About a Girl
Encyclopedia
"About a Girl" is a song by the American grunge
band, Nirvana
. It is the third song on the group's debut album, Bleach
(1989). It is also the first song on the posthumous MTV Unplugged in New York
album from which it was a single in 1994.
, "About a Girl" was written after Kurt Cobain
spent an entire afternoon listening to Meet The Beatles!
repeatedly. At the time, Cobain was trying to conceal his pop songwriting instincts, and he was reluctant to include the song on Bleach for fear of alienating the band's then-exclusively grunge
fan base. In a 1993 Rolling Stone
interview with David Fricke
, he explained:
However, Bleach producer Jack Endino
was excited about the song, and even saw it as a potential single
. Years later, Butch Vig
, who produced Nirvana's 1991 breakthrough album Nevermind
, would cite "About a Girl" as the first hint that there was more to Nirvana than grunge. "Everyone talks about Kurt's love affair with... the whole punk
scene, but he was also a huge Beatles
fan, and the more time we spent together the more obvious their influence on his songwriting became," Vig told the NME
in 2004.
"About a Girl" was recorded for Bleach in December 1988 by Endino in Seattle, Washington. It remained one of the few songs from Bleach which Nirvana continued to perform live until Cobain's death in April 1994. A live acoustic rendition was recorded during the band's MTV Unplugged
set on November 18, 1993 at Sony Music Studios
in New York City
. It was released on the band's posthumous MTV Unplugged in New York
album in 1994, and as the only commercial single from that album, peaking at number one on the Modern Rock Tracks
chart.
The “Bleach” version was re-released on the band's 2002 "best-of" compilation album, Nirvana. The Unplugged version was re-released on the band's second greatest hits album, Icon, in 2010, and the video of the performance appears on the 2007 MTV Unplugged in New York DVD
. The Unplugged version also appears as a playable song in the video game Guitar Hero World Tour
, and the studio version appears as downloadable content for the Rock Band
video game.
, Nirvana's drummer around the time of Bleach, Cobain didn't have a title for the song when he first brought it into the studio. When asked what it was about, Cobain replied, "It's about a girl."
The girl in question was Tracy Marander, Cobain's then-girlfriend, with whom he lived at the time. Apparently, Marander had asked Cobain why he had never written a song for her, and Cobain responded with "About a Girl". The song addresses the couple's fractured relationship, caused by Cobain's refusal to get a job, or to share cleaning duties at their apartment (which housed many of his pets). During arguments on the subject, Cobain would occasionally threaten to move into his car, at which point Marander would usually relent.
Cobain never told Marander that he had written "About a Girl" for her. In the 1998 Nick Broomfield
documentary Kurt and Courtney, Marander revealed that she only found out after reading Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana
.
chart in late 1994. Five thousand numbered limited edition copies were sold in Australia
, and an additional 200 copies were unnumbered for promotional use. A standard single was also sold in countries across Europe
. The following songs appear on the single:
web site, Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters lead singer Dave Grohl
covered "About a Girl" with himself on vocals during a studio session with music producer and friend Barrett Jones at some point before Nirvana disbanded in 1994. The recording has yet to surface.
Studio covers of the song have been done by American rock band Cibo Matto
, on their 1999 Moonchild EP, and Brazilian
singer/ songwriter Cibelle
, on her 2005 About a Girl EP.
The song has been covered live by American rock band Puddle of Mudd
.
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
band, Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
. It is the third song on the group's debut album, Bleach
Bleach (album)
Bleach is the debut album by the American rock band Nirvana, released in June 1989 through the independent record label Sub Pop. The main recording sessions took place at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, Washington between December 1988 and January 1989...
(1989). It is also the first song on the posthumous MTV Unplugged in New York
MTV Unplugged in New York
MTV Unplugged in New York is a live album by the American rock band Nirvana. It features an acoustic performance taped at Sony Music Studios in New York City on November 18, 1993 for the television series MTV Unplugged. The show was directed by Beth McCarthy and first aired on the cable television...
album from which it was a single in 1994.
History
According to the 1994 Nirvana biography Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana by Michael AzerradMichael Azerrad
Michael Azerrad is an American author, journalist and musician. He grew up in the New York City area and received his BA degree from Columbia College in 1983...
, "About a Girl" was written after Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
spent an entire afternoon listening to Meet The Beatles!
Meet the Beatles!
-External links:*Bruce Spizer's *Bruce Spizer's *...
repeatedly. At the time, Cobain was trying to conceal his pop songwriting instincts, and he was reluctant to include the song on Bleach for fear of alienating the band's then-exclusively grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
fan base. In a 1993 Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
interview with David Fricke
David Fricke
David Fricke is a senior editor at Rolling Stone magazine, where he writes predominantly on rock music. In the 1990s, he was managing editor before stepping down.-Background:David Fricke is a graduate of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
, he explained:
"Even to put "About a Girl" on Bleach was a risk. I was heavily into pop, I really liked R.E.M.R.E.M.R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, and I was into all kinds of old ‘60s stuff. But there was a lot of pressure within that social scene, the underground — like the kind of thing you get in high school. And to put a jangly R.E.M. type of pop song on a grunge record, in that scene, was risky."
However, Bleach producer Jack Endino
Jack Endino
Jack Endino is a producer and musician based in Seattle. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands such as Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and Nirvana...
was excited about the song, and even saw it as a potential single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. Years later, Butch Vig
Butch Vig
Butch Vig is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the drummer of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of multi-platinum selling album Nevermind by Nirvana....
, who produced Nirvana's 1991 breakthrough album Nevermind
Nevermind
Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
, would cite "About a Girl" as the first hint that there was more to Nirvana than grunge. "Everyone talks about Kurt's love affair with... the whole punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
scene, but he was also a huge Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
fan, and the more time we spent together the more obvious their influence on his songwriting became," Vig told the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
in 2004.
"About a Girl" was recorded for Bleach in December 1988 by Endino in Seattle, Washington. It remained one of the few songs from Bleach which Nirvana continued to perform live until Cobain's death in April 1994. A live acoustic rendition was recorded during the band's MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
set on November 18, 1993 at Sony Music Studios
Sony Music Studios
Sony Music Studios was a well-known former music recording and mastering facility in New York City. The music and broadcasting complex was located at 460 W. 54th St., at 10th Avenue, in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It was released on the band's posthumous MTV Unplugged in New York
MTV Unplugged in New York
MTV Unplugged in New York is a live album by the American rock band Nirvana. It features an acoustic performance taped at Sony Music Studios in New York City on November 18, 1993 for the television series MTV Unplugged. The show was directed by Beth McCarthy and first aired on the cable television...
album in 1994, and as the only commercial single from that album, peaking at number one on the Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart.
The “Bleach” version was re-released on the band's 2002 "best-of" compilation album, Nirvana. The Unplugged version was re-released on the band's second greatest hits album, Icon, in 2010, and the video of the performance appears on the 2007 MTV Unplugged in New York DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. The Unplugged version also appears as a playable song in the video game Guitar Hero World Tour
Guitar Hero World Tour
Guitar Hero World Tour is a music video game developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision. It is the fourth main entry in the Guitar Hero series...
, and the studio version appears as downloadable content for the Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
video game.
Meaning
According to Chad ChanningChad Channing
Chad Channing is an American musician who is best known for being the drummer of the band Nirvana from 1988 until 1990, during which time they recorded and released their debut album Bleach...
, Nirvana's drummer around the time of Bleach, Cobain didn't have a title for the song when he first brought it into the studio. When asked what it was about, Cobain replied, "It's about a girl."
The girl in question was Tracy Marander, Cobain's then-girlfriend, with whom he lived at the time. Apparently, Marander had asked Cobain why he had never written a song for her, and Cobain responded with "About a Girl". The song addresses the couple's fractured relationship, caused by Cobain's refusal to get a job, or to share cleaning duties at their apartment (which housed many of his pets). During arguments on the subject, Cobain would occasionally threaten to move into his car, at which point Marander would usually relent.
Cobain never told Marander that he had written "About a Girl" for her. In the 1998 Nick Broomfield
Nick Broomfield
Nicholas "Nick" Broomfield is an English documentary film-maker. He is the son of Maurice Broomfield, a photographer.Broomfield works with a minimal crew, recording sound himself and using one or two camera operators...
documentary Kurt and Courtney, Marander revealed that she only found out after reading Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana
Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana
Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana is a 1993 book by Michael Azerrad, covering the career of Nirvana from its inception. For the book, Azerrad met with the members of the band and conducted extensive interviews about the band and its members' histories.The book was completed in June 1993, and...
.
Single
The MTV Unplugged version was released as the only commercial single from MTV Unplugged in New York, peaking at number one on Billboard's Modern Rock TracksModern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart in late 1994. Five thousand numbered limited edition copies were sold in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and an additional 200 copies were unnumbered for promotional use. A standard single was also sold in countries across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The following songs appear on the single:
- "About a Girl" (Cobain)
- "Something in the Way" (Cobain)
Singles charts
| Chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
4 |
| Belgian Singles Chart | 13 |
| Denmark Singles Chart | 7 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 22 |
| Finland Singles Chart | 8 |
| French Singles Chart | 23 |
| Sweden Singles Chart | 20 |
Airplay charts
| Chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| Polish Airplay Chart Polskie Radio Polskie Radio Spółka Akcyjna is Poland's national publicly funded radio broadcasting organization.- History :Polskie Radio was founded on 18 August 1925 and began making regular broadcasts from Warsaw on 18 April 1926.... |
3 |
| Chart (1993) | Position |
| French Airplay Chart | 9 |
| Chart (1994) | Position |
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
10 |
| Finland Mitä hittiä Chart Mitä hittiä The Official Finnish Charts is a national record chart in Finland composed by Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.The singles chart was started in January 1991 as Radiomafian lista and was broadcast on the radio station Radiomafia of the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE. This chart is based on a... |
7 |
| Triple J Hottest 100 Triple J triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation... (Australia) |
7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 29 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay (U.S.) | 22 |
Other versions
Aside from the original version of "About a Girl" which was released on the Bleach album and the MTV Unplugged in New York version which was released as a single, several other versions of the song have been officially released:- A live version, recorded on February 9, 1990 at the Pine Street Theatre in Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, appears as a B-side on the band's 1990 "SliverSliver (song)"Sliver" is a song by American grunge band Nirvana. It was originally released as a non-album single in 1990 by Sub Pop. DGC re-released the song to radio to support the release of the rarities compilation album Incesticide in 1992....
" non-album single. Cobain later expressed embarrassment towards the inclusion of this particular live version, calling it "ragged" in "the most unappealing way". The entire Pine Street show appears as bonus material on the 2009 "Delluxe" re-release of Bleach.
- A live version, recorded on October 31, 1991 at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, appears on the 1994 home videoHome videoHome video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
, Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!Nirvana: Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! is a video album released by the grunge band Nirvana on laserdisc and VHS on November 15, 1994. The DVD version was released November 7, 2006. Kurt Cobain compiled much of the video himself, but did not complete it prior to his death...
, which was re-released on DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in 2006.
- A solo demoDemo (music)A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
version appears on the 2004 Nirvana box set, With the Lights OutWith the Lights OutWith the Lights Out is a box set, containing three CDs and one DVD, of previously rare or unreleased material, including b-sides, demos, rough rehearsal recordings and live recordings, from the American rock band Nirvana. It was released in November 2004...
, and on the 2005 compilation album, Sliver: The Best of the Box
- A live version, recorded on November 25, 1991 at the ParadisoParadisoParadiso is the Italian or Latinized version for Heaven or Paradise. It may also refer to:* Paradiso , the third part of Dante's Divine Comedy* Paradisio, a Belgian dance act* Paradiso , a music venue in Amsterdam...
in Amsterdam, Holland, appears as bonus material on the DVD version of Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!, released in 2006.
- A live version, recorded on August 30, 1992 at the Reading Festival in Reading, England, appears on the 2009 album and DVD, Live at ReadingLive at Reading-Album charts:-DVD charts:- Personnel :*Kurt Cobain - vocals, guitar*Krist Novoselic - bass, backing vocals on "The Money Will Roll Right In", intro voice on "Territorial Pissings".*Dave Grohl - drums, backing vocals*Antony Hodgkinson - dancerProduction...
.
- The live version from the Paramount Theatre 1991 which was originally included on Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! was again released in 2011 when the entire Paramount Theatre show was made available on stand alone DVD and Blu-ray releases of Live at the ParamountLive at the Paramount (video)Live at the Paramount is a live video by the grunge band Nirvana released in 2011. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc as part of the 20th anniversary of Nirvana's Nevermind album. It showcases a live performance at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle from October 31, 1991. The footage is taken...
. A CD version of the show along with a DVD were also available with the limited edition "Super Deluxe" box set, released for the 20th anniversary of the Nevermind album.
Accolades
- Ranked #2 in NME'sNMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
"Top 20 Nirvana Songs" (2004) - Ranked #2 in Q's "10 Greatest Nirvana Songs Ever" (2004)
- Ranked #1 in Q's "The 100 Greatest Singers and their 1000 Greatest Songs" (2007) in which Kurt was ranked as the 7th greatest singer
Covers
According to the official Foo FightersFoo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
web site, Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters lead singer Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
covered "About a Girl" with himself on vocals during a studio session with music producer and friend Barrett Jones at some point before Nirvana disbanded in 1994. The recording has yet to surface.
Studio covers of the song have been done by American rock band Cibo Matto
Cibo Matto
Cibo Matto are a New York City-based band formed by two Japanese women, Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori, in 1994...
, on their 1999 Moonchild EP, and Brazilian
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
singer/ songwriter Cibelle
Cibelle
Cibelle is a multi-media performance artist, singer-songwriter and music producer. Cibelle’s music is difficult to classify; she has been called a self-styled purveyor of “Tropical Punk”.-Biography:...
, on her 2005 About a Girl EP.
The song has been covered live by American rock band Puddle of Mudd
Puddle of Mudd
Puddle Of Mudd is an American rock band from Kansas City, Missouri, USA. To date the band has sold over 7 million albums, and have had a string of #1 mainstream rock singles in the United States. Their major-label debut Come Clean has sold over 5 million copies...
.