Ada Kamez

David Chidester

Flynn Wilson

Ashleigh Prax

Kurt Cobain

He was best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the grunge band Nirvana. Cobain formed Nirvana with Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1985 and established it as part of the Seattle music scene, having its debut album Bleach released on the independent record label Sub Pop in 1989.

He played Alternative rock and grunge.

Who is he?

All Apologies was initially released in September of 1993 on Nirvana’s third album In Utero (Dezutter, 2004). In Utero came as an attempt to come back to their punk rock roots. After the success of Nevermind Cobain and company were overwhelmed by the success and adoration, and disillusioned with the ease at which they slipped into mainstream pop. Add to that the Medias intrusive interest in Cobain’s marriage to Courtney Love and his drug abuse, left Kurt wanting to change direction and regain some of that defining edge that had shaped the early years of their sound (Graff, 2013).

History of “All Apologies” & “You Know You’re Right”

With this idea firmly planted in their minds they seeked out a studio and producer to help them mold this new album, for this they choose Steve Albini, and Pachyderm Studio in Minnesota (Graff, 2013). There in the dead of February for thirteen days they recorded the tracks that would become In Utero, and though this proved to be productive it could not escape the drama that typified the relationship that Nirvana had with the industry at large. To appease DGC records and Gold Mountain, Nirvana’s management at the time they hired Scott Litt to remix the two songs chosen as singles, Heart Shaped Box and All Apologies (Graff, 2013).

Regardless after all the hard work the album did not reach the same level of success as Nevermind, which some contribute to the sound of the album, however if that’s the case then Cobain succeeded in creating something new or different. Regardless like all of his song writing it carried great meaning to him on some level as he himself states about All Apologies to biographer Azerrad that “its meaning is peaceful, happy, comfort” (Mathews, 2013). Although he would later dedicate the song to Courtney and their daughter Francis, he initially wrote it in 1990 before he had met Courtney (Mathews, 2013).

The last and some say best of Nirvana’s works is “You know Your Right”, recorded on January 30th, 1994 right before they embarked on a scheduled three month tour of Europe (Cross, 2002). This song would however not see the light of day for another eight years. Due to legal ambiguities concerning Cobain’s estate and lack of a written will, remaining members Dave Grohl and Kirst Novodelic engaged Cobain's widow in a tumultuous battle to the rights of a number of unfinished and unreleased songs. More than anything this battle stemmed from what Courtney dubbed “failing to give her (the plaintiff) opinions due considerations prior to making material decisions regarding the L.L.C. and its business”, which aside from her pre existing relationship with Cobain it is somewhat preposterous (Holmen, 2002).

Over the years Cobain and Courtney did collaborate on a few songs, none of those were the songs which they wished to use for a complete box set including some of these unfinished works. The primary focus of the legal proceedings revolved around “You Know Your Right”, and this battle would drag all parties through the preverbal mud (Cross. 2002).

Ironically while they struggle in court over control, the burgeoning file sharing network over the internet was leaking early recordings of “You Know Your Right” all over the place, Pirate Radio was playing it with reckless abandon in the face of cease and desist orders, mere months before the actual release of Nirvana, a greatest hits album on October 29, 2002 which had the vaunted recording (Young, 2011).

The song itself is a masterpiece of Alternative rock, with a unique sound that would be duplicated again and again through the years to follow, with bands like Rage Against the Machine and Tool. This band and particularly this song encompass the emotion and heart of a generation and influenced the direction of music for most of the 90’s, it is only a shame that it took almost a Decade to release.

Recorded in 1993 http://youtu.be/aWmkuH1k7uA

In the sunIn the sun I feel as oneIn the sunIn the sunMarried, married, married!Buried!Yeah yeah yeah yeah

*All in all is all we are

All in all is all we areAll in all is all we are x4All in all is all we are

All in all is all we are

*For the MTV Unplugged tour Cobain changed the line in the last chorus to be

All alone is all we are

What else should I be?All apologiesWhat else could I say?Everyone is gay

What else could I write?I don't have the rightWhat else should I be?All apologies

In the sunIn the sun I feel as oneIn the sunIn the sunMarried! Buried!

I wish I was like youEasily amusedFind my nest of saltEverything is my faultI'll take all the blameAqua sea foam shameSunburn with freezer burnChoking on the ashes of her enemy

All Apologies

First recorded in Jan 1994. Released in 2002. http://youtu.be/qv96yJYhk3M

I'm so warm and calm insideI no longer have to hideLet’s talk about someone elseSteaming soup against her mouthNothing really bothers herShe just wants to love herself

I will move away from hereYou won't be afraid of fearNo thought was put into thisI always knew it would come to thisThings have never been so swellI have never failed to fail

Pain x5You know you're right x17Pain

I will never bother youI will never promise toI will never follow youI will never bother youNever speak a word againI will crawl away for good

I will move away from hereYou won't be afraid of fearNo thought was put in to thisI always knew it would come to thisThings have never been so swellI have never failed to fail

Pain x3You know you're right x3

You Know You’re Right