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What do you make of Cobains lyrics?
Just crap that he threw together that means nothing, or something more?

If you need examples and reading material I can post some.

gtZip wrote:What do you make of Cobains lyrics?
Just crap that he threw together that means nothing, or something more?

If you need examples and reading material I can post some.

They're decent lyrics, with meaning, but meh. I like Nirvana but they're a bit overrated.

Dorky and without effort IMHO.

though sometimes over complex... pure poetry!

ok well maybe not always pure, and not always powtry... but pretty good sh*t for the most part!



"I know my sh*t stinks"

I have never liked Nirvana or Kurt Cobain. But that is a matter of personal taste. He is at rest now in peace!

Somewhere in between. His words were so much better then the 80's hair metal bands that they effectively kiiled that genre.

I thought it was dorky love ballads that killed hair metal?

Comes down to the difference between inspired vs contrived lyrics.
This I feel accounts for why so many bands first album is lyrically superior to the successive works.
Great ideas spawn great songs, then in a rush to produce under contract they just throw a bunch of crap together.
A true writer, someone whom can sit down and right a great song is more rare than the guy like me whom can occasionally put some inspiration into words.

He was a good lyricist.


But so is Maynard Keenan of Tool


Hooker with a Penis

I met a boy wearing Vans, 501s, and a dope beastie-tee, nipple rings, and new tattoos that claimed that he was OGT, from '92, the first EP. and in between sips of coke he told me that he thought we were sellin' out, layin' down, suckin' up to the man. Well now I've got some advice for you, little buddy. Before you point the finger you should know that I'm the man, and if I'm the man, then you're the man, and he's the man as well so you can point that f**k' finger up your ass. All you know about me is what I've sold you, Dumb f**k. I sold out long before you ever heard my name. I sold my soul to make a record, Dip sh*t, and you bought one. So I've got some Advice for you, little buddy. Before you point your finger You should know that I'm the man. If I'm the f**k' man then you're the f**k' man as well, So you can Point that f**k' finger up your ass. All you know about me is what I've sold you, Dumb f**k. I sold out long before you ever heard my name. I sold my soul to make a record, Dip sh*t, And you bought one. All you read and Wear or see and Hear on TV Is a product Begging for your Fatass dirty Dollar So ... Shut up and Buy my new record Send more money f**k you, buddy.


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LOL - He really does write good lyrics though!

Yeah. Good lyrics. Makes me wanna go out & buy his stuff.

I think Cobain was the king of melody, and he put lyrics together at the last minute.
However... sometimes they stick in my brain so bad and haunt me, that I wonder...
Maybe they put hidden messages in there.
Or backmasking

philbymon wrote:
Yeah. Good lyrics. Makes me wanna go out & buy his stuff.

Well, he's no Bob Dylan, true.

Yeah, Cobain was a "genius." When he wrote himself into a corner, he just would make up a word that fit the meter of the lyric, & go from there, without giving the word any meaning whatsoever. I'm sorry, but that's a ridiculous approach, imho, & I never had much respect for the guy.

I never thought much of Cobain's lyrics.

But hey - I'm a Neil Pert snob when it comes to lyric writing. Plus, I just can't get into angst-driven lyrics. I was never that pissed off to begin with. I couldn't relate.

philbymon wrote:Yeah, Cobain was a "genius." When he wrote himself into a corner, he just would make up a word that fit the meter of the lyric, & go from there, without giving the word any meaning whatsoever. I'm sorry, but that's a ridiculous approach, imho, & I never had much respect for the guy.

Can you give examples? I'm not sure that he did this at all.

"I think I'm dumb" - genius - Identifying with an entire generation of people with self-worth issues.

Many other songs you almost needed a translator, like Polly, PennyRoyal Tea, Something in the Way, Serve the servants, etc..

He was the portrait of "simplicity is the hallmark of genius". Not a brain surgeon, and certainly not a literary genius, but a simple man who had miles of depth and pain.