In what fuelled conspiracy theorists, Cobain said the track was fictional but that he “did infuse some of my personal experiences, like breaking up with girlfriends and having bad relationships.” A deeper insight saw the frontman explain that ‘Lithium’ was the story of a man who turns to religion after the death of his girlfriend, treating it “as a last resort to keep himself alive. Reflecting on the track, Cobain once said it was “one of those songs I actually did finish while trying to write it instead of taking pieces of my poetry and other things”. Naturally, Cobain draws as much as possible from his own experiences to colour this song with a deeper sense of connection. That said, on this track, the band’s anthemic ‘Lithium’, the singer turns author and paints a vivid picture of a man turning to religion following his partner’s suicide. “I’m so happy ’cause today I found my friends, they’re in my head”Ĭobain was a lyricist who felt most comfortable when detailing his own expression. We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard.” When I heard the Pixies for the first time, I connected with that band so heavily that I should have been in that band-or at least a Pixies cover band. “I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies. “I was trying to write the ultimate pop song,” the singer once said. It’s the reason Cobain’s lyrics resonate so loudly still today.įamously, Cobain said the track was an attempt to write a song like the Pixies.
Cobain and Nirvana provided them not with any particular answers or escapism from the society they found themselves in, but they did offer a connection, an understanding of the situation and, most notably, a like-minded friend. However, there’s a reason that so many millions found themselves worshipping at the feet of Nirvana following the track-it freed them from mundanity.Ī generation of kids sat at home, bored, annoyed, and unable to change their situation. Yes, we can hear the groans of diehard Nirvana fans as we select the group’s most prominent song as an example of Cobain’s lyricism. “With the lights out, it’s less dangerous