In Bloom
In 2016, country artist Sturgill Simpson released a cover of “In Bloom,” a 1992 track from the album Nevermind by iconic grunge band Nirvana. We will look more closely at grunge in the next module, but the sound of grunge, if not this particular song, should be familiar to you.
The original 1992 video is a take on The Beatles’ first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964.
Of course, the humour in the video comes from the known reputation of Nirvana as the symbol of disaffected youth of the early 1990s dressed in suits and referred to as “three fine young men from Seattle”. But what are more interesting about this performance, for our discussion, are the lyrics of the song. Here are Kurt Cobain’s original lyrics:
Sell the kids for food
Weather changes moods
Spring is here again
Reproductive glands
Hey – he’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Don’t know what it means, when I say:
He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means when I say ah…
We can have some more
Nature is a whore
Bruises on the fruit
Tender age in bloom
Hey – he’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Don’t know what it means, when I say:
He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means when I say ah…
He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Don’t know what it means, when I say:
He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means
Knows not what it means (2x)
Knows not what it means when I say ah…[1]
Source: http://genius.com/Nirvana-in-bloom-lyrics Permission: This material has been reproduced in accordance with the University of Saskatchewan interpretation of Sec.30.04 of the Copyright Act.
We will focus primarily on the chorus. Lead singer and songwriter of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, wrote a catchy chorus that did make people sing along, even those who did not understand the lyrics, and therein lays the irony. The song is a criticism of fans that mindlessly listened to the music of Nirvana but didn’t consider what Cobain was trying to say or understand the music, a sentiment also reflected in the line “Here we are now, entertain us” from “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The performance is typically grunge – guitars are crunchy and distorted, vocals are ground out or sung in a gruff yell, and there are strong contrasts in dynamic levels between the verses and the chorus.
When asked about the song in an interview released by Geffen Records in 1992, Kurt replied, “Obviously I don’t like rednecks, I don’t like macho men. I mean, I don’t like abusive people, and I guess that’s what that song is about, it’s an attack on them.”[2]
The genre most stereotypically associated with “rednecks” is country music. That’s why, even before we hear it, a cover of “In Bloom” by country singer Sturgill Simpson tends to raise the hackles of grunge purists. And on first listen, one major change to the lyrics is practically sacriligeous for those who know the original. See if you can catch it:
Simpson’s take on “In Bloom” has many country music hallmarks: he sings the melody (rather than yells, as Cobain does) with a distinct twang (actually authentic, as he hails from Kentucky); the sounds of steel guitar weaves throughout; and there is a strong “knocking” backbeat that is familiar to country music fans. But there are elements that break from the traditional country sound as well. There is an expanded string and horn section (at about 2:35), somewhat out of character for standard country music, which works to change the tone of the song from ominous and mournful at the beginning to almost joyful and celebratory near the end.
It is unusual too, for a country song to feature lyrics that are quite this opaque, and certainly lyrics like “Sell the kids for food” or “Reproductive glands” feel a bit out of place in the standard country music playlist. Simpson’s singing is well-within typical country performance style, so a fan may not notice the unusual phrases if they do not listen closely to the lyrics. For the most part the message of the song remains as Cobain intended – it is still an indictment of redneck listeners who don’t understand the meaning of an artist’s music. However, Simpson changes the lyrics of the chorus to:
He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Don’t know what it means to love someone.
…and by doing so, subtley changes the meaning. The change in lyrics was an error at first – Simpson actually misheard the Nirvana lyrics – but has since become his standard lyrics in performance. A fan since junior high, when he first heard Nevermind, Simpson’s intent with this “In Bloom” cover was to “make a very beautiful and pure homage to Kurt.”[3] Purists may scoff, but the subtle change in lyrics – bringing love into the picture and implying that our redneck is an object of pity (because he can’t love) rather than pure scorn (because he’s ignorant), is an interesting one.
Compare this video to the other country music videos you have watched this term. What is different? Is anything the same? Cobain’s challenging and somewhat abstract lyrics are quite far removed from the usual straight-forward, storytelling lyrics of most country music, and as such, allow Simpson’s director (Matt Mahurin) to create a more dreamlike and far less realistic video than is usually seen in this genre. We will leave an in-depth analysis of the imagery to your imagination. Whether you like, love, or hate Simpson’s cover of “In Bloom” (interestingly, most critics have come out in favour of it), it does raise questions about genre, the role of the cover artist, and meaning in music.
We will leave you with these questions to consider: What determines the genre of a song? What makes a song “country”? The sound? The lyrics? Is Sturgill Simpson’s cover of “In Bloom” a country song? Is it okay to change the lyrics of a song in a cover? What about the melody? Does Simpson’s cover say something about the melding of styles to create new sounds? Does it say something about the changing character of country music, or popular music to come? (Again, these questions are for your consideration, but may appear on your final).
[1] Cobain, Kurt, “In Bloom,” accessed August 23, 2016. http://genius.com/Nirvana-in-bloom-lyrics
[2] St. Thomas, Kurt, “Nevermind – it’s an interview; Full Transcript,” accessed August 24, 2016. http://www.nirvanaclub.com/info/articles/nevermind.html
[3] Grebey, James, “Listen to Sturgill Simpson’s Country Cover of Nirvana’s ‘In Bloom,'” last modified March 24, 2016. http://www.spin.com/2016/03/sturgill-simpsons-cover-nirvana-in-bloom-cobain-stream/
Challenge Questions
If you have chosen to blog for your assignments, you may choose ONE of the following blog questions to blog on this week, for a total of 10% of your overall assignment grade. Note that there are blogging questions available for each module, and you need to complete up to two for the first deadline and up to two for the second deadline. Please see the Assignment Details and Blogging assignment pages for more information.
- The late, great, Selena Quintanilla-Perez (referred to as simply “Selena”) is briefly mentioned in your textbook as having been tejano music’s biggest star. Using thorough research, briefly trace her career and influence, in your own words, up to and beyond her untimely death. Why is she considered to be one of the most influential Latin artists of all time? Which artists have been influenced by her work? Find two examples of her posthumous influence on popular culture. Listen to several of her most popular songs, and embed your favourite. Briefly explain what you hear in the piece with reference to your textbook material. Do you think she should be included in our textbook? Why or why not? #M9Q1
- Watch all of the chapters of one of the first three parts of the PBS series Latin Music USA – so all of “Bridges”, “The Salsa Revolution” or “The Chicano Wave.” (If you watched Bridges for an earlier question, please watch one of the other parts this time). Summarize the salient details for your classmates, and embed three videos (can be songs included in the films) that you feel best represent the main ideas of the film. Explain the significance of each of the songs you have chosen based on the film and external research if needed. Link it to this week’s learning materials where possible. #M9Q2
- In this week’s Learning Materials, we discussed a country cover of a grunge song. As we have learned throughout the course, covers can be interpreted different ways depending on context, for example white artists covering Motown hits in the 1960s and making more money than the original black hit makers. For this blog, find a cover of a song where the original and the cover are performed in two different genres (neither genre needs to be country or Latin). Look at lyrics, performance style, sound cues, videos, and external research as needed, and discuss how the cover changes the song from the original. Does the meaning of the song change? Does the song become more accessible to a new group of people? Do the songs come from different time periods/social contexts, and does that change the meaning or response to each version of the song? Be thoughtful, informed, and creative in your analysis. Link to both the original and the cover in your post where possible. #M9Q3
- Live Concert Review:Attend a live concert and write a review detailing your experience. You may only complete one concert review for the whole course. If there are multiple groups on the bill, choose only one. The concert must take place during the course and reflect the knowledge you’ve gained from the course materials. It should be the same length as your other blog posts but must describe the following features:
- Performer: biographies, band history, current place in popular music. Assume the reader is unfamiliar with the group.
- Sound: specifics of the music – harmony, rhythm, instrumentation, lyrics (if applicable) etc. Focus on one or more songs and construct a thorough description.
- Venue and Audience: describe not only the practical details of the environment, but how the music might inform us of the social realities of the audience and vice versa.
- Reflection: how meaningful was this concert to you? Was it meaningful to a broader group of people? What contributed to this feeling, or what was lacking? Use your knowledge of the history of popular music to support these feelings.
- Organization, Spelling, References: cite what research you use, utilizing a recognized citation method (Chicago is preferred).
- Proof of Attendance: take pictures of the event for your blog post and/or a selfie.
#M9Q4