Status

Nirvana Song

Song Author

Kurt Cobain

Writing Period

1992

Recording Session(s)

October 26, 1992 - Word of Mouth Studios, with Jack Endino

March 1993 - Pachyderm Studios recorded by Steve Albini

(Television) September 8, 1992 - MTV Video Awards, NYC

Notes

The title of this song is a reference to a mental disorder called Tourette's syndrome, in which the individual with the disease makes involuntary movements and verbalizations (often obscene), as well as having compulsive rituals or behaviors. Listening to Kurt Cobain's vocals on this song one begins to understand why he titled the song "tourette's."

During the 1992 Reading Festival, the band jokingly introduced the song as "The Eagle Has Landed." Bootleggers missed the joke and when the song made its way to commercial bootlegs the (intentionally) incorrect title was used.



An image of the setlist mentioned above can be found at the NLG.

The reference to "Eustacian tube turrets" can be found in Journals (p. 218, US hardcover), a book of Kurt Cobain's diaries. Kurt scratched out "Eustacian tube," leaving just "turrets" as the title in his notes.


(Thanks to DN members Tiny Cheese and Zippykitty for their input.)

Availability

Releases in the Bootography

Alternate/Working Titles

Fineprint

Tourrets

New Poopie

Eustacian tube turrets

Common Mislabels

None Documented

Mislabels in the Bootography

Downtown

The Eagle Has Landed

Lyrics

Lyrics have never been officially transcribed. Below are interpretations

In Utero version (Interpretation 1)

Moderate Rock...

May-day, every day, my day
Could've had a heart attack, my heart
We don't know anything, my heart
We all want something fair, my heart
Hey!
Hey!

Heyyyyyyy! Heyyyyy! Heyyyyy!
Out of town, out of fire, is my heart
Queen of lies, today, my heart
One more on the phone, my heart
One more at the door of my heart
Hey!
Hey!

Heyyyyyyyyyyy!
Mean heart Cold heart(x7)




In Utero version (Interpretation 2)

Moderate Rock...

It's your enemy, no way!
Get out all the time of my heart
There's no enemy in my heart
Well I'm sick - a path in my heart (- of what I've found in my heart?)
Hey!
Hey!

Heyyyyyyy! Heyyyyy! Heyyyyy!

All the time I've been fucked - it's my heart
We're all also dead in my heart
Oh no! It's the fault of my heart
Oh no! It's the fault of my heart
Hey!
Hey!

Heyyyyyyy! Heyyyyy! Heyyyyy!

We are... Cold heart(x7)




From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah version (interpretation)

Downtown sets a frown
in my eyes
Oh no, half are dead
go home
?
of my eyes
Hearin' me I attack
my arm

Hey, hey, heeeey

Go to town, go to jail
my eyes
Never free, cannot see
go home
Burnin' down half the town
my eyes
?
of my heart

Hey, hey, heeeey

Downtown sets a frown
stay off
Burnin' down half the town
go home
?
we are
Imitate cellophane
wore off

Hey, hey, heeeey

Mean heart