"In Bloom" as written by and Kurt Cobain....
Sell the kids for food
Weather changes moods
Spring is here again
Reproductive glands
He's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
Don't know what it means
And I say
He's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
Don't know what it means
And I say yeah
We can have some more
Nature is a whore
Bruises on the fruit
Tender age in bloom
He's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
Don't know what it means
And I say
He's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
Don't know what it means
And I say yeah
He's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
Don't know what it means
And I say
He's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
Don't know what it means
And I say yeah
Weather changes moods
Spring is here again
Reproductive glands
He's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
Don't know what it means
And I say
He's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
Don't know what it means
And I say yeah
We can have some more
Nature is a whore
Bruises on the fruit
Tender age in bloom
He's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
Don't know what it means
And I say
He's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
Don't know what it means
And I say yeah
He's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
Don't know what it means
And I say
He's the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he don't know what it means
Don't know what it means
And I say yeah
Lyrics submitted by Novartza, edited by universalsounds, Bennyshambles
"In Bloom" as written by Kurt Cobain
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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Because we all know it was Kurt's choice to put his song in a video game ;p
Read the chorus carefully. Everything before the chorus it just random words. "Nature is a whore"-random. "Bruises on the fruit"-random. "Likes to shoot his gun" means likes to shoot his mouth. In other words someone who does have't a clue about what the song means likes to tell others what it means. You guys are doing exactly what Kurt is talking about.
It's not random, you have to read into it. Look at it this way, the first line of the first verse goes into the first line of the second verse, the second line of the first verse goes into the second line of the second verse, and so on. It makes more sense that way (on the inside cover it is written that way in a poem)
He uses nature as a metaphor for human fertility.
Sell the kids for food, we can have some more
The kids in nature would be fruits, which you'd sell as food, since you'll always be able to have more fruit. It's about using the reproductive system for something other than what it is meant for (in this case food, the theme is linked to again in the chorus).
Weather changes moods, nature is a whore
This is about the mood swings that girls experience going into puberty and pregnancy (the weather of her body). Mother nature is a whore because she makes us so volatile.
Spring is here again, bruises on the fruit
Another reference to entering puberty and this time abused genitalia (abused in that it's used carelessley too often).
Reproductive glands, tender age in bloom
The most literal sentence here, again using the nature theme to describe human fertility.
Then the chorus
He's the one who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means
And I say
He's the one who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means
And I say yeah
Shooting his gun is shooting your load, and the man doing it is blissfully ignorant of the importance of the creation of life that it represents. The first line of the verse is about using the reproductive system of plants for food, and the chorus is about using the reproductive system of humans for fun, without paying it any respect.
The song no doubt has a meaning describing people who listen to catchy, "pretty" music without really paying attention to what it means, but I think there's a much deeper meaning about adolescents who sleep around as soon as they start getting horny, as soon nature lets their little bodies develop.
Kurt was a great lyricist.
I know Kurt Cobain seemed to have a fascination with the reproductive process and it certainly shows up in this song, but I don't think it has any intended hidden meaning. It means whatever you pull from it; in your case, horny tweens.
I'm not so sure about the message that you took away from it, but I think that you are spot on about the structure of the song; i.e. each line in the first verse corresponds with the same line in the second verse. The meaning seems to become a bit more clear when you read it that way. Just in case it would help others, I’ll list them all together:
V1.A) Sell the kids for food
V2.A) We can have some more
V1.B) Weather changes moods
V2.B) Nature is a whore
V1.C) Spring is here again
V2.C) Bruises on the fruit
V1.D) Reproductive glands
V2.D) Tender age in bloom
It's still wide open to interpretation, but the stream of thought is a lot more coherent this way. From what I know about him, it seems to me that this is exactly the way that Cobain would write a song. I’m not sure I buy into the whole seemingly abstinence related message that you took away, but I can agree that it’s written as a cipher.
As far as what I take away from it, as with everyone, it is largely colored by my experiences in life. All of the best songwriters have the ability to write in a way that is both personal to them and personal to the listener as well. Again I am basing this on my life and the little that I know about Cobain.
I believe the A Lines are about hypocrisy, not valuing what should be valued. The B & C Lines hold a different mean for me, that being, illness/addiction/pain. The D Lines expound on this, and to me express the frustration of being young and being sick, in a sarcastic way.
To me it is about seeing everyone around you take, what is natural for the majority of society, for granted. The imagery is intentionally shifted from the expected meaning to the polar opposite. “Spring is here again”, but there are “Bruises on the fruit”. Spring normally represents youth and renewal, but in this context Spring is a time of decay for the writer; youth and illness.
Again I fully admit that my experience is coloring my interpretation, but that is the great thing about songs like this. They are wide open to be viewed from different angles. I may be off base, but from what I understand Kurt Cobain was self-medicating to treat multiple health and psychological issues with heroin.
It doesn’t seem like a stretch that he would express his frustration about life in this way. Something to the effect of, ‘life comes so easy for everyone else and you all take that for granted’. “He likes to sing along”, “But he knows not what it means”.
Sorry for rambling and thank you for pointing out the structure. It added a whole new layer to this song in my opinion.
I'm not so sure about the message that you took away from it, but I think that you are spot on about the structure of the song; i.e. each line of the first verse corresponds with the lines in the second verse. The meaning seems to become a bit more clear when you read it that way.
V1.A) Sell the kids for food
V2.A) We can have some more
V1.B) Weather changes moods
V2.B) Nature is a whore
V2.C) Bruises on the fruit
V1.C) Spring is here again
V2.D) Tender age in bloom
V1.D) Reproductive glands
I always thought this was well known tbh...Cobain always loved fucking with his lyrics and playing on them
wtf
its about learning from your mistakes
"We can have some more
Nature is a whore
Bruises on the fruit
Tender age *in bloom*"
""*IN BLOOM*"" thats the name of the song
Nature is a whore because..... what does nature do?
Nature changes the seasons....summer fall winter spring
When seasons change so do ppls moods
in spring flowers bloom and so do we(teenagers)
For example when spring time comes, we bloom. We can go out and fuck around more, since the weather is nice.
We fuck around and have too much fun, thinking how "sick" and "crazy" our life is(Sick and crazy in the good way). But we have so much fun that we bounce around into traps and create bruises on our life, the fruit of our life.
For example, a guy is high at a party and meets a sexy girl thats aparently is a hoe.
The guy does her and catches a STD. He created a bruise on the fruit of his life. Get it? However, he as he gets older he gets smarter, learning from his istakes as a young dumb kid. He is older now, smarter, and ***Tender Age In Bloom***.
This sog is about learning from your mistakes as a yound dumb kid to a older, smarter adult.
INNNNN BLOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!! YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHH
the song addresses people outside of the underground music community who did not understand the band's message.
This album has incredibly specific mood without telling a full story, just amazing atmosphere. I think this really separates them from their contemporaries like Fugazi (straightforward politics) and Pearl Jam (storytellers). I don't think one is better than the other, but I more often find myself pondering Nirvana lyrics than the others. Grasping at the vapor of their meanings, which are often ineffable.
I agree with you. I've seen Kurt in interviews where he stated that he was really lazy when it came to writing lyrics. He said that was the last thing he did basically, so I'm sure these observations are partially correct, but not entirely.
Kurt was fascinated with female reproduction & the body, but not song lyrics.
Given the title "In Bloom", I agree with previous posts that the song is about reproduction. That's a good one word summary. However, once you read the lyrics in more detail you can see that the song is about the irony that GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION CAN ALSO BE DESTRUCTION. Sell the kids (destructive) for food (to live/grow). Nature (drive for life/growth) is a whore (uses itself up compulsively until it's ruined). Bruises (damage) on the fruit (symbol of life/growth). Tender (weakness, vunerability) age in bloom (growth). "Reproductive glands" is an overt reference to one's body becoming fertile in puberty. "He likes to shoot his gun" is an indirect reference to meaninglessly wasting this power of fertility as teenagers commonly do. It also alludes to the pleasure, power and aliveness that weak and ignorant people feel when playing with destructive force —or how sex and drugs make a us feel alive and powerful but are destructive when coupled with teenage weakness, inexperience and lack of purpose. These teenagers are grown-up enough to "like all our pretty songs", but are too young (superficial, naive, jaded, etc) to "know not what it means". So, for all those with minds still "in bloom" who prescribe to the simplistic "jocks" and "preps" interpretation of this song: it appears that in a way it may be describing you!
And here's the real beauty of this song: Not only does it represent the sexual and intellectual plight of the American teenager, how the very things that keep us alive also lead to our demise and make life just as ephemeral as a spring bloom, but it also represents Nirvana itself. A concept well portrayed by a baby swimming after money, it was their drive for growth and reproduction that destroyed them. I'm guessing this is why the band resonated so well with a generation of confused and misguided adolescents. :)