Status

Nirvana Song

Song Author

Kurt Cobain

Writing Period

Recording Session(s)

March 1994 - Kurt's Basement, Seattle. (~ 2 weeks before Kurt's death)

September 25, 1990 - Olympia WA KAOS FM "Boy Meets Girl Radio"

Notes

Only one recording has surfaced:



Lyrics to this song can be found in Kurt Cobain's Journals (page 126).

According to ex-Geffen employee Jim Griffin, an electric version was also recorded in a studio. Do not be fooled, though, by the FAKE electric version that has been traded and is available through file sharing -- it's not Nirvana! Nirvana's electric version has not surfaced.

The BMI listing for this song is "Opinions," and that title has been cited before by people such as Courtney Love when she described the song as "funny and sad."


(Thanks to DN member Tiny Cheese for their input.)

Availability

Releases in the Bootography

Alternate/Working Titles

None Documented

Common Mislabels

Opinions

Mislabels in the Bootography

None Documented

Lyrics

1990.09.25 on KAOS-FM, in Olympia, WA
(Calvin Johnson, founder of K Records and host of the radio program on KAOS, chatted briefly with Cobain before and after the song was performed. The transcription is below in italics, while the lyrics (from a lyric sheet on page 126 of Kurt Cobain's Journals) are in regular font.)


Calvin - Kurt Cobain's here. You know, Kurt Cobain from Aberdeen. (pause)
(To Kurt) What's going on Baby?

Kurt - Not a damn thing.

Calvin - I see.

Kurt - How are you?

Calvin - Pretty groovy.

Kurt - Am I allowed to ask you that?

Calvin - Umm, not really.

Kurt - Oh.

Calvin - Umm, I was, uh, I was fine. I was just hanging out here on the Boy Meets Girl Show, and, umm, you called up and said, "I wanna play some songs."

Kurt - 'Tis true.

Calvin - So I said, "Rockin' good news."

Kurt - Bloody brilliant!

Calvin - So, uhh, what's going on. You got some new tunes? You gonna share 'em with us or what?

Kurt - Yes, I'm gonna share some new tunes with you.

Calvin - Cool.

Kurt - And everyone else. Umm, I just wrote most of the lyrics this evening.

Calvin - On the...In the car on the way up here?

Kurt - While I was driving with one foot.

Calvin - UH HUH?!

Kurt - I wanted it to be as spontaneous as possible, you know? So, umm. Umm. Yeah, that's what I did. I just, thought I'd just come here and say "Hi."

Calvin - Let 'er rip.

Kurt - OK, (pause) uhh, this song's called "Opinion."


(Kurt performs "Opinion")


Congratulations, you have won
It's a year's subscription of bad puns
And a maice shift story of concern
And to set it up before it burns

My opinions. Mmmmm mmmmm (x4)

And there seems to be a problem here
The scale of emotions seems to clear
You rise and fall like Wall Street stock
And they have an effect on our peace talks

Our opinions. Mmmmm mmmmm (x2)
My opinions. Mmmmm mmmmm (x2)

Congratulations, you have won
It's a year's subscription of bad puns
And a maice shift story of concern
And to set it up before it burns

Our opinions. Mmmmm mmmm
Your opinions. Mmmmm mmmm (x4)



Kurt - Don't you think that song sounds like Taxman?

Calvin - Nothing sounds like Taxman after I heard the Jam doing Start. You heard that song?

Kurt - Err...

Calvin - Sounds exactly like Taxman. So I mean.. You couldn't come close to sounding like Taxman like the The Jam do.

Kurt - Oh well you know there is a song called Mr. Cigarette Man by Herman's Hermit.

Calvin - I haven't heard that one.

Kurt - Boy oh boy..
Oh, and here's a song that was.. that's gonna be on.. our new album.

Calvin - On who's new album.

Kurt - On Nirvana's new album.
And it's called "Lithium".
And I'll play it.


(Kurt plays the first chords of "Lithium")


Kurt - Does it sounded okay?

Calvin - Sounds really good.

Kurt - Good...


(Kurt performs "Lithium")