Smells Like Nirvana is a parody of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" written and performed by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It helped to reenergize Yankovic's career, and Nirvana considered it a sign that they had "made it" as a band.
| "Smells Like Nirvana" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
Track listing
- "Smells Like Nirvana" – 3:42
- "Waffle King" – 4:26
The negotiation
Yankovic wanted to contact the band to ensure he had authorization to record a parody of their hit (technically permission is not required to record a parody under fair use laws, but as a rule, Yankovic asks the band or artist for permission anyway to maintain good relationships with the musical industry), but initially had a difficult time in reaching the members.
Finally, an opportunity opened up on the night Nirvana was scheduled to perform two songs on NBC's sketch-comedy show Saturday Night Live. Yankovic spoke with Kurt Cobain, Nirvana's lead singer and guitarist, over the phone while Cobain was in the NBC building. Cobain had just one stipulation. "It's not going to be about food, is it?" he asked, referring to such Yankovic hits as "Eat It," "I Love Rocky Road," and "My Bologna." Yankovic reassured Cobain it would not be about food, but rather about the difficulty that listeners had understanding the lyrics in the original song.
Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic later admitted that he was at first concerned that this song would humiliate the band, but once he heard it, he thought it was hilarious.
The song
The lyrics are basically a spoof on the bizarre and bleak lyrics of "Smells Like Teen Spirit," with verses like:
- What is this song all about?
- Can't figure any lyrics out
- How do the words to it go?
- I wish you'd tell me, I don't know
Other parts point to the unintelligibility of Cobain's lyrics and vocal delivery:
- It's unintelligible
- I just can't get it through my skull
- It's hard to bargle nawdle zouss???
- With all these marbles in my mouth
(These lines are actually subtitled in the music video to emphasize the joke: Three question marks are flashed after the words "bargle nawdle zouss" as they are sung.)
There is also a reference to another artist:
- Well we don't sound
- like Madonna,
- here we are now,
- we're Nirvana
And a reference to the band's hometown:
- a garage band
- from Seattle,
- well it sure beats
- raising cattle.
The music is almost the same as "Smells Like Teen Spirit," although the guitar solo is replaced by Yankovic's gargling, the entire audience humming through kazoos, and a tuba. "Smells Like Nirvana" is much shorter than "Smells Like Teen Spirit." This is due in part to Yankovic's slightly speeding up the tempo and shortening the solo. Also, the "don't know" lines from the verses immediately before each chorus are repeated fewer times than the "hello/how low" lines of "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
Music video
The music video, directed by Yankovic's manager Jay Levey, is very similar to the original video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit," even using many of the same actors. However, various elements have been parodied:
- The craze of the mosh pit.
- Yankovic and his band are all wearing long-haired wigs to imitate the hairstyles of Nirvana. Near the end, Yankovic cuts off a bit of his hair, and the drummer takes off his wig.
- Instead of "CHAKA," the drummer's bass drum has "DRUM" written in masking tape. His shirt reads "Drummer" rather than "Scream."
- The cheerleaders are different in this video. One is a drag queen; another hasn't shaved her armpits; and one other has Alfred E. Neuman's face tattoed on her arm. At one point, they do the Chicken Dance.
- The janitor is the same actor as in "Smells Like Teen Spirit." He is seen playing instruments, eating a doughnut, and dancing in a ballet outfit.
- A skinheaded teen in the audience has "THIS SPACE FOR RENT" written on the back of his head.
- Several children in the high school crowd lose body parts (arms, legs, a head).
- The yellow light illuminating Yankovic's face from below is seen to be held by a midget.
- Dick Van Patten is in the crowd. He offers a bite of his sandwich to the person next to him, but he slaps it out of his hand. He ironically is wearing a shirt with the word "EAT" written on it, possibly a reference to an earlier song by Weird Al, Eat It.
- A cow and a sheep are in the audience.
- In one scene, someone runs around on fire.
- Girl scouts come up to the teenagers, but the teenagers knock the cookies out of their hands.
- Nirvana's cheerleaders wear tops with a red circled letter A (a symbol of anarchism). Yankovic's cheerleaders have the same symbol, but with a capital "L" added to the upper right of the "A", meaning "about 2 'o' clock". The cheerleaders also have excessive armpit hair.
- Yankovic is pulling on someone's nose with a pair of channel lock pliers.
- Both videos are shot in a basketball court. In Yankovic's, there is a game going on in the background. At one point Yankovic is thrown a basketball which he throws behind him. It disappears for about 4 seconds before falling through the hoop, from 2:41 to 2:45.
- Near the end, Yankovic smashes up his guitar, but also hits someone on the head with a dinner plate and demolishes a building.
- During the guitar solos in "Smells Like Teen Spirit," there is a guitar riff and Cobain saying "Yeah" four times. In "Smells Like Nirvana," this is replaced by four different sounds. In order, they are a burp, a "boing" sound effect, a cow's moo, and a sheep's bleat.
- At the end of the song, Yankovic starts screaming. With his voice somewhat distorted from lack of breathing, he starts coughing when he's nearly done.
- During a riff, Weird Al gargles some water to the tune of the riff.
- Jim West, the band's guitarist, is visible in front of the crowd from 1:52 to 1:55 eating a banana.
- In the clip, Yankovic is seen playing the guitar left-handed, while in reality he is right-handed and cannot play the guitar
Cobain's thoughts on the video
In an interview performed by MTV in early 1994, Cobain had the following to say:
- MTV: What about Weird Al's "Smells Like Nirvana"?
- COBAIN: Oh, I laughed my butt off. I thought it was one of the funniest things I ever saw. He has some good people working for him. Those people really know how to...I mean, I'm sure he has a lot to do with it, but they really know how to reproduce things to the T. He had the exact same setup. It's the same video with him in it. It's great.
- MTV: Do you go along with the idea that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?
- COBAIN: Sure. Yeah.
The Lyrics
What is this song all about Can't figure any lyrics out How do the words to it go? I wish you'd tell me I don't know
Dunno, dunno, dunno, I don't know Dunno, dunno, dunno, I don't know
Now I'm mumblin and I'm screamin' And I don't know what I'm singin' Crank the volume, ears are bleedin' I still dont know what Im singin' We are so loud and incoherent Boy, this oughta bug your parents Yeah
It's unintel-ligible I just cant get it through my skull It's hard to bargle nawdle zouss??? With all these marbles in my mouth
Dunno, dunno, dunno, I don't know Dunno, dunno, dunno, I don't know
Well, we dont sound like Madonna Here we are now, we're Nirvana Sing distinctly? We dont wanna Buy our album, were Nirvana A garage band from Seattle Well, it sure beats raising cattle! Yeah
And I forgot the next verse Oh well, I guess it pays to rehearse The lyric sheets so hard to find What are the words? oh, nevermind