Alternative rock lyrics are often poetic, dark, and vulnerable. That’s part of what makes the genre so appealing, after all. Still, nothing tops the following four lyrics and lines from some of the best alt-rock tunes of the 20th century. Let’s take a look.
“Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead (1995)
“She looks like the real thing / She tastes like the real thing / My fake plastic love / But I can’t help the feeling / I could blow through the ceiling / If I just turn and run.”
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This alt-rock post-Britpop track comes straight from the legendary album The Bends. And when you really listen to the lyrics, it’s a pretty devastating song, as many of Radiohead’s songs are. Written during an admitted period of “a breakdown of sorts,” Thom Yorke spoke about “Fake Plastic Trees” as if it wasn’t a particularly serious song, admitting that certain parts were “funny.” With lines like the above-included lyrics, it’s difficult to look at “Fake Plastic Trees” as anything other than an exploration of living in a formally curated world, where authenticity no longer exists.
“Drain You” by Nirvana (1991)
“I don’t care what you think unless it is about me / It is now my duty to completely drain you.”
Kurt Cobain said that this song was written about puppy love, essentially. He was also quite fond of it, and “Drain You” remained in the band’s setlists until Cobain’s death. Many believe the song was written about Tobi Vail of Bikini Kill, who he was dating at the time. According to lore, when they broke up, Vail said to Cobain that “it is now my duty to completely drain you.” It’s a unique line that really captures the apathetic vibe of the time, as well as breakups in general.
“Pepper” by Butthole Surfers (1996)
“Pauly caught a bullet but it only hit his leg / Well, it should have been a better shot and got him in the head.”
This alternative rock psychedelic delight is Butthole Surfers’ only mainstream hit, and it’s a fine one to be known for. “Pepper” is a story of sorts that follows the lives and deaths (or near-deaths) of some colorful characters. And each line in as bizarre as it is brilliantly written.
“Loser” by Beck (1993)
“The forces of evil and a bozo nightmare / Ban all the music with the phony gas chamber.”
Even Beck said that this song is nothing but nonsense. But that doesn’t mean its lyrics aren’t some of the best to come out of alternative rock in the 1990s. I’m particularly fond of the above line, and it’s the one I immediately think of when I think of this song.
Photo by Paul Bergen/Redferns