Heart Shaped Box was the biggest hit off Nirvana’s final studio album In Utero.
It was also the last music video the band made and the last song they performed live prior to Kurt Cobain’s suicide.
Like most other Nirvana songs, the Heat Shaped Box lyrics meaning is shrouded in mystery.
Kurt Cobain himself has explained what he was singing about, but few believe him.
At least not completely.
It seems obvious that his explanation is partially true, but that he left out the double meaning. The one Courtney Love has explained.
Keep reading to learn what the song Heart Shaped Box is all about. We’ll cover the two most important interpretations of the lyrics.
Table of Contents
Heart Shaped Box Lyrics And Meaning
Kurt Cobain wrote Heart Shaped Box in 1992, but it wasn’t recorded until 1993. This hit song by Nirvana has been interpreted in several different ways over the years. Some have taken the lyrics to be ominous and reference Cobain’s suicidal thoughts and depression.
However, in 1993, his wife, Courtney Love, stated that the song was written about her. She said Heart Shaped Box was a darker version of a love song and the lyrics were referencing her body and sex. She also shared that she had given Cobain a heart-shaped box at the start of their relationship.
When asked about the song, Kurt Cobain claimed it was inspired by a documentary that he saw about children dying from cancer. There are so many meanings found in each line of the song, that it is impossible to know what the truth is.
Since Kurt Cobain wrote the song, we prefer to take accept his explanation of the lyrics. But we also acknowledge that it is likely he had a second meaning in mind. Let’s look at the full lyrics first, before getting deeper into the meaning.
Heart Shaped Box Lyrics
Verse 1
She eyes me like a Pisces when I am weak
I’ve been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks
I’ve been drawn into your magnet tar pit trap
I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn black
Chorus
Hey! Wait! I got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey! Wait! I got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey! Wait! I got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Your advice
Verse 2
Meat-eating orchids forgive no one just yet
Cut myself on angel hair and baby’s breath
Broken hymen of ‘Your Highness’, I’m left black
Throw down your umbilical noose so I can climb right back
Chorus
Hey! Wait! I got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey! Wait! I got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey! Wait! I got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Your advice
Verse 3
She eyes me like a Pisces when I am weak
I’ve been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks
I’ve been drawn into your magnet tar pit trap
I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn black
Chorus
Hey! Wait! I got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey! Wait! I got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey! Wait! I got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Your advice
Your advice
Your advice
Heart Shaped Box Meaning
We are going to look at the key lines from the song and see what they mean. As you will see, most of them have multiple possible meanings and Kurt most likely had at least two of them in mind when writing the song.
Hey! wait! I got a new complaint
Kurt Cobain went on record stating that he wrote this lyric in reference to the media. However, it is unclear whether he was saying that everyone was always complaining about him or that the news always showed bad news.
I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn black
This line is one of the few that directly references cancer. It ties back to Cobain’s statement that his initial inspiration for the song was a documentary about kids with cancer. It could mean that he wants to take away their illness and is distraught that young children suffer from such a terrible disease.
However, the word ‘Pisces’ is also referenced in the song. Cancer and Pisces are Cobain and Love’s astrological signs. Many fans have said this is alluding to him and his wife and that the word ‘cancer’ in this line has a purposefully dual meaning.
Cut myself on angel hair and baby’s breath
If we follow Cobain’s explanation for the song, this line explains the pain he feels about seeing children suffer and die from cancer. ‘Angel hair’ and ‘baby’s breath’ are meant to represent the innocent children whose lives are taken too short. The knowledge of their suffering hurts Cobain so much it feels like physical cuts.
Throw down your umbilical noose so I can climb right back
This is the line that has caused the most debate over the meaning of Heart Shaped Box. Based on what you believe the inspiration of the song to be, there are several interpretations.
- Children being reborn. If Cobain is singing about children with cancer this line might be a plea for the children to start their lives over. He is asking for a redo by suggesting the children go back into their mom’s womb and be reborn cancer-free.
- Sex with Courtney Love. Courtney has publicly claimed that this line directly references her vagina. She says Cobain was talking about having sex with her and that he loved having sex with her so much, it was like he was tied to her body.
- Suicide. Some fans have said this line has an ominous meaning. They think that Cobain was admitting to his suicidal thoughts. He wrote this lyric as a plea of frustration and spoke of a desire to end his life and be reborn again.
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
It is well known that Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain shared a lyrical notebook. They pitted ideas off of each other. Courtney claims that Cobain had asked for her help with this song and several others he had written. If this is true, this line could be a thank you to her.
Heart Shaped Box Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts
Kurt Cobain stated that the Heart Shaped Box lyrics were inspired by news stories about children with cancer. This is almost certainly true.
What else is almost certainly true is that the lyrics also have a second meaning. That meaning is a bit more adult and involves Cobain’s wife at the time, Courtney Love. And a certain body part of hers.
If you enjoyed learning about this Nirvana song, we did a similar article on the meaning of Smells Like Teen Spirit. You can see that here. We also have a list of bands like Nirvana here, for those who miss Nirvana and want some similar bands to check out.
We also did one of these articles on fellow 1990s Seattle band Soundgarden. See our breakdown of the Black Hole Sun lyrics meaning for more.
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