Understanding Nirvana’s ‘In Bloom’

Nirvana released a little album in 1991 called Nevermind. Perhaps you've heard of it? We're joking, of course. Anything into rock music has heard of that album, and when it was released, it marked a mammoth moment for music, in general, and especially for alternative music.

"With guitars returning to radio and the resurgence of pop-punk (which Nevermind helped set the stage for), Nirvana’s second album and commercial breakthrough feels every bit as relevant now as it did when it changed the direction of '90s rock," Billboard says. "Kurt's fearless individualism was ahead of its time."

All of the songs on Nevermind are special, and they're all really singles. There isn't a song on there that isn't known by grunge fans. Let's look at one song, "In Bloom," and learn more about it. "In Bloom," of course, is the second song off the album, and it was one of the more popular singles for Nirvana during their Nevermind era.

Alright, so, let's talk about "In Bloom," because if there's one track on Nevermind that perfectly captures Nirvana's wild, beautiful mess of irony and emotion, it's this one. It's the sneaky gem that wraps social commentary in a hook so irresistible you can't help but sing along, even if you're the very person the song's teasing. And honestly? That's part of what makes it so deliciously awesome.

Before we dive into “In Bloom” and why it’s such an absolute masterpiece, let’s do a quick little trip down Nirvana memory lane, shall we? Because to really feel that song, you’ve got to understand the beautiful chaos that was Nirvana itself. They weren't just another band. They were the spark that lit the whole grunge explosion, the sound of flannel, rebellion and raw emotion colliding into something the world didn't even know it needed.

Nirvana came up in the Seattle scene along with bands such as Screaming Trees, Mother Love Bone and Mudhoney. Sadly, Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone passed away before Nevermind came out, or else Mother Love Bone would have been another successful grunge band. Wood passed away on March 19, 1990, and Nevermind came out the following year. But, the band was the band that became Pearl Jam, and they reformed with singer Eddie Vedder, so the band members in Mother Love Bone went on in a big way.

Nirvana's "In Bloom" was unleashed the fourth and final single off Nevermind in November 1992, and by that point, Nirvana had become a much bigger band than they were when the album first came out more than a year prior.

"Though he would never have foreseen such a development, it's ironic that Kurt Cobain's swift rise to superstar status and the searing resentment he felt about it was anticipated by the very song that launched this new and turbulent chapter," U Discover Music notes in a feature about the song. They add that before stepping into the studio with producer Butch Vig at his Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin, in April 1990, Cobain was trying to finish the initial version of "In Bloom."

"It had sounded initially, according to bassist Krist Novoselic, “like a Bad Brains song” (presumably referring to the Washington D.C. group's hardcore leanings and not their aptitude with reggae), but Kurt must have rounded off its edges, channeling it through his innate pop sense," U Discover Music says.

Nirvana had actually wanted to release "In Bloom" as an EP for Sub Pop, but when they signed to Geffen Records, they were expected to re-record "In Bloom" in a more formal way. It's certainly not an underrated Nirvana song or deep cut and ended up being one of Nirvana's biggest hits.

So, what does the song mean? "The band's song about fans who don't understand them is one of the catchiest ever made," notes The Guardian, "which is why musicians from Ezra Furman to Sturgill Simpson love it.

"Listening to most of Nirvana's discography, and In Bloom, especially, it's clear that Cobain's lyrics are meant to express a certain kind of feeling more than any coherent meaning," American Songwriter says, adding, "and, maybe this explains why Cobain's collage-style lyrics tend to work so much better than the word salad imitations of a generation of future songwriters trying to sound like him. He nails that raw feeling—and energy whether its youthful angst or cynical-sarcastic viewpoint on societal conformity, and he shares it through that shrill Washingtonian voice through songs like In Bloom."

Songs That Saved You adds, "Cobain wrote the song 'In Bloom' to send a message to fans who might've jumped onto the Nirvana bandwagon without first understanding what the band stood for politically. In the music video, the band at first looks like some clean-cut 1960s group that’s performing on a variety show with an Ed-Sullivan-type host."

When asked about the "In Bloom" music video, Cobain talked about the spontaneous nature of how it came about. As KurtCobain.com chronicles, Cobain said that he's not opposed to doing videos, and that they can be fun to do. He added this this video was extra fun and only took the band six hours as opposed to a whole day."

"Courtney had brought some dresses with her, she was taking them to a friend's house… or, no, she had borrowed some dresses from a friend of hers… and so, I thought, 'Hey, let's put some dresses on and dance around in those' and… everything was just pretty much spontaneous. The basic idea was just to do a video that looked like it came from the early '60s or the late ’50s," he said, according to KurtCobain.com.

So, Nevermind is pure and glorious chaos. It's the kind of record that doesn't ask to be heard, it just is heard. But, "In Bloom?" That's where the real magic struts in. It's secretly brilliant, like that mysterious boy in class who pretends not to care but writes poetry in his notebook. The song just oozes cool. Those jangly guitars sparkle right before they explode into fuzz-soaked bliss, and Cobain's voice, that raspy, delicious mix of sneer and soul, turns cynicism into art.

Nevermind as a whole feels like teenage rebellion in sonic form, but "In Bloom" gives it a wink and a smirk. It's a self-aware, tongue-in-cheek number that's so dangerously addictive that you can't help but hit repeat. That's the album's secret, too. It balances rage and melody, grit and grace, with a kind of raw beauty no one's ever duplicated. Contact me with your beautiful thoughts.