Several seem to think this is directed (no pun intended) at Kurt Cobain specifically. I think that is misdirected (pun intended).
I think it's much more general.
Nick and SA (Doug), have both said that, in general, 311 doesn't believe, like, or suffer all the whining and false pain that's found in a lot of music (esp. from the 90's on). There's a lot of musicians (we've all complained about it ourselves, I'm sure), that are rich and famous and successful, and still whine and complain and act like their life is miserable. As Nick said in an interview, "it can't all be real." He has acknowledged that there are musicians expressing real pain from their childhood, etc. in their lyrics. Not discounting working out real trauma and pain in their lyrics (he referred to Davis from Korn as being an example of this), but that there are too many out there just manipulating or taking advantage of others' pain. "Pain Merchants" as they refer to it in this song.
Several seem to think this is directed (no pun intended) at Kurt Cobain specifically. I think that is misdirected (pun intended).
I think it's much more general.
Nick and SA (Doug), have both said that, in general, 311 doesn't believe, like, or suffer all the whining and false pain that's found in a lot of music (esp. from the 90's on). There's a lot of musicians (we've all complained about it ourselves, I'm sure), that are rich and famous and successful, and still whine and complain and act like their life is miserable. As Nick said in an interview, "it can't all be real." He has acknowledged that there are musicians expressing real pain from their childhood, etc. in their lyrics. Not discounting working out real trauma and pain in their lyrics (he referred to Davis from Korn as being an example of this), but that there are too many out there just manipulating or taking advantage of others' pain. "Pain Merchants" as they refer to it in this song.