“Smells Like Teen Spirit” Lyrics & Meaning

Everybody knows Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana.

But few people understand what Kurt Cobain is singing about, mainly because he mumbles much of the lyrics.

Most people just yell out the few words they can pick out whenever the song comes on.

And even most of the people who can understand what Curt is saying, still have no clue as to the actual meaning of the lyrics.

That’s understandable, since the sing is basically a bunch of loosely connected, but disjointed and somewhat random, thoughts.

But there is an overall theme to the song, and thus an intended meaning to the lyrics..

Keep reading for the complete lyrics to Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, and a breakdown of the meaning behind the words.

 

Smells Like Teen Spirit Lyrics & Meaning

Nirvana established themselves as one of the most influential groups in grunge culture in the late 80s and early 90s. They appealed mostly to teenage angst, using their music as a form of liberation and catharsis, in each of their lyrics and compositions.

It was in 1987 that Cobain decided to form the group Nirvana with his close friend Krist Novoselic. They released their first album Bleach two years later. Although the album was not an instant hit, it does contain some of the band’s classic and popular songs, like About a Girl, Floyd the Barber, and Love Buzz.

Nirvana’s most iconic song is undoubtedly Smells Like Teen Spirit which was released as the first song on the classic album Nevermind in 1991. After its release, it quickly became the anthem of an entire generation. It was of the most influential songs of the 90s and it propelled the band to international fame.

As one of the most iconic songs of the 20th century, the lyrics of Smells Like Teen Spirit continue to cause controversy today. Many still sing it today, but the true meaning of this iconic song of the twentieth century is unknown.

With enigmatic verses and an energetic performance by Cobain, the song presents a confused and fragmented message, as if it were a speech in which one does not know exactly what they are trying to express.

First of all, the title of this song is derived from a popular American underarm deodorant called ‘Teen Spirit’. At the time this song was written, the song’s singer and co-writer, Kurt Cobain, was dating a woman Kathleen Hanna.

Hanna was the leader of punk band Bikini Kill. She wore this particular brand of deodorant. And one day, a mutual friend commented (jokingly) that Kurt actually “smells like teen spirit.”

Cobain, who at the time was unaware of what Teen Spirit really was, mistook the message to mean that he possessed a rebellious nature. He wrote the song based on that.

Let’s take a closer look at this monster hit and decipher what the often unintelligible lyrics actually mean. First, here are the lyrics in their entirety, followed by a discussion of their meaning.

 

Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana: Lyrics

Load up on guns, bring your friends
It’s fun to lose and to pretend
She’s over bored and self assured
Oh no, I know a dirty word
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello
With the lights out, it’s less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
Yeah, hey
Yay
I’m worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello
With the lights out, it’s less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
Yeah, hey
Yay
And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, was hard to find
Oh well, whatever, never mind
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello, how low
Hello, hello, hello
With the lights out, it’s less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial, a denial
A denial, a denial, a denial, a denial

 

Smells Like Teen Spirit Meaning

We will break this song down into its various parts for this examination of the lyrics and their meaning.

 

First Stanza

Load up on guns, bring your friends
It’s fun to lose and to pretend
She’s over bored and self-assured
Oh no, I know a dirty word

The song begins with an invitation: “Load your guns and bring your friends.” These opening lines function as a key to the lyrics, setting the tone of shared rebellion and boredom.

Acknowledging adolescent angst, in the form of emptiness and existential boredom, the phrase expresses the youthful tendency to “play with fire.”

This relationship between fun and violence, embedded in American culture, is present throughout the song. Suffering and defeat itself become a game: “It’s fun to lose and pretend.”

Here the tone of sarcasm becomes visible and, perhaps, the pleasure of self-destruction: the idea that he likes what hurts.

For the subject, that generation was “bored and self-confident”, believing in itself but not knowing what to do with their lives.

Although there is no evidence, some interpretations suggest that by “she”, Kurt was referring to his girlfriend at the time, Tobi Vail. The stormy relationship of the two, characterized more by political and philosophical conversations than by romance, is referred to in other compositions of the band.

The last verse, somewhat humorous, evidences the end of an innocence that would have remained from the subject’s childhood now corrupted: “oh, no, I know a dirty word.”

 

Bridge

The bridge consists of a play on words. Kurt repeats “hello” until it becomes “how low”. These verses, apparently so simple and absurd, in addition to having various interpretations, imply a derogatory tone.

Thinking about Kurt’s biography, it’s possible that he was also referring to his state of mind. His depression, culminating in suicide, is documented in his songs and in his various writings. Some Nirvana fans think Cobain was sad and lonely.

 

Chorus

With the lights out, it’s less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
Yeah, hey

The beginning of the chorus confirms a danger suggested from the beginning. “With the lights out” you can’t see and that leads to a false sense of comfort or security.

The verse illustrates a common thought among young people: the idea that if we are not aware of the danger, it cannot attack us. This defense of unconsciousness takes on a sarcastic tone, although it can also be seen as a confession by the subject that he is afraid of seeing reality.

The following verses can also be understood as someone’s desperate confession or as a satire on society. “Here we are now, entertain us,” he points out to an alienated youth who grew up in front of the television and who prefers entertainment to information.

By declaring himself “stupid and contagious”, the subject shows that this spirit of disinformation is collective as well as transmitted or encouraged by others.

The phrase can also be considered as an outlet for Cobain, who was afraid of infecting other people with his depression and did not know how to relate to fame and the public.

Some readings of the ending suggest binary oppositions: “albino” as the opposite of “mulatto” and “mosquito”, opposite of “libido”, with one being tiny and the other generally large (especially in teens).

 

Second Stanza

I am the worst at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end

Here the identity between the subject and the composer Kurt Cobain, who lived for music but felt inferior to his idols, seems to be consolidated. He admits that he is not a genius or particularly talented. Although he affirms that he feels “blessed” to be one of them, this song ironically eternalized Cobain as one of the biggest names in rock.

 

Third Stanza

And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, was hard to find
Oh well, whatever, never mind

This stanza is a fragmented and confused speech, as if the subject were talking to himself. The subject could be referring to his experience with drugs, which make him laugh and momentarily distances him from reality.

Kurt Cobain mentions in his songs and his diaries the use of heroin and refers to it as something that brought him suffering, despite the instant pleasure. Another possible interpretation is that he is referring to his relationship with music or with other people.

The line “Oh, well, whatever, never mind” acts as an interruption of the speech itself, as if the listener could not understand the message. This underlines his loneliness and inability to clearly express what he feels, or focus on one coherent thought for any length of time.

 

Smells Like Teen Spirit Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts

Smells Like Teen Spirit is Nirvana’s biggest hit and the one song of theirs everybody knows. There are millions of people who will tell you they love Nirvana, but what they really mean is they like this song.

And because of that, many long-time Nirvana fans now hate Smells Like Teen Spirit, or at least pretend to. But that’s not fair either. It’s still a great song, just as it was back then.

But it is also a misunderstood song. Or, more accurately, a song that is not understood. The lyrics are hard to hear and the meaning of the lyrics hard to decipher.

Hopefully, this article has helped and you now know what Kurt was singing about and what he meant when he wrote the lyrics to this hit.

If you like this type of article, check out a similar one discussing the Have You Ever Seen The Rain lyrics and meaning. This great tune by Creedence Clearwater Revival is easy to understand and most fans always knew what the lyrics were about.

Or so they thought. The writer, John Fogerty, changed all that in an interview. And pissed of a lot of fans, too.

Another good one is our post breaking down The Killers’ Mr Brightside lyrics meaning, since that band was somewhat inspired by Nirvana.

Of course, you might also be interested in a similar breakdown of another Nirvana song. You can find our analysis of the Heart Shaped Box lyrics meaning here.

Finally, check out the meaning of the Pumped Up Kicks lyrics. That hit song deals with a young man whose ‘teen spirit’ results in disastrous consequences.