Newsgroups: alt.music.alternative
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 20:41:57 -0400 
From: "Philip F. Gomez" <pg25+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Nirvana


Someone opened their big mouth many messages ago and emptied from it
their opinion of Nirvana.  The response only goes to show what happens
when some jerk decides to post "hate" mail.  For the future, I hope no
one will just decide to bash a band without due cause.  "Well, they
don't have any meaning to me" is not due cause.  So please, enough
whining.

The person who wrote this said something relevant:
>Nirvana's music says something *to me*, and as far as I'm concerned, that's
>all it has to do. Personally, I don't want the band to have a bigger 
>following -- at least I can still relish the night I saw them play in a
>dive bar in Lincoln, Nebraska, the whole time standing on a chair and think- 
>ing, "Shit. *This* must have been what punk was like."
> 
>If you don't get it, fine. Not everyone does. But the point of music         
>appreciation is not "who has the bigger following after five years" but rather
>"will this album still sound great in five years?" _Bleach_ still is one of
>my favorite albums, and every time I listen to _Nevermind_, I think it'll hold
>up, too.

and if you don't understand the "philosophical relevance" in the
previous, then I truly pity you.


Someone also mentioned that they thought Nirvana did not have great
lyrics.  I am going to have to respond to this with a long drawn out
opinion.  If you don't want to hear my opinion, please go to another
message right now.  I do appreciate constructive feedback and if you
wish to reply with some, great. If not, then don't waste mine or anybody
else's time.

Back to Nirvana's lyrics.
I think a lot of Nirvana's lyrics have true significance.  The problem
most people have with their lyrics is that they cannot understand them
right away.  I think this is actually serendipitous because when you
cannot immediately understand lyrics, it forces you to pay closer
attention.  I'll state the rest of my opinions with an example.  Let me
start with the lyrics to "Smells Like Teen Spirit":

(1) Load up on guns and bring your friends
(2) It's fun to lose and to pretend.
(3) She's over bored and self assured
(4) Oh, no. I know a dirty word.
(5) Hello, hello, hello, how low?

(6) I'm worse at what I do best
(7) and for this gift I feel blessed
(8) Our little group has always been
(9) and always will until the end.
(10) Hello, hello, hello, how low?

(11) And I forget just why I taste
(12) Oh, yeah. I guess it makes me smile
(13) I found it hard, it was hard to find.
(14) Oh well, whatever, nevermind.
(15) Hello, hello, hello, how low?

(16) With the lights out, it's less dangerous
(17) Here we are now, entertain us.
(18) I feel stupid, and contagious
(19) here we are now, entertain us
(20) A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
(21) Yay, a denial.

Yes, these are the actual lyrics. I'm not making them up.  I think (and
this _is_ only my opinion) that this song is about the apathy of the
average person.  It's kind of an anti-drinking song or an anti-substance
abuse song that's very sarcastic in what it says directly and very
ironic in what it says indirectly. In line (1) I think "guns" are drugs
but I'm not sure. I am sure that it's symbolic.  In this verse, he's
saying "C'mon all you people who are tired with life, let's get wasted
'cause it's fun to drink until you puke and get laid with some girl that
you'll forget in the morning, even though you'll probably wake up with a
hangover, lying next to her."  Then the prechorus (5) welcomes you
("hello") and asks "how low" have you degraded yourself?
    The first two lines of the second verse attempt to explain why the
people gathered here are so apathetic.  Then he points out that this
group of apathetic, drunk, wasted people; the average joes (or janes),
who do most of the living and dying in the world have always been
getting stoned or drunk and probably always will.
    The last verse becomes more unclear (as we become more drunk) and in
lines (11,12) Kurt Cobain points out that we really don't need to taste
our drinks because we are not drinking them for the taste, we drink (or
do drugs) for the feeling.  Line (13): "I found it hard (to get
started), It was hard to find" he rambles on to the end of the verse
like a drunk person does.  At this point, the speaker has lost it all.
    The chorus: (16) "With the lights out (i.e., 'When I'm drunk...'),
it's less dangerous. Here we are now, entertain us ('cause we're nothing
if we're not being entertained). I feel stupid (for getting drunk), and
contagious (can't you just feel my peer pressure?)..."  And who do we
have gathered here? why it's a mulatto,...Yay (whoop-de-do!) [these
"yay"'s are real sarcastic]  
    So what does this all amount to? "A denial."  As in "No, I'm not an
alchoholic or an addict!"

All of the above is just my interpretation of what Kurt Cobain directly
says in the lyrics.  The irony of the song is that since it really
sounds great, many people play it during parties where they get drunk
and do all the things that Kurt is making fun of.  The irony is spread
by the fact that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is so easy to play that any
joe average guitar player could play it, and usually will.

If you don't agree with my opinion fine. You can write me and say so. 
But I really can't stand "hate" mail so don't bother sending me any. 
Thanx for listening.
-Philip F. Gomez

"Monkey see, monkey do.  I'd rather be dead than cool." -Nirvana 
                                                         from "Stay Away"
Newsgroups: alt.music.alternative