nirvana_slash_archive | Entries tagged with date:post-band era

KEEP IT CLEAN
by Dave Grohl

Keep it clean
My momma said, keep it clean
Keep it clean
My momma said, keep it clean

Driving all night
Got a hankering for something
Think I'm in the mood
For some hot man muffins

Mmm, sounds so fine, yes indeed

Keep it clean
My daddy said, keep it clean
Keep it clean
My daddy said, keep it clean

Ain't looking for a fight
Ain't looking for trouble
Howdy Mr. Right
Have you met Mr. Bubble?

Hey, put 'er there, ain't she sweet

Rubbin' and a-lovin' and a-scrubbin' and a-truckin'
Maybe if we're lucky just a little bear hugging
Know what I mean?
Keep it clean!

[Spoken]
Ladies and gentlemen
God bless America
Land of the free
Home of the brave
It takes all kinds
I don't care if you're black or white or purple or green
Whether you're Pennsylvanian or Transylvanian
Lady Gaga or Lady Antebellum
It takes all kinds
Men loving women and
Women loving men and
Men loving men and
Women loving women
You know we all like to watch that
But what I'd like to say
God bless America, y'all

Rubbin' and a-lovin' and a-scrubbing and a-truckin'
Maybe if we're lucky just a little bear hugging
Know what I mean?
Keep it clean!

Archivist's note: This song was Dave's counter-protest to the Westboro Baptist Church (the "God hates fags" people), who were picketing his gig with the Foo Fighters in 2011 in Kansas City.

It was also used in a spectacularly gay promotional video for the tour, "Hot Buns" (NSFW).

"Anybody know about whiteknot.org? You know what that's about? It's I believe in love and I believe in equality and I believe in marriage equality."

-Dave, 6 Feb 2009, MusiCares benefit (he was wearing a white knot)

Archivist's note: The domain has now been parked by porn, but at the time, it was an awareness campaign emphasising that everyone should have the right to "tie the knot." Here is a snapshot of the website in 2009.

"I was politicized in high school. I had an open mind and didn’t really care for Reagan. I cut my teeth on radical punk rock – the Dead Kennedys, Maximumrockandroll, and MDC. Those were the few anti-Reagan voices at the time, especially if you were in Aberdeen [Wash.] and were 18 years old. I didn’t feel like reading dry political analyses. I needed something that spoke to me, that I could understand.

"The state of mind I was in was just anti-establishment and feeling awkward. I realized that “It’s not me, it’s those people [who have a problem].” They totally bought into mainstream culture, and I disassociated myself from it. Republicans – even Democrats – it was like “What do I care?” But I did vote when I was 18. I voted for Walter Mondale, and I’ve voted in every presidential election since.

"[...] Nirvana was always political. We talked about things and how we felt. There was Operation Desert Storm in early ’91, and it broke my heart that people bought into that. I was living in Tacoma, Wash., a real meat-and-potatoes town, and it was scary and surreal, the hypocrisy of the government and people buying it. Six months later, the mainstream culture that was duped by Desert Storm was all over us. We were repulsed. We were like “Who are these people?” It took us a long time to deal with that."

-Krist, 8 Feb 1996, Rolling Stone magazine

Archivist's note: Emphasis in bold is mine.

Rolling Stone: Neither you nor your former band mate Dave Grohl has talked publicly about Kurt Cobain since his suicide. Why?

[...]

Krist: It’s not proper to say anything. The emotional stake that Dave and I have in it is a lot more invested than the person who got to know Kurt through his music. There are things that are private and nobody should know. You can’t go through life tragedy-free. Your parents die, and one day you or your spouse is gonna die. Life is heavy, and it still hurts a lot.

-8 February 1996

"I think it's one of grunge's greatest legacy, is actually the killing off of misogyny in rock for quite a while. You know? I mean, really, it was very passe to be a misogynist in rock there for a while. And that was helped by guys like the guys in Nirvana, and the guys in Pearl Jam, and bands like us [L7], and Babes In Toyland, and Lunachicks, and then Riot Grrrl later. So, yeah, I think that's a big deal."

-Donita Sparks, 21 Jul 2015, Women of Rock Oral History Project

"The whole thing seemed sort of surreal, and it raced by in a heartbeat and it seemed like a dream. It’s not unlike these recurring dreams that I’ve had for the past 24 years, y’know.
I still dream that Nirvana is still a band, and Kurt just appears – like he’s been in hiding (laughs). We look at him and go, ‘What the fuck?! Where have you been?’

And we’ve got a gig in an hour, and I get this feeling, like, ‘Oh my gosh, I get to play these songs again.’ I have that dream at least once or twice a year and have done for the past 24 years. Getting up to play those songs is like living in that dream."

-Dave, on the 2018 Cal Jam Nirvana reunion, Kerrang Magazine 3 Jan 2020

“I have dreams all the time. I have dreams about once a month. [...] Well, they’re usually all the same, but in all of them it’s prior to his [Kurt's] death. He shows up in my dreams, and I’m like holy shit! You’re not dead, and it’s like it was some big secret or some big joke and then you can’t wait to tell everyone. Then you wake up. Within them there’s the same conversations that always happen. In those dreams, he’s never dead; he’s always alive, so I think it’s kind of cool.

I think there’s a whole lot more to the spirit than people can even comprehend. I think there’s more … it’s even too much bravado and egotistical for human beings to think that we’re the end, or that their minds are capable of understanding the universe. It’s not possible. Fuck you for telling me life can’t exist outside planet Earth. How do you know? There’s romance and mystery or the thrill of the chase, whatever. I’m not willing to make up my mind yet.”

-Dave Grohl, Flaunt Magazine, Nov 2002

"Kurt was just like, really quiet and really edgy and we got to the bar and Kurt just announced, 'I've got to go out.' And just disappeared. So there was Dave and Krist and [Luke] the publicist sitting there. After about 20 minutes Krist is like, 'This is fucking ridiculous. We're supposed to be doing an interview, he walked off, I'm going home.' Krist walked out, so now there's Dave and me and Luke.

So, Dave and I are talking about antique clocks (he's a collector) and all of a sudden Kurt just bounces in, smiling, and goes, 'I'm sorry, I had to go see my chiropractor.' It was about 40 minutes. There was a big change in his attitude. Broadway is not renowned for chiropractors. His mood had completely changed, he was so bouncy and Luke was sitting there looking completely horrified. So, Kurt asks where Krist is, and we tell him he's gone. Kurt just launches into this rant about how much he hates Krist. Every time he sees him when he's out, Krist backs away like, 'Oh god, here comes the junkie' and it's like he can't stand him and he's always walking off."

-Dave Thompson, journalist & author, recalls the growing tension in July 1993 between Kurt and Krist as a result of Kurt's addiction (Nirvana: The Day to Day Illustrated Journals by Carrie Borzillo, pg. 145, 2000)

Weight of the World
Giants in the Trees

Can you feel it?

Everybody's got their own style
Everybody walks their own mile
Everybody's got their own scene
Come on baby, yeah, let's live off of dreams

And then it comes, yeah!
It's the weight of the world
Oh, you could be drinking up, drinking up
Oh, it always comes in a disguise
Oh, say to lift you up

Here's the van [He's the man]
I load it up
Come to grind
Yeah, burn it up [off]
Don't let go
I lose control
You're the one
Who can make it when it comes, yeah!

It's the weight of the world
I could be drinking life, drinking life
It always comes in a disguise
Oh, say to lift you up

And I know that you're the key
I see you in my dreams
I love the way you are ('cause we're going far)
I see the work of art [world go by]

'Cause everybody's got their only life
Rise in our own time
That's life in the sunshine
It's always the right time

Everybody's got their own fire
Come on baby, take me higher and higher!
When it gets to you
Will you see it through
I don't know, I don't know
If your low is so flow[?]

Let it come, yeah!
It's the weight of the world
Oh I could be drinking life, drinking life[?]
Oh, it always comes in a disguise, yeah
Oh, say to lift you up

Like a flash
I hit the gas
Roll it up
I knew you'd come
I only told ya
Thought I warned ya
Yeah, you're the only one
Who can make it when it comes, yeah!

It's the weight of the world
Oh, you could be drinking life, drinking life[?]
Oh, it always comes in a disguise
Oh, say to lift you up

And I know that you're the key
I see you in my dreams
I love the way you are ('cause we're going far)
I see the work of art

Everybody's got their only life
Rise in your own time
That's life in the sunshine
So, we both can't live some season
Watch for the fireflies
Now it's a sure sign
It's always the right time

Archivist's notes: I isolated the vocal and compared with another fan's transcription. Corrections welcome, especially on the parts in brackets.

I absolutely love the double meaning in the "come to grind/burn it up" line. Weed, sex, or both? Probably both. Krist, king of puns. X)

Star Machine
Giants in the Trees

If you see it coming
When you feel divine
Did you see it coming
I hope you recognize

And I know we've been worlds apart
Can you find your way through the dark
And it's crossed my mind that
You'll never wanna see my face again

Here comes the part
Can you hear the heart
Star machine
I feel it coming down

I remember how it felt when I put you down
And I know you'll be back for me someday

And I know we've been worlds apart
Can you find your way through the dark
And it's crossed my mind that
You'll never wanna see my face again

Here comes the part
Can you hear the heart
Star machine
I feel it coming down

Yes, I've been walking down this road
Yes, I've been walking down this road
Yes, I've been walking down this road
For miles and miles and miles

Pretend
Giants in the Trees

Let's play pretend

Oh, love
Oh, love

Sitting on the porch
Contemplate my own mind
I line up my last week [there?]
And watch the world go by

And now the movies of my mind
Are playing again
Times when we faded
We were so outta sight
Come on
Let's pretend to

Fly
Into the night
Down
Darkness fills our light
Fly
Spiral down with you
Lie near
Just learn to be good to yourself

You're falling down, love
Oh, love

You know I'm changing skin again
Looking toward the moon
Seeking violence from our mother
And wings to stir us, too

And together we run
Dusted by the desert's empty sand
[Glass grates too great?]
I fill our buckets
With the love that fills our hands

And we fly
Into the night
Down
Darkness fills our light
Fall
Spiral down with you
You're near
Just learn to be good to your soul

You're falling down, love

Archivist's note: Corrections welcome, particularly for the parts in brackets.

For two other songs that use the word "faded", click here and here. Kurt and Krist seem to have had their own special meaning for the term, which appears to be used as slang for orgasm.

"They really liked the studio's monitors, because they were so huge-sounding. When Been A Son was done, Kurt and Krist asked, 'Can we dance on the tables?' They jumped on one table and I jumped on another, and as we listened to the song, we rocked."

-Steve Fisk, engineer & producer, remembers a Sept. 1989 recording session (Jan. 2005 Mojo Magazine)

The in-Between
Giants in the Trees

Dream dream dream dream
Dream dream
Am I still asleep?

Nothing is real here, is it?
The touch of a flower petal
The scent of your skin on my life
Looking for love that makes me forget
I'm blind

'Cause we're all right

So hold me close
Hold me tight

'Cause I'm stuck in the in-between
I'm nothing and everything
And the only thing that gets me through
Knowing that you see me the way I see you

Dream dream dream dream
Dream dream
Am I still asleep?

Inside the dreaming tree
You meet me there just when I'm all alone
Call your name and wait
And how will you save me save me
When I am blind?

We'll be all right

So hold me close
Hold me tight

'Cause I'm stuck in the in-between
I'm nothing and everything
And the only thing that gets me through
Knowing that you'll see me the way I see you

Are you gonna wait til I die?
To take, to take and breathe
To live for the sign
Are you gonna wait, wait til I die?
Yeah
All right

Will you come, too? [When I come to you]
Yeah, yeah, yeah!

'Cause inside the dreaming tree
You'll meet me there just when I'm all alone
Calling your name in me
And how will you save me save me
When I am blind?

We'll be all right

It's knowing that you see me
Knowing that you'll see me the way I see you

Archivist's notes: Loaded this into vocalremover.org to hear the words better, as well as comparing with another fan's transcription.

To see another song that explores the concept of "the in-between", click here.

Feel You Now
Giants in the Trees

One more time [Long, long time]
In our [Made of] time and space
Far away, [For always] not inside
Is when my thoughts and my memories
Fly

And baby I can feel you now
And baby I can feel you now
I knew we'd get through somehow
And baby I can feel you now

In the place of the in-between
Futures dance in my tense eyes [archivist: cryingforeverplz.gif]
We said we'd show the world, they'll see
Tonight

And baby I can feel you now
And baby I can feel you now
I knew we'd get through somehow
And baby I can feel you

Ahhhh!

It's all I can say now
And the connection, connection
The only direction
Now

And baby I can feel you now
And baby I can feel you now
I knew we'd get through somehow
And baby I can feel you
And baby I can feel you now

Archivist's Notes: The vocals have heavy effects and are hard to understand in the first verse, so suggested corrections are more than welcome! I loaded this into Audacity and isolated the vocals, used vocalremover.org, and compared with another fan's transcription, so I'm pretty confident about the rest of the song.

To see another song that explores the concept of "the in-between", click here.

"I was sitting on a small couch and Tad was sitting in a chair across from me and we were talking. Just then Kurt walks in and jumps on Tad's lap and hangs on him with his arms around Tad's neck. Tad says, "Merry Christmas, little boy! What would you like for Christmas this year?"
Kurt then says, "I'm not so happy with you, Santa Tad..."
Tad: "Oh, really? And why is that?"
Kurt: "Because last year I asked you for a rubber fist shaped like this" [gestures with his hand in a tight fist] "but instead you gave me a rubber fist shaped like this!" [makes a gesture with his hand with all his fingers pressed together and straight forward] We all laughed."

-Tim Soylan, member of opening band who toured with Tad, recalling a 1990 tour story (2015, I Found My Friends by Nick Soulsby)

"Scream broke up in LA, and Buzz Osborne told Dave that he should join Nirvana. So Dave called us and the first question I could think to ask was who his favorite bands were (I thought I should ask!)"...Kurt's in the background going, 'Shut up! Why are you asking that shit? Tell him to get up here!' It all sort of snowballed from there."

-Krist, 2005, Sliver: The Best of The Box booklet

"He's [Krist's] fantastic. I mean, he's highly underrated, or at least overshadowed as a musician, but he's such a huge part of Nirvana. I think Dave once said, "I've played in so many shows, you know how many Krist played in? All of 'em." And that's really true.

And I know from stories that Krist told me, you know, like, even in the early days, Krist was doing a lot of the load-ins. Krist was very protective of Kurt. It was very much a Sam and Frodo kind of a thing. Krist really fostered Kurt's ability to do what he did. And I think that you really need these two elements."

-Earnie Bailey, Nirvana's guitar tech, 13 Jun 2020, Daniel Sarkissian interview

"I remember one time during their [Nirvana's] 1992 Australian tour and we were in the tour bus. Everyone was drinking wine and Dave Grohl took out a notebook. Dave Grohl had a diary or journal of some sort, whatever it was, and during that tour he wrote in it everyday. He might have written in it afterward, too, but I wouldn't know.

Dave started writing and Krist Novoselic asked him what he was doing. Dave ignored him and Kurt Cobain became curious, too. Kurt grabbed the journal and picked a random page from it and read it out loud. This journal entry described Kurt Cobain in somewhat interesting detail.

Dave called Kurt Cobain his best friend and said getting that call from Kurt and Krist was the best day of his life. The journal entry also said Kurt Cobain saved his life because he felt very confused, or lost, while in Scream and contemplated life-threatening situations, if you know what I mean.

Kurt Cobain gave the book back to Dave Grohl, took another sip of wine, and hugged him. He told Dave Grohl that he is his best friend and asked him to never leave the band no matter what, because he couldn't do this [the band] without him. Krist shook his head in agreement. Dave Grohl said he would die before that happened and they smiled. Krist Novoselic, Kurt Cobain, and Dave Grohl had a group hug.

I laughed hysterically at them with warmth in my heart. The next day Kurt Cobain said it was just the wine talking, but I know he meant what he said. You can't fake a moment like that."

-Youri Lenquette, 1995

Archivist's note: I'm gonna fucking cry

Kim and Kurt

"Kurt was always protective of his little sister. Some eighteen years after this picture [above, left] was taken, Kim came out to Kurt, and he immediately expressed concern for her safety in Aberdeen--a town not known for tolerance towards homosexuals."

-Chris Molanphy, Kurt Cobain: Voice of a Generation (2003), pg. 18 (the author interviewed Kurt's family for this book)

Novoselic: Jazz drug [referring to heroin]. Then you’re inclined for medication. I can see how it was attractive. You know, people medicating themselves …. And then there’s this whole whirlwind.

Hughes: About that stomach ailment that he was cursed with?

Novoselic: It was weird. It was real, I mean it was real. I remember he would throw up so much he couldn’t throw up any more. I took him to doctors, specialists.

Hughes: You would think that some of those specialists could have hit on something.

Novoselic: I don’t know what it was. I don’t know what, that’s a mystery. You’d think they’d find something. I think it was just the crap food. Here’s the deal, like, we don’t have a lot of money, OK. So we go to like AM/PM, in Olympia. Right behind the lottery office there was an AM/PM there. And it was like, OK at least I got a hot dog. We’re hungry, right. He gets a fucking ice-cream cone. And I’m like, “No wonder your stomach hurts. Why are you eating ice cream?” And then he looks at me and gets all pissed off , like I’m telling him what to do. But I’m the dude who drove him to the frickin’ hospital, or hanging out with him while he’s puking his guts, and trying to help him. So it’s just like, you know, “Oh, don’t do heroin.” And I’d get the same look. You know what I mean? So where the heck am I going to go? What am I going to do? What can I say? “You eat this greasy hot dog instead of the ice cream cone.”

-14 Oct 2008, Interviewed by John Hughes for the Washington State Heritage Center

quote of the day

"God is gay and so am I."
-Kurt
Journals (hardcover ed.), pg. 123
.

page summary

rocknroll1968 - Lyrics: Keep It Clean (2011)
rocknroll1968 - Quote: Dave believes in marriage equality (2009)
rocknroll1968 - Quote: Krist on developing a politcal consciousness (1996)
rocknroll1968 - Quote: Losing Kurt was like losing a spouse (1996)
rocknroll1968 - Quote: Nirvana helped kill misogyny (2015)
rocknroll1968 - Quote: 24 years of dreams about Kurt (2020)
rocknroll1968 - Quote: Kurt lives in Dave's dreams (2002)
rocknroll1968 - Quote: You reject me? I'll reject you first! (2000)
rocknroll1968 - Lyrics: Weight of the World (2019)
rocknroll1968 - Lyrics: Star Machine (2019)
rocknroll1968 - Lyrics: Pretend (2017)
rocknroll1968 - Quote: Dancing on the tables (1989)
rocknroll1968 - Lyrics: The in-Between (2017)
rocknroll1968 - Lyrics: Feel You Now (2019)
rocknroll1968 - Quote: Santa Tad's Gift (1990)
rocknroll1968 - Quote: Krist's inquisition (2005)
rocknroll1968 - Quote: Krist & Kurt = Sam & Frodo (2020)
rocknroll1968 - Quote: Nirvana or die (1995)
rocknroll1968 - Excerpt: Kim comes out to Kurt (1994?)
rocknroll1968 - Quote: Krist on Kurt's chronic illness (2008)

January 2024

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NIRVANA SLASH ARCHIVE

homo sex rules

Entries tagged with date:post-band era

Lyrics: Keep It Clean (2011)

Quote: Dave believes in marriage equality (2009)

Quote: Krist on developing a politcal consciousness (1996)

Quote: Losing Kurt was like losing a spouse (1996)

Quote: Nirvana helped kill misogyny (2015)

Quote: 24 years of dreams about Kurt (2020)

Quote: Kurt lives in Dave's dreams (2002)

Quote: You reject me? I'll reject you first! (2000)

Lyrics: Weight of the World (2019)

Lyrics: Star Machine (2019)

Lyrics: Pretend (2017)

Quote: Dancing on the tables (1989)

Lyrics: The in-Between (2017)

Lyrics: Feel You Now (2019)

Quote: Santa Tad's Gift (1990)

Quote: Krist's inquisition (2005)

Quote: Krist & Kurt = Sam & Frodo (2020)

Quote: Nirvana or die (1995)

Excerpt: Kim comes out to Kurt (1994?)

Quote: Krist on Kurt's chronic illness (2008)

quote of the day

links

page summary

tags

January 2024