Kurt Cobain: 31 Years Later
Kurt Cobain, a name that conjures up images of a blond-haired, guitar-wielding iconoclast with a lanky frame and an impeccable voice. To claim that the Seattle-based singer/songwriter merely ‘influenced’ the musical landscape would be a gross understatement. The past week marks thirty-one years since Cobain’s passing.
Fleeing from an early life that entailed bullying, domestic violence, drug abuse and even homelessness, Kurt Cobain was a nonconformist par none. A prodigious guitarist-vocalist, Cobain drew heavily influence from rock bands such as The Beatles and Led Zeppelin.
Kurt Cobain’s Quest For Nirvana
Struggling to find musical companionship among his peers, Cobain briefly flew solo, honing his instrumental and songwriting abilities. Dropping out of high school, Cobain formed the band ‘Fecal Matter’ with bassist Dale Crover and drummer Greg Hokanson. During his ‘Fecal Matter’ days in 1987, he persuaded Krist Novoselic and Aaron Burckhard, eventually leading to the evolution of ‘Nirvana.’
Combining elements from “heavy metal and punk rock,” Nirvana heralded a new chapter in the Northwest’s grunge scene. The band embodied youthful restlessness and channeled angst, while vehemently standing up to anti-marginalized voices.
Among the various works of Nirvana and Kurt Cobain, few of them stick out.
Smells Like Teen Spirit: Perhaps Nirvana’s most recognizable song, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” starts off with the now-famous guitar riff. Written by Cobain, Grohl, and Novoselic, the lyrics offer a scathing commentary on juvenile groupthink while contrarily celebrating the “spirit” of youth. The song went on to define the generational jadedness stemming from ennui and purposelessness. The lyrics, “I’m worse at what I do best/And for this gift I feel blessed,” emphasizes ambivalence and dissonance. The song famously inspired Radiohead’s “Creep” and many other offshoots.
Lithium: One of the band’s most intimate and unfiltered songs, “Lithium” offers a peculiar insight into Cobain’s state of mind. Like many of his works, the actual “meaning” of the song remains unclear, but fans largely agree that the song explores bipolar depression. The lyrics “I’m so happy ‘cause today I found my friends/They’re in my head,” point to vulnerability and imaginary friends.
Kurt Cobain Joins The 27 Club
On April 5, 1994, following a lifetime of drug addiction(s) and chronic health problems, Kurt Cobain committed suicide . With his death, Kurt Cobain joined the “The 27 Club” which includes Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Amy Winehouse.
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