Curious Hair wrote:
Nirvana started shitty and finished shitty. One band that rhymed "what else should I say" with "everyone is gay" was quite enough, thanks.
I wish I still had it, but when I was learning Cool Edit (Adobe Audition) sophomore year of high school, I did a really sloppy cut-and-paste of "All Apologies" that went roughly
What else should I be
All apologies
What else should I say
Everyone is gay
What else should I write
Everyone is gay
What else should I be
Everyone is gay
I wish I was like you
Everyone is gay
Find my nest of salt
Everyone is gay
Everyone is gay (clumsily pitch shifted to match other lines)
Everyone is gay
Sunburn with freezer burn
Choking on gay
I'm not a big lyrics guy, but I think the "everyone is gay" line in "All Apologies" was an exaggerated response to the nitpicking criticism that Kurt Cobain encountered after being designated the voice of his generation by MTV or Spin or Crystal Pepsi or whomever by (erroneous) virtue of vanquishing Poison and Whitesnake. I'm also not a bigfan of the "rock star's lament" about the trappings of fame and fortune, but this guy was clearly uncomfortable in his own skin, amplified one hundred ford by mainstream success (I think he would have been happy with a Melvins-level stable gigging career.) Taken out of context, it's a silly line, I guess.
JORR, in reference to David Bowie's "Heroes" said something to the effect that regardless of the subject matter of the song (The Berlin Wall, isolation, sub sandwiches etc.) that Bowie felt the hell out of it, or if not "it," then something, in the vocals. I think of "All Apologies" in a similar way. You can titter at the faux depth or artistic license in the lyrics on paper, but you can't deny that whatever was going on when they recorded it, Kurt Cobain was feeling it.
Nirvana has enough good-to-great moments, in a relatively short recording career. I like them because I love a lot of the bands that influenced them, and I appreciate how they incorporated those influences. I would argue that they are a more interesting band if you throw 'Nevermind" out the window(I prefer the beginning and end of their career), and maybe stick around long enough to put out an album with a horn section.