The pervasive caricature of Nirvana is that the group was all bite and bark, with little tenderness. That isn’t necessarily true of the group’s biggest hits, and it certainly isn’t true of the fringes of their discography. You can find diverse sounds in this band’s catalog; ones that run the gamut of emotion and disposition.
“About A Girl”
“I’m standing in your line / I do hope you have the time / I do pick a number too / I do keep a date with you,” the lyrics to this shockingly simple love song read. This track captures pretty run-of-the-mill relationship tensions, which isn’t a topic you’d readily peg Nirvana for. With this track, they proved they’re merely human, leaning into conventional songwriting topics.
“I’ll take advantage while / You hang me out to dry / But I can’t see you every night / No, I can’t see you every night,” the lyrics continue. This song is definitely a departure from the band’s typical sound, but it works all the same.
“Dumb”
“I’m not like them, but I can pretend / The sun is gone, but I have a light / The day is done, but I’m having fun / I think I’m dumb,” Kurt Cobain sings in “Dumb”. This song captures the struggle between staying culturally aware and the happiness he thought came from being oblivious to the world’s problems.
The subdued musical style of this track makes it stand out in Nirvana’s catalog. It’s a haunting kind of track that mirrors the existential crises in the lyrics. The dialogue in this song isn’t too far from what we’d expect from Nirvana, but it’s presented in a new way.
“The Man Who Sold The World” (MTV ‘Unplugged’ Version)
Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged performance was a massive change of pace for the rockers. Any of the songs from Nirvana’s iconic set could fit on this list, but let’s focus on their cover of David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World”.
The band made this track their own during their Unplugged session, but even then, it sounded different for the group. “We passed upon the stairs / We spoke of was and when / Although I wasn’t there / He said I was his friend / Which came as a surprise / I spoke into his eyes / I thought you died alone / A long long time ago,” the lyrics read.
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