There are many ways to write songs, but I tend to prefer lyrics when they veer off into abstraction. Perhaps a balance tilted more toward emotion than intellect. And it is a delicate balance, for sure.
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Still, there are plenty of lyrics that read like nonsense under the light of the page. Living in Nashville, I’ve been in plenty of writing rooms where people obsess over individual words or phrases. I’ve been guilty of it, too. But I’m not convinced the obsession is justified. To make the case, here’s a list of classic songs from the 1990s proving words don’t always matter.
“Epic” by Faith No More
“It” is one of those words that says too much and too little at the same time. It can be everything, and also something intangible without context. In Faith No More’s biggest hit, Mike Patton asks, “What is it?” He told Circus magazine in 1990 that “Epic” is about sexual frustration. And Patton’s chorus, “You want it all, but you can’t have it,” states “it” in more universal terms.
The band released “Epic” as a single in January 1990, and the song’s success helped bring alternative music into the mainstream. It also introduced the world to the genius of Mike Patton. “Epic” is vague enough for listeners to attach their own meanings to … it. Making perfect sense after all.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana
One of the bands benefiting from the success of “Epic” was Nirvana. When the Seattle trio released its Sub Pop debut, Bleach, in 1989, few would have predicted the blockbuster success awaiting them two years later. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” reoriented culture so drastically and spoke to millions of alienated youth. But it also spoke to the jocks. What did it say to them?
A teen girl’s deodorant brand inspired the song’s title (thanks to Bikini Kill singer and riot grrrl pioneer Kathleen Hanna). And the back half of the chorus is complete gibberish: A mulatto, an albino / A mosquito, my libido, yeah. But often, rock and pop music has more to do with feeling, sense, and intuition. Kurt Cobain could have sung nearly anything, and I don’t think it would have changed how people reacted to his song. The cynical title and the gibberish hook were perfectly suited to anyone reeling from hopelessness. Anti vibes were in the air, making “Smells Like Teen Spirit” the ultimate slacker anthem.
“Give It Away” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
No one, and I mean no one, has gotten more mileage out of nonsensical lyrics than Anthony Kiedis. This is Kiedis doing funk philosophy. Give it away. Altruism, selflessness. It’s a universal love language. But if you know anything about Kiedis, then you know his love language typically involves lust.
There’s a rap about drinking from his fertility, soon followed by this command: “Young love, chug-a-lug me.” But it again proves my point that the words don’t always matter. The groove is so deep, so primal, sometimes you don’t need grammar to describe pure joy. Or love. Or “it.”
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