Nirvana was a budding grunge band from Seattle in 1991. Kurt Cobain was the singer and guitarist, Dave Grohl was the drummer and Krist Novoselic was the bassist. They had already made one album, called ‘Bleach’. On 17 April, they played at a local venue, the OK Hotel, alongside Fitz of Depression and Bikini Kill. About forty-five minutes into their set, they played a new song for the first time. According to Grohl, the crowd went bananas. He told USA Today: “I just knew sonically, this is going to make people move. And it did.”
generation x
The song was Smells Like Teen Spirit. It was officially released in September, ahead of their second album, ‘Nevermind’. The single did not do very well at first, reaching number 144 on the Billboard 200 chart. However, it quickly became popular by word of mouth. Two months later, it topped Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart and it was number one in Belgium, France, New Zealand and Spain. Eventually, it would become the song that defined a generation, selling more than thirty million copies worldwide.
Smells Like Teen Spirit was an anthem for Generation X. This was a ‘lost’ generation, sandwiched between the Baby Boomers and the Millennials. There was nothing special about them. If anything distinguished them, it was apathy. Nirvana’s lyrics resonated with Gen Xers. Lines such as “I’m worse at what I do best” and “Oh well, whatever, never mind” connected with a nihilistic mindset.
just a pop song
At the same time, the lyrics were difficult to understand. The words were confusing and contradictory. At the end of the chorus, Cobain sings, “A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido.” They seem to be random words that rhyme. For many young people, such randomness and confusion reflected exactly how they felt.
The song was interpreted as a call for teenage rebellion – a message to the world that said, “I don’t care.” It was a surprise to the band members. They had never intended it to be a declaration of non-conformity. Cobain said: “I was trying to write the ultimate pop song. I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies. I have to admit it... We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard.” They recorded the song in just three takes. Cobain thought the riff was clichéd. Novoselic said it was ridiculous. Fans loved it.
too popular
The music video of the song was just as popular. It shows Nirvana playing in a high school gym. Cheerleaders are dressed in black outfits with anarchy symbols. Apathetic students watch from the bleachers. Chaos breaks out and the students destroy the set. The video captured the spirit of grunge. It was broadcast constantly on MTV and received two MTV awards in 1992.
Smells Like Teen Spirit put grunge on the map. Nirvana became the star of the Seattle grunge scene, together with bands like Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains. The album ‘Nevermind’ was a big success. But Smells Like Teen Spirit was so popular that Nirvana tired of it. Cobain did not think it was their best work. The band tried to avoid playing it at concerts, but fans would not let them. Instead, they played it differently.
a sad end
Nirvana played the song live for the last time in Milan, in February 1994. Shortly after, Cobain tragically took his own life and Nirvana disbanded. Now, on its 30th anniversary, Smells Like Teen Spirit is still the most iconic song of the 1990s. It is number nine on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. It is honoured in the Grammy Hall of Fame. And it remains in the hearts and minds of an entire generation.
fragrance teen spirit
Like Bohemian Rhapsody and Space Oddity, Smells Like Teen Spirit is one of those songs that do not mention the title in the lyrics. It appears to refer to teenage rebellion. However, it is named after a deodorant. Teen Spirit was launched by Mennen Corporation in the late 1980s. Aimed at teenage girls, it became very popular in the US.
Kurt Cobain did not know it was a deodorant when he wrote the song. He was dating Tobi Vail, the drummer of feminist punk band Bikini Kill who used the deodorant. One night, as a joke, his friend and Bikini Kill singer Katherine Hanna graffitied his living room wall with the message “Kurt smells like Teen Spirit.” He liked the sound of it. He was later surprised to discover that it was a deodorant.
You can still buy it today. Teen Spirit Stick is available in two fragrances: Pink Crush and Sweet Strawberry.
