Bleach

 The band was in California, and they saw some people in a disease control campaign encouraging people to bleach their used needles to sterilize them. The joke was that bleach was going to become an invaluable commodity - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Chad Channing (unless otherwise noted) 

Blew= The whole song conveys themes of entrapment 

Floyd the Barber= A song about a small town that goes bad, the title is taken from a character on The Andy Griffith Show. Everyone turns out to be a mass-murderer. The song also shows Freudian castration fears - Drums: Dale Crover 

About A Girl= A song written for Kurt's girlfriend Tracy, she threatened to kick him out if he didn't get a job 

School= A song about the incestous Seattle Scene. The bands seem to resemble high school cliques 

Love Buzz= A cover song from the group Shocking Blue from the Netherlands 

Paper Cuts= Part of the lyrics are based on a true story of a family that Kurt was acquainted with, who locked their children in a room. Other lyrics have to deal with parents, and neglect - Drums: Dale Crover 

Negative Creep= the first person narrative from an antisocial person 

Scoff= A song that's directed towards the people who didn't believe in Kurt's musical aspirations 

Swap Meet= A battle of the sexes put in the background of a Sunday swap meet 

Mr. Moustache= Speaks out against the stereotypical male macho image 

Sifting= seems to take on authority figures with its mention of preachers and teachers 

Big Cheese= This song is written about Sub Pop man Jonathan Poneman and the pressures he put on the band 

Downer= Kurt's attempt at a political song. It talks about people who believe the world is going to end soon, wars, etc - Drums: Dale Crover


Nevermind 

Not caring about anything, a “whatever happens, happens” attitude - Produced: Butch Vig Drums: Dave Grohl 

Smells Like Teen Spirit= An attack on the apathy of our own generation 

In Bloom= An attack on people who listen to certain music for the wrong reason. Imagine the macho, gun toting guy who sings along to Nirvana, but has no clue what he's singing about 

Come As You Are= A song full of contradictions on how we act versus how we think society thinks we should act 

Breed= Growing up and being trapped by Middle Class America 

Lithium= A first person narrative of a nervous breakdown, or an update of the Marxist description of religion as 'Opiate of the masses'. An ode to disconnection 

Polly= Based on the actual kidnapping of a 14 year old girl and her torture 

Territorial Pissings= Multi-themed song that attacks macho men 

Drain You= A song about (plainly and simply) love. Highly medical theme 

Lounge Act= A song about having a certain vision and being smothered by a relationship. It was given its title because the band thought the guitar riffs sounded like something a lounge band would play 

Stay Away= An attack on any conformist clique 

On A Plain= Many small lines of poetry having multi themes 

Something in the Way= A song about Kurt's experiences living under a bridge when he was kicked out of home 

Endless, Nameless= Previously called “The Noise Jam,” an experimental song created when one of the takes of Territorial Pissings went bad


Incesticide 

The killing of incestous people. 

Dive= Possibly about being bullied around in a love-related way - Produced: Butch Vig Drums: Chad Channing 

Sliver= A semi-autobiographical song about being deserted by your parents. The name has no relation to the song, it was called this because Kurt thought people would call it Silver (and many do, in my experiences) - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Dan Peters 

Stain= It talks about being a bad role model in society - Produced: Steve Fisk Drums: Chad Channing 

Been A Son= Song about a girl whose parents wanted a boy - Produced: Miti Adhikari Drums: Dave Grohl 

Turnaround= About discovering who you are and what you stand for - Cover of a Devo song - Produced: Dale Griffin Drums: Dave Grohl 

Molly's Lips= Simply about love. A girl will do anything for a guy, as long as he does what he's told - Cover of a Vaselines song - Produced: Dale Griffin Drums: Dave Grohl 

Son of a Gun= Probably about love. There are not many lyrics to go by, so it's difficult to tell - Cover of a Vaselines song - Produced: Dale Griffin Drums: Dave Grohl 

(New Wave) Polly= Faster recording of Nevermind's “Polly”, but it doesn't portray the theme as well - Produced: Miti Adhikari Drums: Dave Grohl 

Beeswax= Seems to be about sexuality and confusion. Also speaks of the objectification of women in society - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Chad Channing 

Downer= see Bleach - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Dale Crover 

Mexican Seafood= Possibly about yeast infections, but probably about being sick from eating bad food - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Chad Channing 

Hairspray Queen= Probably about sex and sexuality, but you can't tell from all the yelling and mumbling - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Chad Channing 

Aero Zeppelin= A jam-style song about laws, trends, apathy, etc. It has many themes - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Chad Channing 

Big Long Now= Possibly about being naive and confused - Produced: Jack Endino Drums: Chad Channing 

Aneurysm= Possibly about shooting heroin. Drug related themes plague this song - Produced: Miti Adhikari Drums: Dave Grohl


In Utero

Literally means “in or of the uterus,” it's their most underdeveloped studio effort, making it somewhat like a fetus still being in the womb. Early names for the album were Verse Chorus Verse and I Hate Myself And Want To Die - Produced: Steve Albini Drums: Dave Grohl 

Serve the Servants= An autobiographical song about the whole Nirvana experience, the 'witch hunt' on Courtney Love, and a sarcastic response to the emphasis placed on the divorce of Kurt's parents 

Scentless Apprentice= Based on the novel “Perfume” by Patrick Suskind, about a perfume maker who kills virgins for their scent 

Heart-Shaped Box= Themes of co-dependancy and many other themes 

Rape me= In Kurt's words, the song is a sort of poetic justice. A guy rapes a girl, he ends up in jail, and is raped there. The lyrics that were later added (my favorite inside source...) are about the media's rape of the band 

Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge= on Seattle A song about the story of Frances Farmer, who was declared insane and lobotomized 

Dumb= Ignorance is bliss. There is a certain care-free happiness involved in being dumb. Drug related themes dominate the song 

Very Ape= An attack on the stereotypical macho man 

Milk It= A song about co-dependancy, it heavily carries the medical theme 

Pennyroyal Tea= A song about making a tough decision and the difficult choices around it and the guilt following it. Pennyroyal Tea can be used as an abortive substance when taken in large quantities 

Radio Friendly Unit Shifter= According to Kurt this song is a throwaway. A bunch of random poetry lines thrown together. The title is a reference to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and it's slick, radio-friendly sound 

tourette's= This song has no meaning at all. Kurt just screamed a lot. Based on tourette's syndrome, which causes one to shout out obscenities at any time. The lyrics were constantly improvised on the few live performances, proving that the song has no real lyrics 

All Apologies= Contrary to popular belief, this song is not about Francis and Courtney. He wrote it for them, but none of the lyrics really apply. And this song is NOT Kurt's farewell, it was written circa 1992 

Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip= More or less, a poem to words. This is an improv-style song


Unplugged in New York [covers only] 
Produced: Scott Litt Drums: Dave Grohl 

Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam= It talks about a person who is highly doubted by everyone, and says that they shouldn't because he might surprise them one day. A rendition of an old Christian song - Cover of a Vaselines song 

The Man Who Sold The World Seems= to talk about making friends with a person you don't think is bad, and that person, in turn, commits crime - Cover of a David Bowie song 

Plateau= Is about a place that is the "hot spot", or fad, and it turns out that it was nothing, really, and that there is always a new fad taking place - Cover of a Meat Puppets song 

Oh Me= Seems to be about a person who believes he was born for someone, and mentions his good qualities so he can persuade that person into liking\loving him - Cover of a Meat Puppets song 

Lake Of Fire= A song about bad people and how they get put in their place - Cover of a Meat Puppets song 

Where Did You Sleep Last Night= An old folk tale about a grisly murder and how people should watch where they go because they might be next - Cover of a Leadbelly song


B-Sides, Rarities, & Compilation Tracks 

Beans= A Vaseline-influenced song based on the book Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac 

Even in His Youth= Those who where born to the burgoise, and never saw their way out of it, and how Kurt is glad he wasn't one of them 

Verse Chorus Verse= About weeklings who cling to people with powerful ideas, even though they nay be sucking themselves into something that is less than possitive. Could also possibly be aimed at the church

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