.
Daniel C
I do not understand how people can say this man is a bad drummer. he is amazing. His off beat-ness sinks me into the grove rather than throwing me off. its just ever so slightly off. He has so much control and so much timing skills to pull off that kind of shit makes it so profoundly perfect.
Popcorn Sutton
Who says that? I think he's great.
Daniel C
drewbocop a lot of people on this video it seems which is a shame. hes amazing
Alex Simpson
I reckon the people knocking the drummer have little to no real knowledge of jazz. Not trying to be mean. Just pointing out that not everything in rhythm needs to be “4 on the floor” or suchlike.