When Nirvana released songs, much more often than not it meant that frontman Kurt Cobain wrote them. Occasionally, though, his other bandmates got in the mix. There were a handful of tunes that drummer Dave Grohl helped pen and there are some that the legendary grunge band’s bassist also helped write.
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Born in Compton, California, Novoselic, whose first language was Croatian, landed in the US and became friends with Cobain. The artist, who grew up an accordion player, also played bass. Together, before becoming famous, Novoselic and Cobain played and wrote music around the Seattle area, rotating drummers until they found the right one in Grohl.
[RELATED: 5 Songs You Didn’t Know Dave Grohl Wrote for Nirvana]
That combination would become globally famous thanks to Nirvana’s second album, Nevermind. An LP on which Novoselic played and wrote. Below are three songs you likely didn’t know that Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic wrote for the iconic grunge band.
1. “Territorial Pissings”
Written by Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic
From Nirvana’s groundbreaking, grunge-breaking 1991 album, Nevermind, “Territorial Pissings” clocks in at just over two minutes. It was one of the few Nirvana songs written by the entire trio— Cobain, Grohl, and Novoselic. It was also a song the group played on SNL, where they destroyed their instruments. The song also marks one of the few Nirvana songs that include vocals from someone other than Cobain. It’s Novoselic who sings the opening lyric, which is part of the 1967 Youngbloods song, “Get Together.” Novoselic said he hoped it would remind baby boomers of their lost ideals.
Come on, people, now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another right now
2. “Dive”
Written by Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic
A rare track written by Cobain and Novoselic (and without Grohl), “Dive” was originally a B-side with the single “Silver,” released in 1990 between the band’s debut album, Bleach, and the iconic 1991 Nevermind. The song has since been released on several other compilations, including The Grunge Years and Incesticide. The song itself was originally recorded in Olympia, Washington, and featured musician Jason Everman, who also played with Soundgarden.
Pick me, pick me, yeah
Let a low, long signal
At ease at least, yeah
Everyone is hollow
Pick me, pick me yeah
Everyone is waiting
Pick me, pick me, yeah
You can even pay them
Hey, dive, dive, dive
Dive in me
Dive, dive, dive
Dive in me, dive in me
Dive in me, dive in me
3. “Big Cheese”
Written by Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic
From Nirvana’s debut album in 1989, Bleach, which was released on Sub Pop Records, “Big Cheese” is about problems with authority. Big cheese, of course, means the big boss. It was written about Sub Pop’s co-head man Jonathan Poneman. “I was expressing all the pressures that I felt from him at the time because he was being so judgemental about what we were recording,” said Cobain to writer Michael Azerrad in Come As You Are.
Big cheese, make me
Mine says, go to the office
Big cheese, make me
Mine says, one that stays
Black is black, straight back
Need more enemies
Show you all what a man is
Big lies make my
Mine says, go to the office
Big cheese, make me
Message, what is it
Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
