Therapist Analyzes Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

[@TheRewyn]

Just discovered your channel. Happy to see someone try to figure out the meaning of songs and really delve into the lyrics. Really great.

[@strikeagainst]

This song literally came from a girl spray painting on a wall. "Kurt smells like teen spirit." The deodorant.

[@nickkleiber8636]

The song title not the lyrics lol

[@xtldc]

Her name is Kathleen Hanna - at the time singer of Bikini Kill, but more recently Le Tigre and the Julie Ruin

[@strikeagainst]

@xtldc I didn't know that. That's pretty awesome!

[@cylex45]

I heard somewhere that kurt had said he'd never worn deodurant before this song was made 😂

[@deviousraul]

​@@cylex45 that is grunge in a nutshell

[@vaughnnewman8903]

That's what I love about Grunge. It washed away all the 80's hair/glam bands and was truly honest and always expressing what it felt. It was never concerned with appearances or facades. And it always made you feel what it felt. A legendary Grunge song/video that helped blast Grunge across the globe. Love your analysis- All that goes right over my head unless it's literal symbolism-lol.

[@TylerElswick]

I like your analysis on this!!!:) I feel like you got in his head a little bit more than people that read a book or listened to a CD or something. Thank you!!:)

[@LauraWagner-c3m]

You nailed it . I completely understood it when it came out. Because the social pressures in high school, And the snobs that played head games and beat you down emotionally Created trust issues. Even someone you made friends with would make hurtful mistakes because we were young and immature.You put up emotional walls and mentally wear a mask. You do make friends but it takes a lot of time. Only after high school was I able to field normal. In my school it affected everyone. Even the ones you would say were good looking. This song came out right after I graduated, and it fit for perfect for the times

[@DaLeSy.]

That was awesome. Makes sense. As a Nirvana fan, I wish you did that with the rest of their songs.

[@letalphyro]

Great analysis of this song. This is one I've been trying to understand for quite some time, and you definitely made me realize some key points. If you ever take suggestions, I recommend you to check out the band The Warning. Most of their songs have some very good analysis material so you cannot go wrong.

[@djlm9169]

I think this is the worst analysis of this song I've ever heard. She even missed the easy parts. 😂 Sounds the same as a text book diagnose from 1991. Oh, man, haha. We really need to update our psychiatry books in America. It's not like this is a new song. It probably should have been taught somewhere in her education...and it probably was. But, hey, shitty KZbin videos still get views... and make the same money as the good ones, right?

[@letalphyro]

@@djlm9169 whatever you say, bro...

[@ThomasOtt70]

I remember the first time I heard Smells Like Teen Spirit. It came on the radio in the 90s as I was driving down Route 21 in NJ and it blew me away.

[@olivierbossel]

Love your natural without any filters behaviour in your videos! The way you dance and take music for rhythm waves moves is just great. This without talking about your smile 😎. Really hope you will continue on this path that suits you perfectly (for the nothing I know you… 😊) Take care! 🤘

[@markxv2267]

Simp

[@sarluther7415]

I 100% think you should react to Sober by Tool, such a great song.

[@smokingmangop]

Not just sober but Parabol and Parabola

[@randalldowell5477]

Should go through tool like she did slipknot.

[@Steve_With_a_D]

I'd love to see your analysis of the video: Orphan Soul by Infected Rain.

[@vuvuzelaasesina7690]

The janitor is a reference to kurt himself. After dropping out from highschool he got a job as a janitor at that same highschool

[@DaveKarr-c9x]

But it's also referencing so many other things.

[@Godwithin888]

New subscriber I like how you break down your reaction 🔥

[@MrUnbekabal]

Please watch their unplugged version of their song "dumb" so good

[@simonfrederiksen104]

Has she done Pisces by Jinjer yet?

[@Bleats_Sinodai]

"vulnerability is what creates connection" Miss, you just explained the entire point of Neon Genesis Evangelion in 5 words. Oh my goodness.

[@josedivx]

Que hoy en día solo las canciones de Metal tengan "mensajes" y en las 2 ultimas décadas no haya una canción (exceptuando al metal) llamada a ser un himno de una generación....dice mucho de la decadencia actual.

[@jarrydee2799]

He is really talking about stage fright

[@HicEtNunc8049]

Greetings 👋! Excellent analysis, could you react to the song "Paper Cuts" by Nirvana, thank you very much in advance.

[@shaggy7927]

It's funny how younger generations think they understand this song better than Gen X, and this "therapist" kept talking about teenagers because of the title. She may be right about a couple of things... I think she should rewatch the video or watch other Nirvana videos and see if she comes up with the same non-sense she was talking about...

[@TechMaxPCTech]

This was literally an Anthem for a generation of us who was sick of the 80's glam and hair bands the "Greed is good" Era of the Yuppie and being given new and improved doses of capitalism. An Era where the Rich and Famous was on every channel we were shown the filthy rich and shoved in our faces was "You are not as good as them cause you are not Rich". Kurt was that voice for this generation he just neve wanted to be it was too big for him. Not a day goes by I do not miss Kurt and Nirvana.

[@theebulll]

Yeah, whatever.

[@robburdine5429]

Do you know who the long haired hippie looking dude on the Drums is....? That Me Lady is none other than Dave Grohl. Lead for the Foo Fighters. And do you know what a Foo Fighter is? Came from WWII and UAP's seen by Stuka and Messerschmitt fighter pilots. I like what your doin' gurl. Good job.

[@Ultradocker]

heart-shaped box when?

[@surtersson8905]

Na tbf she's not wrong about the not caring thing, kids did it back then and we still do now

[@elvanallen8832]

I'm just here to say that Nirvana is a punk band, there I said it..

[@atka0076]

Do the new Fit For a King pls :)

[@sethhornaday5943]

I think u don't understand the song Hello hello hello hell the lights are out darkness hell U don't understand the song it's a sad song

[@alexandrekao586]

@heartsupport As I appreciate your reactions so much, I would also like to make a suggestion. The band is Heaven's Guardian from Brazil. The style is Symphonic Metal. The song is Artificial Times: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYbYXpynl8xqaas The song is part of the first studio album "Chronos" recorded by a metal band and a professional orchestra/choir. Hope you like them. Thx!

[@SuperninjahGaming]

heey I love your video's!! Maybe you could listen to this song : twenty one pilots: Car Radio I think it has quite alot of meaning behind it.

[@malthepetersen]

Please react to daddy by korn (the song is a little Long tho)

[@phil-nt4yz]

Good bye hair bands

[@t-bo-lesotho]

"With the lights out"... was he referring to actual darkness, inner darkness, or being unconscious?

[@johnmetzger7646]

not interested or concerned; indifferent or unresponsive is my Aquarius ♒ trait a cold fish 🐟 that ghost people like the Ghostbusters 👻

[@BoothTheGrey]

Yeah - but what MAKES kids "apathetic"? You know that kids dont come into this world being apathetic. This is what you might get from other Nirvana songs 🙂

[@zakiilhami54]

can you react to bad life by Bring Me The Horizon pls...

[@MrBracey1970]

It’s took me over 50 years to realise that caring is not a weakness,it must be even more difficult to be young these days

[@garysimonson1135]

You were 17 when this song came out? That must have been wild. I was 11 and this video changed so much for me, not just in terms of music, but in terms of how I viewed the world.

[@JeremyLevi]

@@garysimonson1135 I was 15 when this came out and yeah, it was pretty wild. For the first time the kind of music that I was used to only hearing on local college radio was actually getting airtime on major TV music programs. The mainstream was so unsure how to categorize it that at first it was only getting played on shows that normally covered Metal.

[@jamesholmon1099]

Of all the people I've watched react to this song you're the first I've seen actually break it down. Good job. You'd have a field day with the rest of their stuff

[@willasacco9898]

I fully agree. She had deepened my appreciation of this archetypal song.

[@djlm9169]

...and she got it all wrong. Funny.

[@twowiresthick]

I really like your vids. I would be very interested to see you react to Marylin Mansons older stuff. Especially The Beautiful people, Tourniquet, or the nobodies.The music videos are super artistic and interesting as well. Keep up the amazing vids :)

[@ronaldpeklar9302]

Beautiful People

[@wiwrdo]

@@ronaldpeklar9302 it’s all relative to the size of your steeple

[@dadurker4569]

I can't figure out why this channel is so small... terrific content

[@mayrahernandez5780]

The song that literally changed lives, including mine, would do anything to hear this for the first time again!

[@BrokePencil]

I remember hearing it when it first came out and I was like... I need more of this music in my life. I hadn't heard anything like it. Yeah, I'm old :(

[@twinrivers6200]

Great statement

[@MrRmshelly]

It's neat that you can come up with all this. But I can guarantee no l one in nirvana thought about even 10% of what you talked about.

[@ThisCrazyDiamond2023]

How can you guarantee that?

[@deanjohnson5232]

So you’d really like to think of Nirvana as a brainless entity with no meaningful and/or emotional lyrical input? They just luckily put together music and lyrics by simply banging a drum, strumming a guitar, plucking a base, and putting some words together that rhyme. So, you can guarantee that Nirvana had no idea, ooops 10% of an idea, to put meaning to the lyrical portion of their songs? Imagine the audacity of a licensed clinical therapist breaking down some song lyrics based on an unbiased perspective. That’s crazy man, let’s listen to the critique of someone that did 3 ludes and a bottle of JD before they jumped in the mosh pit.

[@raysegarra1024]

"Where Did You Sleep Last Night" needs to be listened to and analyzed. Just for the pure emotion Kurt into singing that song. It is raw and moving.

[@lonestar3433]

Therapist.... you're after my heart! You're cool!

[@DarbyGugliotta215]

I need you to listen to so far away my Avenged sevenfold. there is SOO much emotion to draw from that song. I CRIED listening to it and music usually doesn't leave that kind of impact on me. Does the fact that its about their dead drummer make it any more emotional?

[@harperlewis1526]

You do a great job of not interrupting the flow of the music, prepping ahead with the lyrics, and get right to the point of what you think the song means. And then applying it to life, not just a head exercise. Even if you don't nail it "exactly" I like your commitment to the position and the passion to help people make the positive changes. Really enjoyed your SOAD reactions. You're bound to find the Tool rabbit hole sooner or later, and your subs will skyrocket, as well as your views. Plus, your time commitment will also increase as well.

[@exodortch]

Yup, that’s how I ended up here!

[@wickedPrints3256]

The Anarchy cheerleading squad is my favorite! 😂 Did you know that Kurt had a job as a janitor at his high school after dropping out? He dropped out two weeks before graduation because he didn't have enough credits to graduate.

[@bigdaddydiesel5520]

Yeah the anarchy cheerleaders were awesome, I agree.

[@freedomseeds4713]

Please look into Alice In Chains. Some pretty deep stuff and of course Lane Staley and Jerry are phenomenal artists.

[@Captain.Kaelin]

If you wanna dissect some heavy content from grunge, Alice In Chains is full of great content.

[@matiasfernandez1024]

Interesting to see how you elaborate on things that probably even Kurt Cobain himself couldn't or even wanted to. This has been quoted from an article: quote ''My lyrics are total cut-up,'' Cobain maintained, referring to Beat poet William S. Burroughs' famous writing method. ''I take lines from different poems that I've written. I build on a theme if I can, but sometimes I can't even come up with an idea of what the song is about.'' endquote He had an incredible ear for melodies tho, and it's not unlikely that he just inserted lyrics here and there because they made sense in a "collage" sort of way.

[@tminus1019]

I came up in Seattle. That was an incredibly fun time.

[@garysimonson1135]

Wow, you really nailed this! And even when the apathetic teens get excited and have energy it's aggressive and destructive and - they're not celebrating who they are (like the janitor) - they're lashing out. It's almost like - this is what putting on the mask of apathy and holding it in does. It builds and builds until the dam breaks and it comes out in cathartic yet uncontrollable aggression.

[@johnnyg632]

The "it's not cool to care" comes with the teenage mindset, but do you think that was more prevalent with the Gen-X generation than other generations?

[@jayc342009]

Who raised them?

[@yaotza1632]

I've really been enjoying your content for the last little bit now and I've seen you've checked out some slipknot and the song's you have checked out and analyzed are really good and in depth but I think it would be very interesting if you analyzed their songs Everything Ends or Skin Ticket off their album IOWA

[@jamesconnolly1201]

Bloopers in the video : 2 kids moving to the music when it begins Cheerleader smiling right into the Camera Facts = Kurt was a Janitor in the same high school he quit The Cheerleaders were Strippers hired Samuel Bayer ( the director ) made a "Johnny Rotten" Video Looking exactly the same in 1992....this coming from a singer who hated Nirvana Some facts from VH1 ( POP UP VIDEO -1997 )

[@MrrMinit]

This style of music was pretty new when it appered. All the grown-ups where shocked by the noise. But on every party their music was played. It spread a feeling of not be a part of the grown-up society.

[@kendall7604]

I love your breakdowns of songs. A lot of the 90s grunge and metal hits home for me. One song that got me through a lot was Nutshell by Alice in Chains. Would love to hear your take on that song.

[@Luinthond]

one song: Tori Amos - me and a gun (live at montreux 1992) ...and i don't know what to say but it shouldn't be covered by silence

[@Undeadshadow78]

I love these videos especially the songs cause all of them you've done I love I ask one request please do the tragic truth or remember everything 🙏

[@josecarbajal5710]

Actual kurt said his lyrics didnt make sense cuz he focused on the music first....BUT WHAT THE HELL DO I KNOW!!!mia goth laugh

[@phil-nt4yz]

Pacific Northwest,. Depression, yep. Nirvana, sound garden, alice n chains, etc. Birth of starbucks and heroin office ceos

[@mockbel]

A therapist analyzing Nirvana.. I expect to hear full bullshit but damn I am surprised.. That was really good !! Keep it up

[@jgreen2015]

Okay So... 'smells like teen spirit' comes from a house party where Kurt got with a girl and she wrote 'kurt Cobain smells like teen spirit' on the mirror with lipstick. The majority of the song is just about teenage dating Verse 1 Load up on guns, bring your friends, it's fun to lose and to pretend. In his journals he talks a lot his hatred of the jocks at school who would go into the woods shooting beer cans. The hyper competitive macho attitude to impress the girls (it's fun to lose and to pretend you didn't. Typical macho nonsense. That was just a practice shot! No you put me off! Etc) She's overboard...and self assured.. oh no I know a dirty word. (sex) Hello hello hello..how low. The awkwardness of going up to a girl to say hello and how pathetic it is that you can't but just repeated imagine how you would Chorus With the lights out 'its' less dangerous (sex). Eg 'doing it' Here we are now .. entertain us (we're in bed. Time to perform and impress!) I feel stupid (first time no one ever knows what to do) And contagious (reoccurring sti complex of Kurt's stemming from a time when he was like 13 and an encounter with a girl who was generally labelled as 'retarded' by the rest of the school, after which he became really paranoid that he had caught something off her because she was 'retarded'. Again... All in his journals. When the rumour came out that he had gotten with her he denied it vehemently. Which is the 'a denial! A denial! A denial!' at the end) A mulato (old word for mixed race baby. Derogative) an albino (basically.. he feels like a freak. Again kinda common thought patterns as teens discover sexuality and are more on the sexually paranoid side) A mosquito - parasite, like feels bad for wanting sex. Also, blood sucker. Like a vampire which are very sexual. But in a gross parasitic way My libido! - I mean... Yeh... All about his awakening sexuality and confusion around that. Like cursing his libido. Oh and the old janitor is supposed to be an old Kurt. He always thought that's what he'd end up as. The whole music video is like an old washed Kurt imagining what could've been

[@landoc05]

I left my apathy aside but under it there was only more apathy. Ah well.

[@jamesmcmillan7845]

Fuk, you nailed it. There is hope for humanity!

[@Som3th1ngSom3th1ngblahblahblah]

How the apathy was contextualized in this time in the reality of deeply Christian nationalist 80s and it’s complete disconnect with the “happy” glam and retrowave aesthetic that had been co-opted to reinforce misogyny, racism, homophobia and offer only the reprieve of excess consumption as panacea is the thing I feel is missing from this otherwise excellent analysis. The inverted pep rally was an artistic reflection of how the band and many contemporaries felt about the culture of the day (this was wildly subversive art at the time.) Within just that year the same social forces would co-opt this aesthetic to be the new “cool” & apathetic “vibe”. So we went from be happy, shroud hate in bright colors, don’t care, to be angry, don’t care, wear your ugliness on your sleeve. The net effect missing the entire point of this new absurdist influenced movement. They were so ahead of everyone on this the NEXT song on this album literally predicted this behavior about the audience missing the message entirely.

[@benkline7761]

Nice analysis . This came out when I was in high school…..I figured it just meant I could wreck shit!

[@ThePrincepiggy]

I always got a bit of a Sisyphusian vibe from the janitor. Like he’s there laboring but accomplishing absolutely nothing

[@Chad-sp4hq]

People didn't put meanings to it like this back then...you are right mostly though 90s was grundge when no sense made sense was the vibe. I honestly think kids were more in large active back then so the teenage drift wasn't as impacted. I really think teens struggle more today in many ways

[@kellylindenberg937]

Cobain was a deeply troubled person who made a lot of stupid choices. In the end, fame brought him a raging heroin addiction, and when his band was no longer number one, he saw that as reason enough to shoot himself in the face with a shotgun. "Better to burn out, than to fade away." he said in his suicide note. Immediately stopped idolizing the guy as a young impressionable person myself. I grew up with Nirvana, but doing what he did in the end was beyond comprehension, and deserves no admiration. He's off my playlist, for life.

[@arieverhoeff9141]

Come on all, help to make this channel bigger. We prob all came here because of .... something. If this channel helped you, (and it helped me), please help the channel grow.

[@damonlong5712]

You have to watch From can to can't by Corey Taylor I promise you will enjoy it please watch!!!

[@kellylindenberg937]

His coping mechanism of choice was heroin, and then a face full of shotgun, when their band fell from #1 on the charts. Bad example.

[@DPRyan-vd5pp]

I’d like to see her react to Type O Negative-Christian Woman

[@VesTavia-k3s]

This song really doesn't have any deep meaning what so ever because the lyrics ate just random and there really isn't any meaning in this song.

[@AJC5135]

That's interesting you picked up on the apathy, which was all they talked about with gen x. REM, whose lead singer was friends with Cobain and was a late boomer said in the song "What's the Frequency Kenneth" "Withdrawal in disgust is the not the same as apathy". This song is about a person from one generation trying to understand the younger generation by studying all their culture.

[@GusLongLive]

hello. please react to 'given up' by Linkin Park

[@jakeellman7447]

The janitor in the video is actually a representation of Kurt because Kurt was a janitor at the same high school that he dropped out of

[@rocbiker]

Can you do a reaction to Nirvana's 'Pennyroyal Tea" unplugged

[@scrinbot]

Please analyze Tool - Sober for me..

[@Westin00017]

Please please please do Something in the Way!!!!

[@oubliette862]

you know this song is named after women's under arm deodorant...teen spirit.

[@jessej319]

You should Def react to Jeris Johnson, Boi what- Battling my Demons. Such a great song!!

[@toddolson3521]

!!!!!VOIVOD!!!!! Macrosolutions To Megaproblems

[@dontletherspeak7575]

You gotta check out "The World I Know" by Collective Soul. Very heavy song addressing depression and suicide with a powerful video to say the least.

[@ronaldpeklar9302]

I wish I heard this explanation about apathy back in 95 when I was in high school😢, but I understand now, moving forward, thank you😊

[@ariosetiawan173]

Please next Analyzes "Lithium" :O

[@DPRyan-vd5pp]

So nostalgic of my youth … 18 years old when this album came out….listening to Nirvana while cutting hay fields In Texas on Mr. Furlows farm!

[@iammine7325]

Kurt was deeper than people thought.

[@RwarXD.666]

This was my childhood song as a kid i would listen to it whenever i could. and im now glad that i know the meaning of the song from how you see it. The way you explain things makes SO much sense to my brain and i completely understand every song you explain your view of the song. Thank you for doing these videos these are SO helpful. ^w^

[@Octantls]

Same, first time I heard it on TV in the early 90s I was like 7-8 year old and all i wanted is to jump around like them, without realizing the whole apathy piece and tough teenagerhood could be.

[@loddfafnir6111]

This is so nostalgic. Playing Age of empires with Nivana on the background. What is this song al about? Can't figure any lyrics out. How do the words to it go. I wish you tell me. I don't know.

[@chrisboyer3731]

I wonder how she would react to "Roots" by Sepultura

[@vincentvillegas4592]

Everytime this song pops on I get the feeling to walk around like Diamond Dallas Page from WCW since this was his theme song. He's a great dude went from having a Hall of Fame Pro Wrestling career to helping people turn their life around with his DDP Yoga program that gotten people to get in shape and help find their way to sobriety.

[@Delamarge333]

With your grunge look! Ahah you’re beautiful, outside and inside❤ keep bringing light and thank you for the help you spread

[@agentlemansmanners4582]

î guess kurt was a bit to vulnerable rip

[@cdd33ar]

She is a vibe. When she groove's I groove watching her.

[@tomaslongoria2449]

Paul Anka covered this lol

[@supermaxbkv]

thank you so much for this!!! wish you could have explained this song to me when i was in school! please do black by pear jam at some point, I'd love to hear your take on it.

[@glennfrith2804]

Sad he went out like he did. He was so brilliant.

[@calbinkonsam]

Pliz check vermillion slipknot 🥺🥺🥺