Codes and Lyrics

In the early 90′s “Weird” Al Yankovic released the song “Smells Like Nirvana” which was all about how you couldn’t understand anything that Kurt Cobain sings in “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. While “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was a touchstone moment for modern rock, Weird Al had a point: you can’t really understand any of the lyrics. In truth, most people who love the song, and there are plenty, are probably singing along with the wrong lyrics.

For example: did you know that the bridge says “Hello, hello, hello, how low”? Or that the much misquoted verse actually reads ” A mulatto, an albino/ a mosquito, a libido”? While Cobain was known for being a brilliant lyricist (as a whole “Smells Like Teen Spirit” does make sense), he is not known for having the clearest singing style. In fact, those who listen to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” may miss some of the subtleties of the song. For example, most people think that one of the line’s in the chorus goes “Here we are now, entertainers”. In fact, the line actually reads “Here we are now, entertain us”, which completely changes the message of the line. This is why sometimes you need to read the lyrics before you can truly understand a song.