#99

You Know You're Right
Nirvana
Nirvana (2002)

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You never know how much you love something until its gone. Done. Finished. Dead and bloated (as Stone Temple Pilots might say). This is how I feel about Nirvana. They may not have created Grunge Rock, they would probably say they were more of a heavy punk band anyway, but they brought it to the masses. More on that in a future posting.

But for a few years in the early 1990s the biggest and most relevant band in the world was Nirvana. And in thew spring of 1994 it all ended. When lead singer Kurt Cobain shot himself in a back room in his Seattle home. I remember being stunned. Though they would release a few more live albums. It was over. There was nothing more to hear.

Until almost 10 years after the angry voice of my generation silenced himself, they released a Best of Album simply called Nirvana. It is a really great mix of pre-mega stardom, and peak. On the album was one new song. You Know You're Right. When I first heard it on the radio I was blown away. I practically wore out my copy of the cd.

Even though it was written and recorded in the 90s it was fresh, innovative and relevant nearly a decade later. That made me happy.

The lyrics much like many of Nirvana's lyrics bring two opposite emotions together. On one hand Kurt is singing about giving up and being ok with it. Then in his guttural yells he exclaims that "things have never been so swell!" The chorus reeks of being fed up, with being a rock star, being a big business and everything else Kurt was going through. I know when I'm frustrated and don't want to argue a point anymore I'll just concede that the other person is right just to end it.

Musically it was way ahead of its time. It probably wouldn't have been a hit when it was originally recorded. But compared to everything else that was flooding the market when this gem was finally released, it was probably one of the best songs released that year.

I'm sure you don't remember this Olivia when we played it on the stereo you were dancing around. You have good taste.