Smells Like Nirvana
Encyclopedia
"Smells Like Nirvana" is a parody of Nirvana
's "Smells Like Teen Spirit
" written and performed by "Weird Al" Yankovic
. It helped to reenergize Yankovic's career, and Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain
considered the parody a sign that they had "made it" as a band. The song is one of Yankovic's
most successful singles, reaching number 35 on both the Billboard Hot 100
and the US Mainstream Rock Tracks. The "Smells Like Nirvana" CD single contained the then-unreleased song "Waffle King". Yankovic created an associated video for the song that parodied the "Smells like Teen Spirit" video, including using the same sets and extras, and was nominated in the 1992 MTV Video Awards for "Best Male Video".
After Yankovic completed his film UHF
, he returned to the studio in 1990 to begin recording for a new album. While the original songs on the album were completed, he was unable to find suitable songs for parody, and decided to hold off on the album for fear of failure of release. When Nirvana and "Smells like Teen Spirit" began to become popular, Yankovic recognized he had discovered a good parody, particularly as many people loved the song and music, but could not understand its lyrics.
According to Yankovic, he first sought Cobain's permission to parody the song. When he learned that Nirvana was to perform on Saturday Night Live
, he called up his UHF co-star, Victoria Jackson
, at the time a regular cast member of the show. Jackson got Cobain on the phone so that Yankovic could make his request. Cobain agreed, though initially, he inquired if the song would be about food
.
The promo single only lists "Smells Like Nirvana," but contains both songs.
":
Other parts point to the unintelligibility of Cobain's lyrics and vocal delivery:
and
The song also contains a reference to another artist ("...we don't sound like Madonna
, here we are now, we're Nirvana!"), a reference to the band's hometown ("...a garage band from Seattle..."), and a reference to Nevermind
, the album which includes the original, as well as to the fact that the Nirvana album does not include a complete set of lyrics in the liner notes, but rather just bits and pieces of lyrics Cobain organized into a poem ("The lyric sheet's so hard to find. What are the words? Oh, nevermind."). The cover of the single like Off the Deep End
is also a parody of that of Nevermind.
The music is almost the same as "Smells Like Teen Spirit", although the guitar solo
is replaced by the sound of Yankovic gargling, the entire audience humming through kazoo
s, and a tuba
. The arrangement of "Smells Like Nirvana" is based on the radio edit
of the original. When Yankovic parodied the song in 1992, most radio stations only played the shortened version. However, most radio stations now play the full version, leading to the assumption of a shortened intro, bridge (the "hello"/"how low" part) and solo. Because "Smells Like Nirvana" is a parodied version of the radio edit, many people who never heard the radio edit on the radio feel that it is unnaturally shorter than the original.
, directed by Yankovic's manager Jay Levey, is a near shot-for-shot parody of the original video for "Smells like Teen Spirit", which depicts the band playing at a high school concert while it descends into riot. Yankovic is present on guitar and vocals as Kurt Cobain
with Steve Jay
on bass as Krist Novoselic
and Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz on drums as Dave Grohl
, and all three wear clothing and long-haired wigs to imitate the look of Nirvana in "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Yankovic's video uses many of the same props, actors and camera angles; in particular, the video was shot in the same Culver City, California
sound stage as Nirvana's video, and Rudy Larosa reprises his role as the janitor. The video also includes Dick Van Patten
in a guest role in the video. Tony Hawk
also appears as one of the many extras on the set as part of a request for the Birdhouse Skateboards
team to provide "skater/punks" for the video, though Yankovic was not aware of this fact until 2009.
The video was nominated, but did not win, for the 1992 MTV Video Awards for "Best Male Video".
in mid 1992, Cobain had the following to say:
In The Simpsons
episode "That 90's Show
", Homer Simpson
is shown creating one of the first grunge
bands while trying to cope with Marge
's infidelity; the band, called "Sadgasm" becomes highly popular. At one point, Homer writes a new song called "Shave Me" (a loose parody of Nirvana's "Rape Me
"), which is later parodied in both song and video by "Weird Al" Yankovic (voicing himself) as "Brainfreeze". Homer takes Yankovic's parody as knowing his band has become successful. The situation in the short is said to mirror much of the history of "Smells Like Nirvana", including Kurt Cobain's reaction to the parody. Homer is also dressed as Kurt as he appears in the "Margerine" music video from the same episode.
Laura Barrett
covered this song on her EP Earth Sciences.
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...
's "Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records...
" written and performed by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
. It helped to reenergize Yankovic's career, and Nirvana singer 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...
considered the parody a sign that they had "made it" as a band. The song is one of Yankovic's
most successful singles, reaching number 35 on both the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and the US Mainstream Rock Tracks. The "Smells Like Nirvana" CD single contained the then-unreleased song "Waffle King". Yankovic created an associated video for the song that parodied the "Smells like Teen Spirit" video, including using the same sets and extras, and was nominated in the 1992 MTV Video Awards for "Best Male Video".
After Yankovic completed his film UHF
UHF (film)
UHF is a 1989 American comedy film starring "Weird Al" Yankovic, David Bowe, Fran Drescher, Victoria Jackson, Kevin McCarthy, Michael Richards, Gedde Watanabe, Billy Barty, Anthony Geary, Emo Philips and Trinidad Silva, in whose memory the film is dedicated.The title refers to Ultra High Frequency...
, he returned to the studio in 1990 to begin recording for a new album. While the original songs on the album were completed, he was unable to find suitable songs for parody, and decided to hold off on the album for fear of failure of release. When Nirvana and "Smells like Teen Spirit" began to become popular, Yankovic recognized he had discovered a good parody, particularly as many people loved the song and music, but could not understand its lyrics.
According to Yankovic, he first sought Cobain's permission to parody the song. When he learned that Nirvana was to perform on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, he called up his UHF co-star, Victoria Jackson
Victoria Jackson
Victoria Jackson is an American comedian, actress, satirist and singer best known as a cast member of the NBC television sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1992....
, at the time a regular cast member of the show. Jackson got Cobain on the phone so that Yankovic could make his request. Cobain agreed, though initially, he inquired if the song would be about food
Eat It
"Eat It" is a hit single by parody artist "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of the song "Beat It" by pop star Michael Jackson. The single reached #1 in Australia, and it was his highest-charting U.S. single on the Billboard Hot 100 at #12 until "White & Nerdy" peaked at #9 in October 2006...
.
U.S. pressing
The following tracks are on the single:- "Smells Like Nirvana" – 3:42
- "Waffle King" (Previously Unreleased which later released on "AlapaloozaAlapaloozaAlapalooza is the eighth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1993. The cover sleeve is a spoof on the movie poster of the hit movie Jurassic Park. The name is a parody of the music festival Lollapalooza....
") – 4:26
The promo single only lists "Smells Like Nirvana," but contains both songs.
UK 7" pressing
The following tracks are on the single:- "Smells Like Nirvana" – 3:42
- "Trigger Happy" – 3:46
- "Waffle King" (previously unreleased) – 4:26
Lyrics
The lyrics are a spoof of "Smells Like Teen SpiritSmells Like Teen Spirit
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records...
":
- What is this song all about?
- Can't figure any lyrics out
- How do the words to it go?
- I wish you'd tell me, I don't know
Other parts point to the unintelligibility of Cobain's lyrics and vocal delivery:
- It's unintelligible
- I just can't get it through my skull
- It's hard to bargle nawdle zouss???
- With all these marbles in my mouth
and
- Sing distinctly?
- We don't wanna!
- Buy our album
- We're Nirvana!
The song also contains a reference to another artist ("...we don't sound like Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, here we are now, we're Nirvana!"), a reference to the band's hometown ("...a garage band from Seattle..."), and a reference to 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...
, the album which includes the original, as well as to the fact that the Nirvana album does not include a complete set of lyrics in the liner notes, but rather just bits and pieces of lyrics Cobain organized into a poem ("The lyric sheet's so hard to find. What are the words? Oh, nevermind."). The cover of the single like Off the Deep End
Off the Deep End
Off the Deep End is the seventh studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1992. This album was the first album self-produced by Yankovic, after six albums with Rick Derringer. Recorded between June 1990 and January 1992, the album was a follow-up to the unsuccessful soundtrack to Yankovic's...
is also a parody of that of Nevermind.
The music is almost the same as "Smells Like Teen Spirit", although the guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
is replaced by the sound of Yankovic gargling, the entire audience humming through kazoo
Kazoo
The kazoo is a wind instrument which adds a "buzzing" timbral quality to a player's voice when the player vocalizes into it. The kazoo is a type of mirliton, which is a membranophone, a device which modifies the sound of a person's voice by way of a vibrating membrane."Kazoo" was the name given by...
s, and a tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
. The arrangement of "Smells Like Nirvana" is based on the radio edit
Radio edit
In music, a radio edit is a modification to make a song more suitable for airplay, whether it be adjusted for length, profanity, subject matter, instrumentation, or form...
of the original. When Yankovic parodied the song in 1992, most radio stations only played the shortened version. However, most radio stations now play the full version, leading to the assumption of a shortened intro, bridge (the "hello"/"how low" part) and solo. Because "Smells Like Nirvana" is a parodied version of the radio edit, many people who never heard the radio edit on the radio feel that it is unnaturally shorter than the original.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, directed by Yankovic's manager Jay Levey, is a near shot-for-shot parody of the original video for "Smells like Teen Spirit", which depicts the band playing at a high school concert while it descends into riot. Yankovic is present on guitar and vocals as 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...
with Steve Jay
Steve Jay
Eugene Stephen "Steve" Jay is a bass guitarist best known for working with the singer-songwriter "Weird Al" Yankovic.Jay was born in Florida. He auditioned for Yankovic after answering an ad in the newspaper, and the two have worked together ever since...
on bass as Krist Novoselic
Krist Novoselic
Krist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
and Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz on drums as 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...
, and all three wear clothing and long-haired wigs to imitate the look of Nirvana in "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Yankovic's video uses many of the same props, actors and camera angles; in particular, the video was shot in the same Culver City, California
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
sound stage as Nirvana's video, and Rudy Larosa reprises his role as the janitor. The video also includes Dick Van Patten
Dick Van Patten
Richard Vincent "Dick" Van Patten is an American actor, best known for his role as patriarch Tom Bradford on the television sitcom Eight is Enough. He began work as a child actor and was successful on the [New York] stage, appearing in more than a dozen plays as a teenager...
in a guest role in the video. Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk
Anthony Frank "Tony" Hawk , nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American retired professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision...
also appears as one of the many extras on the set as part of a request for the Birdhouse Skateboards
Birdhouse Skateboards
Birdhouse Skateboards is a skateboard company formed by ex-Powell Peralta pros Tony Hawk and Per Welinder in 1992....
team to provide "skater/punks" for the video, though Yankovic was not aware of this fact until 2009.
The video was nominated, but did not win, for the 1992 MTV Video Awards for "Best Male Video".
Cobain's thoughts on the video/song
In an interview performed by MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in mid 1992, Cobain had the following to say:
- MTV: What about Weird Al's "Smells Like Nirvana"?
- Cobain: Oh, I laughed my butt off. I thought it was one of the funniest things I ever saw. He has some good people working for him. Those people really know how to... I mean, I'm sure he has a lot to do with it, but they really know how to reproduce things to the T. He had the exact same setup. It's the same video with him in it. It's great.
- MTV: Do you go along with the idea that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?
- Cobain: Sure. Yeah.
Legacy
Yankovic continues to play "Smells like Nirvana" after Cobain's death, stating that "Kurt was a fan of the song" and "he would have wanted it that way."In The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "That 90's Show
That 90's Show
"That '90s Show" is the eleventh episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season. It was first broadcast on January 27, 2008. Kurt Loder and "Weird Al" Yankovic both guest star as themselves, this being the second time for Yankovic...
", Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
is shown creating one of the first 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...
bands while trying to cope with Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
's infidelity; the band, called "Sadgasm" becomes highly popular. At one point, Homer writes a new song called "Shave Me" (a loose parody of Nirvana's "Rape Me
Rape Me
"Rape Me" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by frontman Kurt Cobain. The song was released as the second single from Nirvana's third album In Utero in 1993, packaged as a double A-side along with "All Apologies"...
"), which is later parodied in both song and video by "Weird Al" Yankovic (voicing himself) as "Brainfreeze". Homer takes Yankovic's parody as knowing his band has become successful. The situation in the short is said to mirror much of the history of "Smells Like Nirvana", including Kurt Cobain's reaction to the parody. Homer is also dressed as Kurt as he appears in the "Margerine" music video from the same episode.
Laura Barrett
Laura Barrett
Laura Barrett is a Canadian indie pop singer-songwriter, best known for incorporating the kalimba into her music. In addition to her solo work, Barrett has also performed as a member of The Hidden Cameras, Henri Fabergé and the Adorables, Woodhands and Sheezer....
covered this song on her EP Earth Sciences.
Chart positions
| Chart (1992) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA 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... |
24 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
58 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
35 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales Hot 100 Singles Sales The Hot Singles Sales chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures sales of commercial singles and is one of three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Airplay and the Hot Digital Songs, that determine the chart positions of singles on the... |
12 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
35 |
External links
- "Weird Al" Wiki Page
- "Smells Like Nirvana" music video on Google VideoGoogle VideoGoogle Videos is a video search engine, and formerly a free video sharing website, from Google Inc. Before removing user-uploaded content, the service allowed selected videos to be remotely embedded on other websites and provided the necessary HTML code alongside the media, similar to YouTube...
- "Smells Like Nirvana" music video on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....