Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit Meaning

Song Released: 1991

Covered By: Malia J (2021)

Smells Like Teen Spirit Lyrics

Load up on guns and
Bring your friends
It's fun to lose
And to pretend
She's over bored
And self assured
Oh no, I know
A dirty word

hello, hello, hello, how low?
hello, hello, hello, how low?
hello, hello, hello, how low?
hello,...

1. Kurt_will_return

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   Dec 11th 2006 !⃝

   Oh yeah and dude above is the suicide note all you read? Come on Do you even know who Boddah was? Kurt's lyrics are simple and really don't take that long to understand and your wrong anyone who was real nirvana fan would know thay and never say noob again
2. anonymous

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   Dec 10th 2006 !⃝

   yeah I didn't read everybodies little ideas because there is like a billion of them but....... The song was about how teens just don't give a f*** anymore......... They said it in a interview while they were f****** stoned go look it up on youtube.com
   
   nirvana stoned interview
3. Kurt_will_return

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   Dec 9th 2006 !⃝

   Ok guy up above me this song is about a perfume. Kurt had this girlfriend who wore a perfume called 'Teen Spirit'. well him and her and her friend had a party and Kurt's girlfriend's friend wrote on the wall 'Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit'
4. anonymous

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   Dec 6th 2006 !⃝

   Lol you noobs.. Kurt mentioned in his supposed suicide note about whn the lights go out, the crowd roars for entertainment. This song is about the spirit of his crowd, not a perfume, or anything else. He also mentions that he never really enjoyed entertaining fans. Read his suicide note, it will all be clear then.
5. anonymous

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   Dec 4th 2006 !⃝

   The band and Kurt himself never claimed there was any religious meaning to their lyrics. However, this was still popularly asserted regardless of the actually meaning or intent. Cobain even being hailed as a “prophet” by some fans.
   
   In the religious interpretation the lyrics in “Smells like Teen Spirit” are believed to be written as a climax play on the Biblical book of Revelations Chapter 12 verse 9 in particular. The Chapter deals with “Satan and his angels” being cast down to the earth as a prelude to the end of the world and final judgment.
   
   The lyrics “here we are now, entertain us, I feel stupid and contagious” being interpreted as Satan and his fallen angels using Cobain as a puppet to announce their arrival and fulfillment of the Rev. 12 prophecy. The line “hello hello how low” is assumed to be a double word play on “hell oh hell oh how low” thus containing a hidden double meaning. When listening to the song “hello hello how low” seems to morph to emphasize “hell oh hell oh” at the end of the verse by Kurt‘s inflection.
   
   To expand on this interpretation the two note guitar line is thought to be the two notes of the classic doorbell (ding dong), hence Satan using the band to “ring earth‘s doorbell” via Kurt's guitar. The line “a mulatto An albino A mosquito My Libido” is thought to mention the three members of Nirvana but give credit for the song's intensity or power to “Satan and his angels” who are simply using the band for puppets. The line “with the lights out it’s less dangerous” is thought to describe the hidden nature contained within meaning of the tune. The ending line “oh well whatever never-mind” is thought to be another double word play on “never mind” driving home the point that although Satan is now confined to the earth his rebellion will never cease. The line "it's fun to lose and to pretend" also seems to fit in with this interpretation. The line “oh know I know the/a dirty word” is thought to be a reference to John 1:1 which “the Word” is another name for God.
   
   The book of Revelations is the source of the infamous “666” being the number of the devil, although Cobain makes no direct reference to the number. However, many other bands have. Iron Maiden actually reads directly from the book’s text.
   
   This type of lyrical interpretation is well known in the rock world and actually started as far back as Blues player Robert Johnson [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Johnson_%28musician%29] claiming he sold his soul to the devil to play his music thus giving him “supernatural ability” to play. Elvis Presley was also chastised by religious groups as being the “devil’s music” and even banned from some radio stations. John Lennon of the Beatles ran into trouble once with when he stated in an interview “it’s as if the Beatles are more popular than Jesus Christ.” Although he meant no insult the statement resulted in some religious elements calling for the burning of Beatles records. Surprisingly this had a positive effect on record sales as other came out to support the group. It was thought that this resulted in other groups intentionally taunting Christians with lyrics playing especially into Revelations Chapter 12. The Rolling Stones being among the first to openly play on this reaction. It is not far fetched that Cobain may have wished to continue this established rock tradition in a enigmatic manner thus giving this Christian interpretation some merit
   To add fuel to the religious interpretation Cobain was accused on national television by one well known religious author for being involved in Satanic worship [http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/Rock-n-Roll/kurt_cobain.htm] .

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
6. Theologian

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   Dec 1st 2006 !⃝

   As an artist myself, I can tell you. There are no words for word sake. Especially written (words produce after a thorough and complete thought process) and definitely not in conjucture with art. Words in of themselves express, everything else is color added to words. Even in communication or MIScommunication words have meaning.
   
   My interpretation:
   The song is about young love and the discovery of it's many facets through the mind (Spirit) of a teen. "Load up (ON) Guns" =[Sex drive/libido] "brings your friends" =[as targets] "it's fun to lose & pretend" =[heart break masked with sex]" "she's overboard" =[in love with him] "I know a dirty word" =[LOVE] "with the light out" =[there's nothing more than you can physically feel] "I feel stupid and contagious" =[he's having sex (contaminating by touch) without discrimination or limits producing the side effects of mixed babies] "I'm worst at what I do best" =[teen-sex, not the best or most experienced kind to have] ="our little group" =[teen parents]" =And I forget Just what it takes" =[to capture real love] ="And yet I guess it makes me smile
   I found it hard. Its hard to find"........ [LOVE]!!!!!!!!!
7. anonymous

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   Nov 18th 2006 !⃝

   Hello how low
8. anonymous

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   Nov 18th 2006 !⃝

   the truth the song meaning is: dogs of the hello tribe (wankers)our little tribe has always been and always will until the end all of you are dumbasses hahah deodreant
9. anonymous

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   Nov 17th 2006 !⃝

   Meaning is not derived from the author but from the interpreter.
   Sheep- you are no sheperd you are part of the flock
   Kurt left the flock and failed to become an existentialist.
   He saw the world without outside influence he had true choice.
   The truth is what you make other people believe.
   Be[lie]ve me.
10. anonymous

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    Jul 22nd 2006 !⃝

    I feel it is about apathy of the nineties generation toward life. In the lyric"load up on guns bring your freinds its fun to lose and to pretend" using that line showing that the teens are so apathetic towards life it is fun to lose and to pretend. And the lyrics" she's over boared, self assuered oh no I know a dirty word" using that he is saying that the girl is so apathetic towards life she goes over boared, and she is self assuered nothing bad will happen if she doesn't care. Basically I think the whole song is an attack on apathy of the 90's generation.Well listen if you will, keep in mind, always rule out any interpetaion of any song unless the artist say's that is the meaning. We will never truly know. Well Kurt you still got us.R.I.P angelic savior of 90's rock
11. anonymous

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    Jul 20th 2006 !⃝

    I don't know the actual meaning of the song but to all the people claiming it has a relation to deodorant, they're right, but that's just the song title not the meaning of the lyrics. Tobi vai was a girl he slept with and wore a deoderant called 'teen spirit', as a joke a friend of both wrote on the wall 'kurt smells liek teen spirit', voila- they have a song title.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
12. dupuis_j

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    Jun 30th 2006 !⃝

    I've got this one down
    This song is based around group sex. Teen spirit is a deoderant and when people have sex people sweat. "When the lights are off, it's less dangerous" you can imagine lol. Anyway, there were three people in this gangbang a black person (mulatto means black and white people) an albino (pale person) a mosquito (a person that sucks on the genitals) my libido (his sexual expressions).
    This song is talking in depth about the strangest group of people he was ever had sex with.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
13. anonymous

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    Jun 14th 2006 !⃝

    Most of you guys are dumbasses!!! Read charles R. Cross's book "heavier than heaven". It explains it all(including his whole life)....great book
14. anonymous

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    May 6th 2006 !⃝

    I read somewhere that when Kurt was dating Tobi from Bikini Kill, he used her deodorant (Teen Spirit) one day, and came home to find "Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit" written on the wall...or something like that..

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
15. anonymous

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    Apr 29th 2006 !⃝

    Wow... Teen Spirit had very little to do with who he was dating or whatnot. True, the girl, who happened to be a journalist, did write "Kurt smells like Teen Spirit," But that's just where he got the name and idea. Azzerad interviews Krut and it seems like he's trying to express his feeling of dissatifaction with the "rebellion" that so many teens wanted to do. He was making fun of them

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