Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
Load up on guns, 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, hello, hello
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
Yeah, hey, yay
I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
Yeah, hey, yay
And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, it's hard to find
Oh well, whatever, never mind
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
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, hello, hello
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
Yeah, hey, yay
I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
Yeah, hey, yay
And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, it's hard to find
Oh well, whatever, never mind
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
Lyrics submitted by spitfirek7, edited by bbaldwin50, stjimmyrocks92, LHGL, ELVIS PRESLEY BITE OF 87 XXXFREE, KookOcean
Smells Like Teen Spirit Lyrics as written by Krist Novoselic David Grohl
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Step
Ministry
Ministry
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
This song's a joke.
No really, it is.
One of his ex girlfriend's spraypainted "Kurt smells like teen spirit". Well "Teen Spirit" is a deodrant. He didn't know that back then (found out after the song was released) and thought it was a good revolution slogan. Long story short, he used that title to make a joke song about a "revolution". That's all it is, a joke.
This quote basically says it all "The entire song is made up of contradictory ideas. It's just making fun of the thought of having a revolution. But it's a nice thought." - Kurt Cobain
It's like something the Pixies would.
I mean seriously, if you read the lyrics, they're ridiculous, they have no meaning, "A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido"
"Oh well, whatever, never mind"
Well I'm done.
While this is correct, I fear most people posting on this site are too god damn stupid to know any better, and will still try and decipher this inherently meaningless song.<br /> <br /> Also, much of this album was written with disgust for the band's record label at the time, because they were forcing them to release more radio-friendly content. Kurt's response was to write some gibberish that meant nothing, and to insult them at every turn.
I disagree that this song means nothing. There's a lot of reference to social issues of the time the song was written. <br /> The 90's was during the worst of the AIDS epidemic the lines:<br /> "I fell stupid and contagious"<br /> are a reference to AIDS.<br /> Also the words "A mosquito, my libido" make sense in this context too. <br /> A mosquito is an insect that can spread disease. In the context of AIDS, peoples libidos are what spreads it. Many other things can be pointed out, but that's just my biggest argument.
I'm pretty sure that it was the 80's but this is an opinion, not fact.
This song has nothing to do with AIDS, let alone the fact that you are a decade late, since the worst of the AIDS epidemic was the 80s. You should read up on things.
I always heard "a mosquito, my libido" as, the conformity of the audience is a huge turn off for him. Actually an interesting idea that it really meant that his particular contagious nihilist libido would spread to the pseudo revolutionaries demanding to be entertained. But it's a little stretch. To say it has anything to do with HIV is a real stretch.<br /> <br /> Dreamless, he couldn't possibly be making a joke since he didn't even freakin know the punchline, that Teen Spirit was a deodorant. Tons of emotion in there, dissolved a heavy dose of contempt for all the denial that had already snatched any chance he had of happiness.
I think this was a great analysis. I just came in from listening to this song, shaking my head that it was an awesome tune musically, but the lyrics made no sense. I came to song meanings to see if anyone had any good ideas about it, and your thoughts seem the most accurate. I am usually good at deriving song meaning, but this one threw me. Appreciated.
@DreamlessNights! I heard this song for the first time at my 8th grade dance and lost my shit in '91/'92. Never had a song (or band) before this, have such an impact on my direction in life. To me it represented teenage angst. It was ok to let loose and rock out. U don't have to be a carbon copy of everyone else. Damn it's good stuff
@DreamlessNights <br /> <br /> It has every meaning, it's genius and very precise.<br /> <br />
@DreamlessNights I can't help thinking he went out with a girl who messed with him; she could have been sadistic - people like this can do a lot of damage...
@DreamlessNights It wasn't one of his ex-girlfriends, rather, one of her friends. It was Kathleen Hannah who did it, she was friends with Tobi Vail, who was Kurt's girlfriend at the time.
@DreamlessNights It was based off of The Pixies. He called it a Pixies rip-off.
[Comment Removed]
@DreamlessNights That\'s hilarious, I thought it was about sex. Ahh Kurt, I love ya.
@DreamlessNights <br /> I don't thing the meaning of the song is ridiculous, I think it's better to visit this website to realize how this song has a deep meaning.<br /> genius.com/Nirvana-smells-like-teen-spirit-lyrics
I was born a month before Cobain. If you think the AIDS crisis didn't impact our generation's perspective on sex, you are deeply mistaken. When I heard "With the lights out, it's less dangerous... I feel stupid and contagious," I knew instantly and exactly what he was talking about.<br /> <br /> Of course, one can argue about the artist's intent versus the audience's interpretation. And I'm not saying Cobain did or didn't consciously put this meaning in the song. But the feeling of danger and contagion related to sex was a big part of the zeitgeist of that time (and still is to some extent). And many people, including myself, took it that way. <br /> <br /> In a similar way, the seemingly nonsensical lyrics and the "Oh well, whatever, never mind" attitude resonated deeply with our generation. There was a sense that something was very off in the world but it was difficult to articulate - "I found it hard, was hard to find." All we know was that we had grown up in a world of optimism and, like the industrial heartland of America, it had decayed into disaffection and cynicism. <br /> <br />
@DreamlessNights Id like your comment but you're at 69 likes and I don't wanna ruin it XD