What does Heart Shaped Box mean?

Nirvana: Heart Shaped Box Meaning

Album cover for Heart Shaped Box album cover

Song Released: 1998


Heart Shaped Box Lyrics

She eyes me like a pisces when I am weak
I've been locked inside your Heart Shaped box for a weeks
I've been drawn into your magnet tar pit trap
I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn black

Hey!
Wait!
I've got a new...

  1. anonymous
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    Apr 18th 2011 !⃝

    The song is about how Cobain found a trinket in a antque shop and it made him happy. He said It was more important than having a big house, new car and fancy clothes. Cobain did not want to live the rockstar life, but Cortney did and they would disagree on many things. She wanted the high life and being with all the big named stars and Cobain was just happy being himself and enjoying the little things.

  2. anonymous
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    Mar 15th 2011 !⃝

    Courtney is not a Pisces Kurt is a Pisces Courtney is a capicorn get your facts straight

  3. anonymous
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    Jan 30th 2011 !⃝

    In the video there is a field of poppies and that is some sort of opoid or something, which heroin is made of. He was addicted to heroin wasn't he?

  4. anonymous
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    Jan 24th 2011 !⃝

    The woman in the song is his mother. Song is about depression and complaining about life/wishing being never born, he never chose to be born.

  5. anonymous
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    Dec 12th 2010 !⃝

    You guys are all idiots. I've been drawn into you magnet tar (heroin) trap, meat eating orchids, orchids are a type is poppy which heroin is made from. Cut myself on angels hair and babysitter breath metaphors for shooting up. Broken hymen of your highness I see black throw down your umbilical noose so I can climb right back, the whole song is references to his fight with heroin addiction. Heart shape box is a gift he got from Courtney but the rest is so obvious it is not funny. Hey wait I got a new complaint forever in debt to your priceless advice is exactly what it is like being hooked Courtney had very little to do with this song except the title

  6. justiceainteasy
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    Sep 18th 2010 !⃝

    he's got his girl (heart) knocked up (broken hymen, trap) and she has an abortion (umbilical noose) convincing him its the right thing to do (priceless advice) and he feels guilty (complaint, forever in debt)... wonders what her heart is really full of (if anything, hence the heart shaped box)

  7. shanon2885
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    Jun 14th 2010 !⃝

    Actually this song is written literally about a heart shaped box Courtney gave to Kurt as a gift. They both had an affinity for heart shaped boxes and had a vast collection of them. He wrote about his feelings towards his marriage and dedication. you can see pictures of Kurt and courtneys many heart shaped boxes on various nirvana websites. Kurt actually spoke about the meaning to this song in an interview...though I can't recall which one. RIP KURT

  8. anonymous
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    Jun 14th 2010 !⃝

    After watching the video, it would appear to be about what Cobain claimed it was inspired by. But I can see it interpreted both that way and the way everyone else sees it, as a twisted love song to Courtney. Best I can explain what I got from it, along with the lyrics is, it's about abortion from the would-be eyes of the unborn fetus. The sun sign, Pisces is kind and compassionate, but on the dark side secretive, vague and easily led. So easily swayed to do something. Abortion? The heart-shaped box is not necessarily a reference to a box at all, but the womb; the "box" where in the fetus would be, and locked in this "heart-shaped box" because of being conceived through lust or love. Skipping down to the chorus now, the aborted fetus would have complaints, wouldn't he/she? Because of someone's choice to abort the fetus, he/she wouldn't be. So the line, "forever in debt to your priceless advice" could suggest how the fetus would not be and "forever in debt" because of the persons choice, "priceless advice". "Throw down your umbilical noose so I can climb right back." might, if you can possibly think this way, refer to the unborn fetus wanting not to be aborted, almost as if saying, "put me back". Please know this is only my own opinion, I have no intentions of angering anyone or trying to make people change their beliefs about the song. I just simply listened to it carefully, watched the music video and formed my own interpretation. Thank you.

  9. drumlord420
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    Jun 13th 2010 !⃝

    Kurt's interpretation from "Journals":

    "Camille's vaginal/flower theory bleeding and spreading into the fabric that leonardo would have used to improve his hang glider but he died before he could change the course of history. Shit. I Claudius I play dumb for thee! and dorothy and toto (the dog) not the band. and rusty pyles.
    The male seahorse empragnates the female seahorse, she holds them through most of the the developmental stages then transfers the babies to the father who carries them through the last stages and finally gives them birth.
    The majority of our so called Outlaw heroes of the old west were nothing but fucked up psychopath ex confederate soldiers. Sympathizers with the way it used to be with alcohol fueled Bi Polar rage during the transformation years. killing every darkie they could find. Heores my ass!
    If I only had a heart. listen you snivelling litle, opinionated, spoiled punts, HE does hate you. I LOVE YOU. Ah god it feels so good to be clean Dr. Bronner.
    Kinda like when axl was butt neked in that epic video of his."

  10. anonymous
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    Apr 8th 2010 !⃝

    ive got a new idea for yous to wrap your heads around maybe this song is about courtney having him trapped and all this stuff but did yous (sorry northen ireland word lol) that he just wrote a song maybe he was shooting up with his heart shaped box and remebered the riff he wrote that needed words and he just wrote. if your not kurt cobain how do you know. the song had a meaning for him yeah maybe it was courtney but the song has a different meaning for me and it may have a different meaning for whosever reading this. remeber something kurt himself said music first words second. not everything has a deep mean this song does you can see it and feel it when you listen(sounds weird but bear with me) dont think what it meant to kurt think what it means to you if your going through a break-up in a bad relationship whatever just enjoy the music and rejocie in the fact we get to listen to in my opion one of the greatest song writers in the world. o yeah and btw kurt will return he wont his dead face it, its a trouble thing but he is dead hes not gone as we have his music but hes never coming back

  11. anonymous
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    Apr 3rd 2010 !⃝

    no, this song has to do with the heart shaped boxes him and courtney used to buy for each other. and how HER heart shaped box he was stuck in. so basically he wasn't free, because courtney had control over him. :) i know my facts

  12. anonymous
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    Feb 23rd 2010 !⃝

    Heart Shaped Box is about the box that Courtney Love kept Kurt's love letters in. He often refered to it as the key to her heart, or her box of love unknown.

  13. anonymous
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    Feb 14th 2010 !⃝

    Its definitely about Courtneys' notoriously stanky pussy.During a Nirvana interview, Curt said that after being married to Courtney for months, shes' given every guy in Hollywood ,that she's ever wanted, a blow job, except HIM!

  14. anonymous
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    Jan 25th 2010 !⃝

    This song is one of those songs with multiple meanings. Aside from Courtney Love factor there the drug addiction factor angel's hair and baby's breath are both drugs. You can get high off of orchids, so this song is partially about his hate for his drug addiction (yes he did not like being an addict and said so amny times in multiple interviews) so take that in to consideration too.

  15. anonymous
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    Dec 31st 2009 !⃝

    I've noticed that no one here seems to have ever been addicted to heroin. So allow me to explain so extremely obvious heroin addiction references in this song. It's basically the saddest thing I have ever heard. These are the words of someone who has just plain and simple given up.

    She eyes me like a Pisces when I am weak
    I’ve been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks

    (he kept dope in that box she gave him)

    I’ve been drawn into your magnet tar pit trap

    ( black tar heroin - the only brand sold in western states)

    I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn back (alt: ... when you turn black)

    (the excitement to get high increases to great intensity as the drug is cooked down into a blackish brown liquid. If it told you to eat its shit at that point , you'd do it)

    Hey! wait!
    I’ve got a new complaint

    (another excuse to get high..."my stomach hurts")

    Forever in debt to your priceless advice

    (not courtney...but somebody else I won't use her name here..she was a drummer)
    Hey! wait! (alt: hate! haight!)
    I’ve got a new complaint
    Forever in debt to your priceless advice
    Hey! wait!
    I’ve got a new complaint
    Forever in debt to your priceless advice
    Your advice

    Meat-eating orchids forgive no one just yet

    (poppys)

    Cut myself on angel’s hair and baby’s breath

    (do whatever it takes to get it.piss on beauty and love, step on the helpless)

    Broken hymen of your highness I’m left black

    (heroin comes wrapped in a balloon. popping open this bag after a period of abstenence sometimes as exhilerating as penetration.)

    Throw down your umbilical noose so I can climb right back

    (lets get into the warm protective womb of the opiate, even if it's like going to the gallows)

    Hey! wait!
    I’ve got a new complaint
    Forever in debt to your priceless advice
    Hey! wait!
    I’ve got a new complaint
    Forever in debt to your priceless advice
    Hey! wait!
    I’ve got a new complaint
    Forever in debt to your priceless advice
    Your advice

    She eyes me like a pisces when I am weak
    I’ve been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks
    I’ve been drawn into your magnet tar pit trap
    I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn back (alt: ... when you turn black)

    Hey! wait!
    I’ve got a new complaint
    Forever in debt to your priceless advice
    Hey! wait!
    I’ve got a new complaint
    Forever in debt to your priceless advice
    Hey! wait!
    I’ve got a new complaint
    Forever in debt to your priceless advice

    Your advice (x3)




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