The True Meaning Behind SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT

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  • Опубликовано: 19 июн 2024
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    Discover the true meaning behind Nirvana's hit song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" with our in-depth exploration of its off-the-wall origins. From its creation as a joke on a deodorant brand to its ultimate success as a revolutionary anthem, we delve into the lyrics and the band's inspiration behind the track. Join us as we uncover the stories behind one of the greatest songs of all time, 30 years after its release.
    Timestamps:
    0:00 Introduction
    0:43 The Track’s Origins
    1:38 The Ultimate Pop Song
    3:35 Lyrics & Interpretations
    6:51 The Band’s Thoughts
    7:43 The Aftermath
    8:21 Conclusion
    #Middle8 #Nirvana #SmellsLikeTeenSpirit #VideoEssay
    The True Meaning Behind Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'
    A Deep Dive into the Iconic 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana
    The Making of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' and Its Impact on Music History

Комментарии • 1,5 тыс.

  • @Middle8
    @Middle8  Год назад +144

    If you're a big fan of Nirvana, or just love talking about music in general, I highly recommend becoming a Middle 8 Member. You'll have exclusive access to VIP Video Previews, an exclusive Discord Club, Digital Vinyl Badges and so much more! Join now at ruclips.net/user/Middle8join

    • @nyaKona
      @nyaKona Год назад +1

      nya

    • @robertgutierrez8313
      @robertgutierrez8313 Год назад +3

      Kurt was a genuine genius.

    • @johnconnor48
      @johnconnor48 Год назад

      5:40 WHY is it offensive? WHY do they keep 'updating' these neutral terms and trashing the oldspeak terms as ''offensive'' and ''wayciss''? And WHY do YOU perpetuate their Cultural Marxist control by mindlessly going along with it ,like a goody two shoes cuck?

    • @ProjectCypher132
      @ProjectCypher132 Год назад +1

      QUICK, PRETEND I SAID SOMETHING HILARIOUS

    • @sabbracadabra8367
      @sabbracadabra8367 7 месяцев назад

      Kurt never said he was embarrassed about the song, I wish you wouldn't repeat dumb myths. He also didn't stop playing it, he played it in almost every show, even still playing it in 1994 before he died. He also never played it wrong to make fun of the song. He played it wrong only a few times, all for other reasons I can't be bothered explaining to you douches.

  • @evanismakingmusic
    @evanismakingmusic 2 года назад +2800

    Kurt is an artist who’s spirit will never die. Rest In Peace to one of the greatest musical talents of all time.

    • @danielwright4987
      @danielwright4987 2 года назад +26

      I don't wanna be the one to tell you this but Kurts been dead for like 25 years

    • @gardenofnails9262
      @gardenofnails9262 2 года назад +5

      Stolen talent he do not write smells like teen spirit he didn't even want to tell people the truth about what the lyrics were about

    • @BoolyK
      @BoolyK 2 года назад +4

      Whose

    • @adonaiyah2196
      @adonaiyah2196 2 года назад +29

      No matter how long ago he died and short his career hes still crazy influential

    • @GalaxyDinoPlayzjojobestshowlol
      @GalaxyDinoPlayzjojobestshowlol 2 года назад +31

      @@gardenofnails9262 tf u on about

  • @thefourthwall6839
    @thefourthwall6839 2 года назад +1803

    My dad has a story about seeing Nirvana like a week before the Smells like Teen Spirit single came out. Basically he got free tickets to see them for promoting the Nevermind album. Apparently it was a pretty small venue, and only about thirty people were really listening to them. They were playing smells like teen spirit, and no one really seemed particularly interested in their performance. Funny that about a week later it would become a hit and one of the most famous songs ever.
    Edit:
    since a lot of people arguing, i'll tell you where it was:
    Les Foufones Electriques in Montreal Canada in September of 1991. my dad got free tickets because of his radio show.
    I hope that clears up the confusion.

    • @Anzac1
      @Anzac1 2 года назад +23

      Lol that’s cool

    • @Baccanaso
      @Baccanaso 2 года назад +11

      Thats pretty awesome

    • @OatmealBeerbong
      @OatmealBeerbong 2 года назад +28

      Your dad is a fucking legend!! I bet that was the coolest concert ever

    • @krakorevadgzkwrt7545
      @krakorevadgzkwrt7545 2 года назад +20

      Pity your dad didn't get footage that would be worth gold

    • @Nightshadow12
      @Nightshadow12 2 года назад +3

      Where was that concert?

  • @Trentstone121
    @Trentstone121 2 года назад +2065

    Kurt was a poet. He constantly wrote poetry. He also didn't believe lyrics were important, and is known for writing some lyrics right before recording them. Kurt would inject couplets from his poems into his lyrics and SLTS is a great example of this. People who try to find meaning in his lyrics will never succeed because so many of the lyrics were from disseparate poems with no shared meaning. You can find meaning in couplets, but trying to tie several couplets together in meaning is a pointless endeavor.

    • @sulkbyproductions
      @sulkbyproductions 2 года назад +17

      I agree

    • @JaymeSplendid
      @JaymeSplendid 2 года назад +25

      Yep this, very much this. It's actually been on record that this is the fact. I believe this was said in a book and may have been quoted from one of his band mates. Crazy to think about considering his punk rock background when he was younger where its the other way around. Lyrics are the forefront and music is the vessel of the message in most forms of punk rock, be it Anarcho, Crust, D-Beat or street punk. The later being more of a - In my opinion anyway, a dumbed-down version of music but this is just a bias on my part, being more or less attracted to the political aspects of the music, especially Crust when I was heavily into that scene in the early/mid 90's till even today to a degree.

    • @dustanglx50
      @dustanglx50 2 года назад +26

      The lyrics are met to be heard, but not listened to. The voice is just another instrument in the song. Its there to convey a feeling, not tell a story.

    • @nathanb3092
      @nathanb3092 2 года назад +4

      This is true 👆. Words rhyme don’t look too deep

    • @worlore1651
      @worlore1651 2 года назад +2

      He wrote shit lyrics to make fun of fans that sing meaningless shit to a good beat, he is making fun of you

  • @rich1051414
    @rich1051414 2 года назад +585

    I love how 'smells like teen spirit' both was and was not named after the deodorant, since kurt didn't even know what it meant when it was written on his wall. He just saw the poetic power in the phrase.

    • @jeremysiron9622
      @jeremysiron9622 2 года назад +27

      It would be crazy to thinking that some girl wrote that about you and thinking about it in that metaphorical sense then finding out she was just saying that you smell like a certain kind of deodorant….

    • @rich1051414
      @rich1051414 2 года назад +18

      @@jeremysiron9622 I think he thought it was funny in a 'what does that even mean' kind of way. Only after the album was released did he learn that 'teen spirit' was the brand of deodorant his girlfriend at the time wore.

    • @atl-armyofthelivinggaminga1172
      @atl-armyofthelivinggaminga1172 Год назад +1

      "weather changes moods"

    • @violetdusk1968
      @violetdusk1968 Год назад +1

      Which makes it fit the song even more.

    • @professorkaos2781
      @professorkaos2781 Год назад +2

      I remember back in those days when "teen spirit" deodorant and "malibu musk" dominated the hallways at high school. My first GF used teen spirit deodorant and malibu musk as did MANY MANY others. What a time it was coming of age in 1992-3.

  • @TheFuschiaDragonfly
    @TheFuschiaDragonfly 2 года назад +2949

    Maybe he just wrote the lyrics out of his a** in a few minutes but they still convey a powerful meaning of sort bc it's like he wrote them in a stream of conciousness

    • @Middle8
      @Middle8  2 года назад +259

      Yeah I’m with Grohl on this one

    • @muntmunt3155
      @muntmunt3155 2 года назад +48

      @@gardenofnails9262 hate to break it you grandpa, but if you're just going to keep repeating the same shit you better back your words up with facts. Lol

    • @WayneStakem
      @WayneStakem 2 года назад +34

      @@Middle8 Grohl is overrated. Cobain's lyrics didn't have any concrete and unfortunately that leaves them very difficult for some people to comprehend. It's quite abstract and isn't purely "meaningless". I do think some of the songs were, however, meaningless. Likely Cobain playing around with the aesthetic of such lyrical format.

    • @melparadise7378
      @melparadise7378 2 года назад +60

      The more I'm an artist, the more I realize that some people just pick up those sorts of things. There's no reason for it, there's no sense in trying to make sense of it. If you pick up a vibe and run with it, you're rewarded, even if it seems counter-intuitive. You tune out and it tunes you in, you know. :P

    • @TheFuschiaDragonfly
      @TheFuschiaDragonfly 2 года назад +20

      @@melparadise7378 "You tune out and it tunes you it" I love this phrase

  • @nicwolak
    @nicwolak 2 года назад +3570

    these videos visually and audio sonically are just a step above, you do a fantastic job and if there’s a team behind it or just you doing it, hats off.

    • @Middle8
      @Middle8  2 года назад +625

      Really appreciate it! It’s just me (Frank) behind the wheel 🙏

    • @very025
      @very025 2 года назад +51

      Honestly he deserves 80 Patreons

    • @fridaynightseance2374
      @fridaynightseance2374 2 года назад +105

      @@Middle8 bro your first name isn’t Middle? my whole life is a lie

    • @NoMoreDogma
      @NoMoreDogma 2 года назад +1

      But the information is amateur at best.

    • @rREC
      @rREC 2 года назад +14

      @@NoMoreDogma you trippin ong

  • @aaron_osborne
    @aaron_osborne 2 года назад +261

    I cannot even to start imagine what Kurt would think of 2021.

    • @Johnscompany
      @Johnscompany 2 года назад +26

      i think that maybe him would be a feminist. and all that around the movement

    • @dreamweaver1603
      @dreamweaver1603 2 года назад +20

      He’d be a totally woke douche.

    • @jeanhelms2621
      @jeanhelms2621 2 года назад +6

      Kurt could not, or totally refused, to imagine what the future would bring. His choice,

    • @djmerchant
      @djmerchant 2 года назад +17

      He'd most likely think, "Well SHIT, I'm still dead but why does my head hurt?"

    • @truthisfalsemusic9533
      @truthisfalsemusic9533 2 года назад +9

      @@mordie31 yea but all the gen x baby boomer counter culture icons just go the way of the left no matter how woke and insane it gets. Also nirvana would’ve sucked by now just like every other band or tv show that wears a out their welcome

  • @nathandorsey9145
    @nathandorsey9145 2 года назад +401

    Re: Dave's belief that Kurt came up with lyrics five minutes before. A story that doesn't often come up in this debate is the time Kurt pretended, for the benefit of those who happened to be in the studio at the time, to write "Something In The Way" just off the top of his head. The song had been played more or less complete over two year ago at that point. I won't speculate as to why Kurt would do with but when considering how much thought Kurt put into his songs and his lyric I think this moment should be considered. Kurt spent at least some time lying to the people around him about his process. He also definitely spent hours and days working on one song over and over.

    • @lpmuzza3274
      @lpmuzza3274 2 года назад +47

      He did and said things on purpose knowing that people would be having conversations about it trying to figure it, alot of his humour and satirical messages go over peoples heads, he was a pisstaker 😂 thats why hes brilliant!

    • @lpmuzza3274
      @lpmuzza3274 2 года назад +1

      @Trip Tfout exacly

    • @ninjalokust
      @ninjalokust 2 года назад +12

      Its a little of both. Some Kurt likely did write on the fly, but the root of the lyrics he used were pages of notes and writing. He would write and write and write trying to find sentences and words that had some meaning or sounded a certain way, creating a bank of potential lyrics. Then when writing a song he would combine various banked lyrics into a song, so actually putting a song together might not take long if you already have that notebook of phrases ready to use.
      Though it is also likely true some of his songs were perfected over time and took considerable thought and effort.
      I guess it depended how easy it was for him to express a thought or feeling using pre-existing phrases, and I know from listening to early versions of songs that certain lyrics would eventually be dropped and replaced by something else. A great example of this is Pay to play became stay away, very different meanings on the surface but when you look again you realize stay away is what kurt is saying to the people who forced him to change the lyrics (the recording studio). Pay to play, is at its core art in motion. Kurt had to pay by changing the lyrics, in order to play, and because of that interference left a direct message to the studio, stay away from my music I don't want to pay to play.
      On its face the lyrics utterly change the song into something different, but the feeling behind them is the same, anger at having to pay a price to express yourself.

    • @gregrohsful
      @gregrohsful 2 года назад +4

      He never said he wrote something in the way "from the top of his head" No one in the band has said that and Butch Vig had a very descriptive story of recording that song and how Kurt was having an issue with recording it with the band because the drums were heavy handed. When Kurt played him the song in the booth Vig recorded it on a cassette recorder.
      Kurt never said "I came up with that off the top o me head" and no one in the band or anyone that took part in the recording sessions said that.
      Ever.
      Like at all.
      Period.

    • @nathandorsey9145
      @nathandorsey9145 2 года назад +4

      @@gregrohsful In the podcast "Heart Shaped Pod" they recount this story. Kurt pretended to write Something in way in front of a tech or other personal. Nothing you said disproves that. Nor does you not having heard this story before. Not sure where the hostility is coming from.

  • @christinegreen9708
    @christinegreen9708 2 года назад +312

    I find Nirvana’s songs so thought provoking, Kurt was with us for a very short time, but what talent he had.
    He will always be missed by many fans young and old.

    • @matthewbaumann630
      @matthewbaumann630 Год назад

      @@chrise.3814 That's ironic of you to say.

    • @ralcolfwolfcoon8207
      @ralcolfwolfcoon8207 Год назад

      How do you know, stupid? You're not in the person's house to say shit like that

    • @JohnDoe-jt9oq
      @JohnDoe-jt9oq Год назад

      @@chrise.3814 WOW I BET YOUR COMMENT MADE YOU FEEL SO POWERFUL

  • @werewolflover8636
    @werewolflover8636 2 года назад +142

    I was in high school when this song came out and was definitely one of those generation x teenagers that no one wanted around. It was very important to me at a difficult point in my life.

    • @corshawnhughes8325
      @corshawnhughes8325 2 года назад +4

      And young adults also nirvana and many artist was the way generation x express their selfs

    • @robashton8606
      @robashton8606 2 года назад +4

      Yeah, same. Nirvana were the band I'd been waiting for without realising it. It was through getting into bands like Nirvana and going to their gigs that I met most of my lifelong friends. The nineties was one of those decades that we won't see the like of again. I'm glad I was the right age to enjoy it.

  • @randomcivilian5066
    @randomcivilian5066 2 года назад +71

    I always misheard the line as “Life is stupid and contagious” It sounds even more pessimistic that way. As if being alive is an act of stupidity, contagious in the act of reproduction

    • @laralicari914
      @laralicari914 2 года назад +3

      I actually really like that ❤️

    • @SciPunk
      @SciPunk 2 года назад

      Thanks

    • @peterf.229
      @peterf.229 2 года назад

      🤣🤣🤣 that’s actually brilliant

  • @Nelmel2007
    @Nelmel2007 2 года назад +74

    The great thing about music is that you can convert it into your own meaning, just like this song that supposedly has no meaning, it does. Even if the lyrics don’t have a meaning it’s the message of the song, the reason why Nirvana wrote it.

  • @harizonflamingice3167
    @harizonflamingice3167 2 года назад +477

    Never really thought about Smells Like Teen Spirit's riffs sounding like Godzilla's riff by Blue Oyster Cult. Kind of makes sense in a weird way that I never would've realized otherwise.

    • @Drellistenstomusic
      @Drellistenstomusic 2 года назад +6

      smashing pumpkins did a cover of Godzilla at a show. a recording of it is here on RUclips and the opening riff sounds exactly the same as teen spirit

    • @harizonflamingice3167
      @harizonflamingice3167 2 года назад

      @@Drellistenstomusic I'll have to look for it. Thanks for telling me!

    • @harizonflamingice3167
      @harizonflamingice3167 2 года назад +1

      @@Drellistenstomusic Solid cover! Also quite interesting how much Don't Fear the Reaper was a hit for Blue Oyster Cult, but it was kind of different than a fair chunk of their big songs at the time.

    • @boofert.washington2499
      @boofert.washington2499 2 года назад

      Bc it sounds nothing like Godzilla.

    • @peterf.229
      @peterf.229 2 года назад

      Well there are a few Pixies songs that sound much more like it

  • @dineshkarthik9715
    @dineshkarthik9715 2 года назад +227

    it was the entire package you know, the riff, the lyrics, the video, and the sheer chaos of Nirvana's live performance of this song ... there's something about it that just can't be explained (much like adolescence itself). I think the allure of chaos among teens is what made Teen Spirit an anthem.. awesome video brah

    • @BalboaBaggins
      @BalboaBaggins 11 месяцев назад +1

      The energy behind the song is obviously an F you to society and all stupidity in it. That's the whole reason why it's such a good song.

    • @snucke62a
      @snucke62a 11 месяцев назад

      ...and any of you that heard different mixes of this tune...you'll all know that it's Andy Wallace as a mixer that is the real genius here...

  • @thema1998
    @thema1998 2 года назад +30

    "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was not only the first Nirvana song that I ever heard, but also one of the songs that finally got me to listen to their albums!

  • @IngaVideor
    @IngaVideor 2 года назад +24

    your videos are not only interesting to watch because of the content, they are all sooo well written and just beautiful to look at! always enjoying them thoroughly!

  • @ocdoc726
    @ocdoc726 2 года назад +21

    That was pretty solid assessment and well explained for something not easy to explain. It is one of those songs that is easy to explain two lines at a time but hard to explain as a whole and likely intentionally put together as such.

  • @matteostahlschmidt3037
    @matteostahlschmidt3037 2 года назад +68

    This might be the greatest music related channel on RUclips. It fascinates me every time how precise every statement is. There is nothing left out and still no redundant word said. Lots of love for your work. It really brightens my day every time you upload a new video

  • @FaeUtero
    @FaeUtero 2 года назад +20

    Amazing video! Loved how it was presented and the animation that went along with it. Top notch stuff man 🤘

  • @bomsbravo
    @bomsbravo 2 года назад +28

    Mulato is brown sugar
    Albino is heroine
    A mosquito is a syringe
    Libido is the euphoric feeling afterwords.

    • @juzujuzu4555
      @juzujuzu4555 Год назад +11

      Mulato is the black tar heroin, albino is the white arm, mosquito is the needle and libido is the euphoria.

    • @technospyform1578
      @technospyform1578 Год назад

      thanks

  • @crystalkellim9987
    @crystalkellim9987 2 года назад +218

    Kurt always had a melodramatic way of saying it ALL
    * Teen spirit was probably her angry at groupies... Saying he smells like teen spirit and knowing how bands always end up with fans after parties

    • @gardenofnails9262
      @gardenofnails9262 2 года назад +3

      He didn't write those lyrics

    • @JDRehn-ve2kd
      @JDRehn-ve2kd 2 года назад

      @@gardenofnails9262 who did?

    • @Mindhasgonein
      @Mindhasgonein 2 года назад +9

      @@JDRehn-ve2kd his ass

    • @matteframe
      @matteframe Год назад +1

      Except he wrote the song before they had groupies...

  • @azj_
    @azj_ 2 года назад +10

    Honey wake up! Middle 8 just upload his new video!

  • @burningjdm
    @burningjdm 2 года назад +2

    Man you keep pumping out videos that I know I’ll enjoy.

  • @blindmole2794
    @blindmole2794 2 года назад +2

    I was waiting for this episode, keep the up good work!

  • @VolvoImpala
    @VolvoImpala 2 года назад +39

    Nice work. I think of grunge as being essentially Mudhoney's first single and first EP. I believe most people agree Mark Arm invented the term "grunge" although Kurt said it was Jonathon Poneman. The other record that I think best defines grunge is Nirvana's debut. Those would be the punk side of grunge and the metal side would be Alice In Chains and Soundgarden. There a lot more bands that fit the equation, too, but I don't want to write a book in the comments section to cover them.

    • @spankythedog56
      @spankythedog56 2 года назад

      I was just waiting for you to talk about the conception of grunge without mentioning Soundgarden but you nailed it so I'll put my pitchfork away

  • @TopsideCrisis346
    @TopsideCrisis346 2 года назад +96

    I feel this song resonated with my generation because, by way of its popular interpretation, it encapsulated our experience. My generation was treated as one of pure consumers, people who were seen as having no redeeming value beyond our willingness to spends ridiculous amounts of money on whatever our corporatist overlords foisted upon us. We were raised to be exploited, and by the time this song hit, we all knew it - Cobain was just the first person to articulate it, and even he didn't fully understand what he was saying. His song captures both the apathy of a generation born to consume, and the desire of that same generation to be something more than consumers, or even producers - to make a contribution to the world that can't be monetized or similarly quantified in purely economic terms. It's the beating heart of GenX, and the soul of indie rock, working in perfect sync to express their frustration and angst over a world that wrote them off from their very conception. And indeed, as the culture gives way to the battle between millennials and boomers, and my generation seems to be pushed even further into the background, the song hits even harder, becoming a desperate cry to both our parents and our children, a reminder that we are still here, and we hope to them and to God that we still matter.
    Don't deny us.

    • @jimsmith9853
      @jimsmith9853 2 года назад +6

      Brother you nailed it perfectly
      Squeezed between two behemoth Generations
      We always were the forgotten ones
      The unwanted and overlooked
      We adapted and embraced our fate and learned to wear it as a badge .
      Gen X
      The last of a breed

    • @hawkwind769
      @hawkwind769 2 года назад +1

      @@jimsmith9853 still here... Still slaying 😘🤘🏽

    • @jriamyou8156
      @jriamyou8156 2 года назад

      Bruh

  • @neanda
    @neanda 2 года назад +2

    very informative video, thanks mate. This was the song of my teen years, of our generation, and it's probably vintage now, man how time flies, still the future is the decisions we make

  • @boomerboi9642
    @boomerboi9642 2 года назад +4

    Nirvana is one of my favorites! I’m so glad you’re covering the band! Your channel is so good, I love how you present the content!

  • @filmguymike
    @filmguymike 2 года назад +36

    In my opinion, at face value, Nirvana is a step in the right direction musically. Simplistic, yet somehow profoundly deep. For me, it was a way to look into an underground music scene in a palatable way, (for those of us who were used to a more mainstream, popular-music formula). The deeper you look at Kurt Cobain, you find yourself intrigued and drawn in. He's a handsome, likeable guy, but at closer examination, he completely stands out as if a spotlight is on him, even as he is surrounded by the rest of the band. He is the one you want to hear talk, and typically you didn't get the chance. Khrist handled most of the interviews and usually with sarcasm or silliness, for a laugh.
    The tragedy of Kurts death, leaves us all in shock, as if we have run into a brick wall at a hundred miles an hour. Getting up and trying to shake off the devistation of the wreck, and then having to carry on from that point onward as if we had lost a loved one or even a part of ourselves from that wreck.
    It's like, the only words you can get out is:" ...but I wanted to hear more, I want to hear his thoughts, I want to hear the new music he wants to do. I'd love to hang out with this guy..." , but we don't get the chance.
    I'm frustrated personally because I lived within a few miles of him at the time of his death, and stood within 10 ft of him one night at an award show up in Seattle. Even though I am a musician as well, I know it's fantasy thinking I could have hung out with him, so I grab a hold of anything I can get my hands on that he's already produced or what has been produced for him, post-mortem.
    I'm thankful for things like the song: "You know you're right", (the last known thing he ever recorded), also, well-made productions such as your video here.
    I can only wonder what new music he would have produced had he lived long enough to team up with Kristen Pfaff.

    • @AzaelGaming
      @AzaelGaming 2 года назад +2

      Exactly 😢

    • @blood_sausage9620
      @blood_sausage9620 Год назад +3

      Perfectly said ❤️ I miss Kurt very much, Nirvana and the offspring helped me get through the torture that was High school in Brooklyn NY.

    • @chombus2602
      @chombus2602 Год назад +1

      The last known thing Kurt recorded was Do Re Mi. You Know You're Right is just the last music that the whole band recorded in studio.

    • @filmguymike
      @filmguymike Год назад +1

      @@chombus2602
      Oh wow that's cool I didn't know he had recorded that. Thank you

  • @Evensonxx9
    @Evensonxx9 2 года назад +6

    been watching you since I first started making music, you've been instrumental in my development as a musician, just wanted to let you know

  • @abaneyone
    @abaneyone Год назад

    I love your brake down of this, all of your break downs actually.

  • @kxnt_joel1238
    @kxnt_joel1238 Год назад +1

    Great video keep on carrying with the good work

  • @filmguymike
    @filmguymike 2 года назад +7

    After watching this well-made mini documentary, I immediately hit the like and I subscribed. Visually brilliant, combined with a well thought out narrative. A job well done

  • @MrMeek79
    @MrMeek79 2 года назад +30

    Kurt would open the song with "More then a feeling" alot in concerts.Pretty good video with accurate information,which you dont get alot with Nirvana. I was a teen when this album came out and I have never seen anything like it since then and the closest thing to it was Michael Jackson,as far as how big it blew up and totally changed everything.

  • @BannedBooksUS
    @BannedBooksUS 10 месяцев назад

    I just have to stay your channel is amazing. I was searching for Gotye and then fell down a rabbit hole through your channel. Good job

  • @Melissafoster1108
    @Melissafoster1108 2 года назад

    Just finding this channel, loved it!!

  • @matthewbittenbender9191
    @matthewbittenbender9191 2 года назад +27

    Great video! Love the Smells like Teen Spirit remix in the background.
    The genius of Kurt Cobain is not that he was a poet or some thoughtful, brooding lyricist. He was simply anarchistic and a true slacker. Coming up with lyrics just before recording is a form of rebellion in and of itself. Rather than torturing himself with long, contemplative periods of creative introspection and reflection of other artists he just wrote his dark, rebellious, sneering visceral thoughts on paper spontaneously, almost impetuously, many times at the last minute. That is slacker mentality and he clearly embodied it in all things. It may not sound like genius, but it is authentic which is why it resonated with so many of the youth of that era.

    • @TheOrigamiPeople
      @TheOrigamiPeople 2 года назад +1

      I find the chaos of the lyrics to fit in with the angry music.A masterpiece,not in the Mozart mode.

    • @customsongmaker
      @customsongmaker 2 года назад

      What you have described is called a heroin junkie

    • @farvatron
      @farvatron Год назад

      It's very obvious Kurt didn't think too much about the things he said. He was a politically misguided fool, which is sad, because he was certainly a musical genius.

    • @matthewbittenbender9191
      @matthewbittenbender9191 Год назад

      @@farvatron I'm pretty sure your comment wasn't well thought out either. You say he was politically foolish, but it has nothing to do with his music. You say that he's a musical genius, but he didn't think about much of what he said. I can't imagine finding political value in anything any celebrity says let alone and obvious post punk rocking musician anarchist with a drug habit. It's just about the music, leave it at that.

  • @jdwelborn
    @jdwelborn 2 года назад +7

    when "TEEN SPIRIT" deodorant first came out , they ran TV ads with the catch-phrase "SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT"

  • @aymanhanafy5986
    @aymanhanafy5986 2 года назад

    Production of your videos is stunning man!

  • @TaraMolohon-lb1zn
    @TaraMolohon-lb1zn 6 месяцев назад

    That's a pretty fantastic video and I hope we can all just enjoy it. Thank you. ❣️😁

  • @artistar71
    @artistar71 2 года назад +4

    For me, I wasn't studying lyrics back then, it was the energy and all encompassing which 'got my rocks off'. I loved rock and since grunge was just a term for rock, it fitted perfectly.

  • @hamamotodesigns
    @hamamotodesigns 2 года назад +7

    My friend's older brother was into underground music at that time. I remember listening to Nirvana, Green Day and Blink 182 before they went mainstream. I was into Metallica, Guns N roses, scorpions, etc..at that time so Nirvana was different, but in a good way. Nevermind came out when i was 13 and i was hooked on grunge...STP, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Candlebox...miss those days.

  • @user-hs2tq5qs9s
    @user-hs2tq5qs9s 9 месяцев назад

    this is a well said vid love to see more of vids like this keep it up mid 8

  • @faceman7966
    @faceman7966 2 года назад

    Damn hidden gem channel and videos my guy!!!! Keep up the great work

  • @kesterrafferty4300
    @kesterrafferty4300 2 года назад +11

    I really like the idea of Kurt listing three cocktails - maybe a reference to One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer by John Lee Hooker.
    In Australia, Epic by Faith No More went to Number 1 in January 1990 and really shook up the mainstream before Nirvana.

  • @TheRubberStudiosASMR
    @TheRubberStudiosASMR 2 года назад +11

    I never get tired of hearing about this song

  • @ce9916
    @ce9916 2 года назад +1

    Discovered you within the past 20 minutes. Binge watching your content. Awesome awesome. If you haven’t done it yet please do losing my religion

  • @Anzac1
    @Anzac1 2 года назад +1

    The remix in the intro sounds really good

  • @FourByteBurger
    @FourByteBurger 2 года назад +11

    Gotta love a new middle 8 upload

  • @chilldude30
    @chilldude30 2 года назад +12

    Did you make that mix at the beginning? It was a cool idea!

  • @3l84r70
    @3l84r70 2 года назад

    Man awesome video... had to subscribe!

  • @LapsedPacifist79
    @LapsedPacifist79 2 года назад

    Love your videos man, you have a new subscriber.

  • @wealthyblackman2655
    @wealthyblackman2655 2 года назад +6

    Good video. Kurt had a mastery of word play and when he would sing his lyrics, through his raspy cigarette tanted lungs, his lyrics seemed to have a dual meaning.... Each listener seemed to interpret his lyrics to suit their feelings.

  • @CDPlayer1994
    @CDPlayer1994 2 года назад +3

    Another great video man! Keep up the great work

  • @willow_8842
    @willow_8842 2 года назад

    different music and lyrics _
    excellent video!!!

  • @dijonvon4378
    @dijonvon4378 Год назад +2

    "I'm worst at what I do best, and for this gift I feel blessed. Our little group has always been, and always will until the end. I found it hard, it's hard to find; oh well, whatever nevermind."
    This verse is one of the verses that best exemplifies what it is like being a teenage outsider in America. Being bad at everything as an outsider is a gift, because you are not trying to fit in and succeed. You don't want to be good at anything because your insecurities might worsen if you fail. For counter-culture teens in America, it is much cooler to not care about something, than it is to try.
    The little group line is a classic high school feeling. We always think that the kids we grew up with will always be there for us. It is a very common teenage attitude, especially for counter-culture kids who may not have had a wide range of friends.
    To end the verse with something so dismissive and/or pessimistic further drives home that teenage counter-culture attitude that it is cool to not care/try. It shows how the teen spirit is not only vety rebellious but also capable of extreme levels of apathy/despondence.

  • @quiana1458
    @quiana1458 2 года назад +8

    @Middle 8 I love your videos! You can clearly see the work you put into them ❤ What software do you use to create your work?

    • @Middle8
      @Middle8  2 года назад +2

      Mainly after effects!

    • @quiana1458
      @quiana1458 2 года назад +2

      @@Middle8 Cool beans 😊 Thank you so much for replying. I look forward to your next video 😊

  • @TheJapanmonte
    @TheJapanmonte 2 года назад +3

    What an amazing video Also love your podcasts, keep up the great work!

  • @smky8836
    @smky8836 2 года назад

    Bro I love your videos keep it up ❤

  • @miltondelacuesta8304
    @miltondelacuesta8304 2 года назад

    I know this already but I love your videos so much

  • @Sosq69
    @Sosq69 2 года назад +4

    Hell yeah finally a nirvana video !

  • @realizedvisions
    @realizedvisions 2 года назад +6

    I hope you tell the story of In Utero another time.

  • @alac2025
    @alac2025 Год назад +1

    This video gave me a nice playlist

  • @jayce.milky09
    @jayce.milky09 2 года назад

    the intro is timeless!!

  • @ozzybozzy8739
    @ozzybozzy8739 2 года назад +4

    Your videos are fantasticly edited, and are interesting too! How long does it usual take to make your videos? 😁 Keep up the good work 😎

  • @user-bj3eb8mt3l
    @user-bj3eb8mt3l 2 года назад +47

    Kurt was a legend…

  • @lorenzomaravilla1837
    @lorenzomaravilla1837 2 года назад

    Awesome stuff!

  • @WuweiTranslations
    @WuweiTranslations 2 года назад

    Great breakdown! Cheers.

  • @HugoNeufgamer
    @HugoNeufgamer 2 года назад +5

    I believe it doesn’t even matter if the song has a deep meaning or anything like that. The good thing about it is how we feel Nirvana revolutionary spirit and how they are fed up with everything around it. And the lyrics are not the only thing that makes you feel that, the instrumental also feels like some that

  • @snowycatpurrs
    @snowycatpurrs Год назад +28

    I love how each lyric of Smells Like Teen Spirit doesn't necessarily piece together. Instead, each piece tells a different story, creating a collage of scraps and thoughts. Really just.. Life.

  • @jimititaley1988
    @jimititaley1988 Год назад

    Great content, Frank!

  • @benjaminsmith6443
    @benjaminsmith6443 2 года назад

    Great video. Thanks.

  • @DukesMusic84
    @DukesMusic84 2 года назад +4

    Incredible breakdown, after 30 years. I never thought about the lyrics to this song growing up, just rocked out to it on max volume.

    • @gardenofnails9262
      @gardenofnails9262 2 года назад +1

      What breakdown he said nothing and only spoke out of opposition and not on facts

  • @matthewjohnson2554
    @matthewjohnson2554 2 года назад +4

    Butch Vig sums it up best with the quote “Even though we’re not really sure what Kurt is singing about, there’s something in there that you understand..”

  • @filthghoul5821
    @filthghoul5821 2 года назад

    Damn RUclips algorithm has not been friendly to you. Your videos are amazing, you deserve more views

  • @faceman7966
    @faceman7966 8 месяцев назад

    Amazing video

  • @boomerboi9642
    @boomerboi9642 2 года назад +8

    I like how the stupid and contagious line is more relevant today than ever
    In fact I feel like the whole song is relevant even today

    • @peterf.229
      @peterf.229 2 года назад

      Applies to trumpers for sure 🤣🤣🤣

  • @kevinfromttt
    @kevinfromttt 2 года назад +16

    Frank this is brilliant. Your skills are next level and highly addictive:)

    • @TGCid01
      @TGCid01 2 года назад +2

      Hey, Kevin!

    • @Middle8
      @Middle8  2 года назад +3

      Appreciated 🤘

  • @franksgreatdecline
    @franksgreatdecline 2 года назад +1

    i really need that instrumental mix of teen spirit on the intro & ending as a track

  • @ericdavidwallace
    @ericdavidwallace Год назад +1

    Fascinating. The world needs more true Artist like Kurt.

  • @Clodical
    @Clodical 2 года назад +13

    Can you do one on 'Little Talks' by Of Monsters & Men?

    • @littlegoblin6162
      @littlegoblin6162 2 года назад +2

      yes!!

    • @srnityluna4658
      @srnityluna4658 2 года назад

      YASS - I think it's about the females partner passing on and how she can't move on

  • @eletricavenue
    @eletricavenue 2 года назад +3

    “With the lights off it’s less dangerous, here we are now, entertain us. I feel stupid and contagious, here we are now ENTERTAIN US!”
    Kurt’s tochstone take on a society turning its brain off on purpose and preferring entertainment over substance. The speaker/performer feels “stupid and contagious” because he knows he’s benefitting from the situation while worrying about his merit. “In Boom” also has this ethos about a band that plays the hits while realizing they’ve become a distraction tool of the machine.
    Saw them for $11 in Atlanta 2 months before this song hit MTV. Best live rock show I ever saw and I’ve seen many.

  • @goku9791
    @goku9791 2 года назад +1

    started listening to nirvana like 6 days ago and they’re so good

  • @JustinGray70
    @JustinGray70 Год назад

    After knowing this song for several decades I admire (agree) you 100%

  • @bellabear653
    @bellabear653 2 года назад +3

    The bit you got right was the "taste" quote Kurt was using by this time and once nirvana made it huge he did want to leave. I.V opioids especially heroin can put a taste in your throat hence where have a taste comes from. Inutero and bleech and incesticide were their best albums though.

  • @royfablooo2810
    @royfablooo2810 2 года назад +27

    Kurt always amazes me on his Song Writing. His Songs have weird lyrics that just makes no sense at all. And that makes him such a genius.

    • @ninjalokust
      @ninjalokust 2 года назад +3

      Don't focus on the words and try and extract a meaning, listen to the sound and how it makes you feel. That is what Kurt wanted to achieve with his songs, expressing emotion and thoughts through pure sound.

    • @atharvasagavekar5778
      @atharvasagavekar5778 2 года назад

      His lyrics are full of meaning

  • @airekusandaa9529
    @airekusandaa9529 2 года назад +2

    I love the video stye, and how its made. The Audio, video, all perfect with perfect commentary. Bright future ahead!

  • @bradshannon862
    @bradshannon862 Год назад

    Our bands manager shared tapes of groups with me that were pretty obscure or just breaking out. He listened to a lot of Sub Pop stuff and grunge. I had a copy of Bleach before Nevermind ever came out. I also got to hear AIC before Facelift. They have a hard-to-find disc called "Sweet Alice".

  • @lastghostcookie
    @lastghostcookie 2 года назад +3

    Ohh yess

  • @Relic075
    @Relic075 2 года назад +3

    I always thought its about teens being too enthusiastic and getting into risky situation while ignoring the consequences of their fun

  • @tccostello
    @tccostello 2 года назад

    That was a pretty amazing transition about the year 1989 the CuriosityStream ad.

  • @shaycentral5086
    @shaycentral5086 Год назад +1

    kurt is one of the most creative and amazing lyricist and if he can make up words to songs on the spot and manage to make it confuse billions of people about whether it had multiple meanings or maybe none at all as a statement amazes me everytime i think about it

  • @clarkprice1
    @clarkprice1 2 года назад +19

    I love it when people try to say this song is meaningless. It’s pretty obvious what it’s about to me. It’s the ultimate anthem for teenage angst. “A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido!” The writer is looking around his high school at the other outcast. And how didn’t feel like a big ball of libido at times during high school?

  • @timbershakes1469
    @timbershakes1469 2 года назад +3

    In Utero video next? 👀

  • @0DD115
    @0DD115 2 года назад

    i think it’d be really cool if you did a follow up about greta van fleets battle at gardens gate album, sounds like they really found their sound and i am digging it. if not, maybe a dark side of the moon video? just stuff i’d like to see but i love your videos and will watch whatever :>

  • @jakegrist8487
    @jakegrist8487 11 месяцев назад

    I thought this was going to be garbage click bait. This was actually a really awesome video. Nicely done.

  • @FatJesusOMG6911
    @FatJesusOMG6911 2 года назад +3

    Would love more nirvana

  • @ericallen2370
    @ericallen2370 2 года назад +6

    The best miss hearing of this song was the line albino, a mosquito, my libido as ‘a mosquito won the lotto’

    • @gardenofnails9262
      @gardenofnails9262 2 года назад +1

      Those words are clues on what was really going on for those lyrics to be written

  • @Cordula6
    @Cordula6 2 года назад

    👍👍 Thank you!!