Territorial Pissings

I think this song is about society. How the real world is cold, harsh and narrow-minded, when we should really be peaceful and love to one and other - (because that is what makes us happy) All society is doing is marking there territory - "if you live here you have to share our views or get out" - hence Territorial Pissing. He talks about when he was an ‘alien’…(maybe referring to his childhood fantasy as said earlier)….Symbolising when he was new to the world - his first impressions on it - as an alien to our culture maybe? Then goes on to say "cultures weren’t opinions" - emphasising the small-minded -ness of people in general and how there ethnocentricity is inhibiting their logic. The people are stealing the ‘opinions’ of their religions and not thinking for themselves. In the lines: "Gotta find a way to find a way when I'm there Gotta find a way - a better way - I had better wait" These lines are perhaps showing his plan to escape this way of thinking. Or his plan to plan his escape from this way of thinking - or to a better place in general - but always being to scared of the consequences to go through with it - paranoia?

The phrase: "Never met a wise man, if so it's a woman" is a perfect example of him trying to escape the ‘mainstream’ way of thinking - he is choosing to think differently from everyone else and the concept of a wise man is a hoax. It could also be an analogy to something that’d make more sense.

One of my favourite quotes of all time: "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not after you" This could serve as a warning to people that think that their logic is not inhibited by some environmental force, that it is. - They can influence you when you’re paranoid - so for all we know we could be thinking like that now. - It sets uncertainty itself if you’re paranoid or not your still at risk.

Of course what I’ve written in complete bullshit, so don’t take it seriously. I was hittin’ the bong tonight as well as Jovew probably was.

THIS SONG IS ATTACKING ALL THE MACHO GUYS, LIKE JOCKS, HE HATED THEM HE HAS OTHER SONGS ATTACKING THESE "MACHO-ONES" AS WELL
SO GET IT RIGHT!!!!!!!!!1

i think bite me and suzanneabeth have a pretty high opinion of themselves... nirvana covered a wide array of genres, so no one can ever agree on which song is best. i personally dont think that any song is best, since kurt cobain was such an awesome songwriter and, even if you dont like nirvana's version of the song, it's still really really good.. nirvana was the first band in a really long time to attract as many people as they did- and most of them belonged to different social groups, so of course no one can agree on which song is the best.
nevermind was their most commercial album, so their most famous song would be smells like teen spirit, and most of their other ones besides lithium, heart shaped box, come as you are, and on a plain never really got very much exposure, and they actually made incesticide to ward off their "fake fans" (the ones who liked a select few songs on nevermind, but didn't like bleach). kurt cobain later said that this was his least favorite album, i think he preferred a lot of his harder, grungier stuff, kind of like this song. it doesnt matter if you think smells like teen spirit and heart shaped box are the best, it just means that you have a taste for mainstream...

For the record, the "C'mon people now, smile on your brother" is by the Youngbloods and called "Get Together". The use of this song is what I think is so genius about Territotial Pissing. The song was a 60's hippie anthem, spreading the word of peace and free love. Krist Novoselic's interpratation of it is the most important parts of the song. Novoselic distorts the song to make it sound like a piece of bullshit idealism - a hopeless dream, as hippie parents sold out and went corporate just like everyone before and after them. I think the band was saying the carefree times of the 60's are gone, and have left those growing up in the 90's in its wake. We can't pretend to be happy, we don't know what our place is in the world and we don't want to pretend as though we do. This was what Nevermind and grunge were all about - trying to find your place in a world that you feel you have no control over. "Gotta find a way, a better way - I had better wait" In the end Kurt never did find his place and sadly suicide was his only salvation.

"Just because you're paranoid Don't mean they're not after you"

It's a Joseph Heller quote. Author of Catch-22.

I always thought it was about illegal immigration. The beginning 'smile at your brother' bit is kinda mocking how we are told to embrace diversity but we won't even help people in really bad situations out because they aren't American.

"When I was an Alien Cultures weren't opinions"

Being an illegal alien and how when you are an outsider American culture is this solid thing united against you but when you are a member of it, it is all about diversity and everyone having opinions and being different and most importantly respecting these opinions.

"gotta find a way to find a way"

Sounds like a Mexican desperately trying to find a way across the border. He'd better wait when it is too dangerous for him.

"just because you're paranoid Don't mean they're not after you"

As an illegal alien you would be paranoid that everyone was going to turn you in, but even though most people won't or won't even know you aren't legit doesn't mean everyone else isn't after you and that border patrol isn't looking for you.

I don't get "I never met a wise man If so it's a woman". I can't make it fit sensibly into my theme. But the title itself Territorial Pissings fits pretty well in to my idea I think.

I think this song is about society. How the real world is cold, harsh and narrow-minded, when we should really be peaceful and love to one and other - (because that is what makes us happy) All society is doing is marking there territory - "if you live here you have to share our views or get out" - hence Territorial Pissing. He talks about when he was an ‘alien’…(maybe referring to his childhood fantasy as said earlier)….Symbolising when he was new to the world - his first impressions on it - as an alien to our culture maybe? Then goes on to say "cultures weren’t opinions" - emphasising the small-minded -ness of people in general and how there ethnocentricity is inhibiting their logic. The people are stealing the ‘opinions’ of their religions and not thinking for themselves. In the lines: "Gotta find a way to find a way when I'm there Gotta find a way - a better way - I had better wait" These lines are perhaps showing his plan to escape this way of thinking. Or his plan to plan his escape from this way of thinking - or to a better place in general - but always being to scared of the consequences to go through with it - paranoia?

The phrase: "Never met a wise man, if so it's a woman" is a perfect example of him trying to escape the ‘mainstream’ way of thinking - he is choosing to think differently from everyone else and the concept of a wise man is a hoax. It could also be an analogy to something that’d make more sense.

One of my favourite quotes of all time: "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not after you" This could serve as a warning to people that think that their logic is not inhibited by some environmental force, that it is. - They can influence you when you’re paranoid - so for all we know we could be thinking like that now. - It sets uncertainty itself if you’re paranoid or not your still at risk.

Of course what I’ve written in complete bullshit, so don’t take it seriously. I was hittin’ the bong tonight as well as Jovew probably was.

this song is funny when u first hear it, then u just have to sit down and analyze it... even tho i understand not all nirvana songs have tobe about society i do think this one might be talking about the jocks and the machos that bothered kurt. the best nirvana song is lithium dammit. all apologies. negative creep. sliver. i dont know, be creative.

Gotta find a way, find a way, when I'm there Gotta find a WIFE, a BETTER wife, I'd better wait... teheee

I think its about how fucked up the world and peoples values are, particularly those of the greedy, the cocky, and the meatheads. "gotta find a way, better way" could be saying that he needs to form his own opinions instead of following the ways of other men in spending his life trying to one-up himself, and be the biggest and the baddest, OR maybe its an inner struggle to or not to commit suicide.