Smells Like Teen Spirit
Tori Amos 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, hello
Hello, hello, oh
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will be until the end
Hello, hello, hello, 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, yes
Hello, hello, oh
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, yes
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, yes
A denial
In this iconic song by Tori Amos, we see a unique and insightful interpretation of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Amos has revealed in interviews that she saw the song as a commentary on the state of youth culture in the 1990s. The lyrics "Load up on guns, bring your friends / It's fun to lose and to pretend" reflect the nihilistic and rebellious attitude of teenagers during the era. The line "She's over-bored and self-assured / Oh no, I know a dirty word" highlights the boredom and restless energy felt by young people who were searching for meaning and excitement in their lives.
The repeating refrain of "Hello, hello, hello, how low" is symbolic of the feeling of being trapped and stuck in a repetitive cycle of behavior. The lines "With the lights out, it's less dangerous / Here we are now, entertain us" speak to the desire for escapism and entertainment as a way to cope with the mundanity of life. The repeated reference to a "mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido" is meant to symbolize the way that social identity and desire intersect and influence one another.
Overall, Amos's interpretation of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a thoughtful commentary on the disillusionment and restlessness of youth in the 1990s. The song captures the frustration and angst of a generation struggling to find meaning and purpose in a world that felt increasingly bewildering and alienating.
Line by Line Meaning
Load up on guns, bring your friends
Bring people with you to make you feel powerful
It's fun to lose and to pretend
Sometimes it's easier to pretend everything's okay then to face reality
She's over-bored and self-assured
She's bored of her daily life, but confident
Oh no, I know a dirty word
I know I shouldn't be saying this, but I will anyway
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Repeating words for emphasis
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
It's easier to be brave when no one's watching
Here we are now, entertain us
I'm not sure what else to do with my life
I feel stupid and contagious
I feel like I'm doing things I shouldn't be
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
Random things that rhyme
I'm worse at what I do best
I'm not as good at things as I thought I was
And for this gift I feel blessed
I'm lucky to be able to do what I love, even if I'm not great at it
Our little group has always been
My close friends and I have always been together
And always will until the end
And we always will be
And I forget just why I taste
I'm not sure why I'm doing this anymore
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
But it still feels good, so I'll keep going
I found it hard, it's hard to find
It's been difficult to find my place in the world
Oh well, whatever, never mind
But I don't want to think about it too much
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
Repeating words for emphasis
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
Repeating words for emphasis
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: David Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Kurt Cobain
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rebecca Vocal Athlete
oh wow wonderful
Ryan Urquhart
My mother would harmonize to her voice.
BLEARY BLAZON
Rrrrrruuuuuubecca
Darkwave Diva
🖤🖤🖤
A Box of Photons
The way she sits, speaks and looks at people while performing, she knows exactly what she is doing and the effects it is having.
Cris Castellanos
A Box of Photons I said something very similar
Adam Sasso
Oh it’s affecting me alright
Magnificent Failure
cassl14 God, no. Pam Anderson wishes she was Tori.
Seriously, Tori Amos is an amazingly engaging performer. I'm sorry you don't get what she does in concert.
Maybe if you went to a show and experienced it from start to finish?.. Her eyes would find you at some point and she would notice you. She's a great one for actually seeing her audience.
Mike
Tori knows what she's about. I saw her live back in September of 1992 during the Little Earthquakes tour. It was a smallish venue and I was in the fifth or sixth row, right side, pretty close to Tori and her piano. She sat just like she's sitting in this video, legs askew, and her eyes constantly scanned the crowd. (She met my eyes several times, but as she was under hot lights and most of the crowd was in the dark I'm not sure how well she actually saw any of us. But she tried.)
As a performer she wasn't what I was expecting at all. Given her vulnerable lyrics and that aching soprano I thought she'd come off as shy and distant, even damaged. Anything but! She was warm and supremely confident, without a hint of stage fright. Her stage patter was bold and amusing...I remember her telling us a funny story about a sexual awakening she had while looking at a poster of Jim Morrison when she was young.
Her performance was flawless, too. She didn't sing a single note off key.
Magnificent Failure
@Mike I saw Tori in Phoenix in 2018 at the stupid Comerica theater. I was up in the nosebleed balcony section and I know she saw me and my buddy, Star. She even pointed right at us when she sang "Running Up That Hill". Probably because I am an old-school Kate Bush fan and I sorta popped a vocal cord when I recognized the first notes.
It was an amazing show and to hear her cover Kate was like frosting on top of a cake made of frosting. :)