Kurt Cobain would have been 45 today. It’s still so hard to believe that we’re nearing twenty years since he left the world. I remember someone in a VH1 special talking about him once – saying something like, he’s just one of those rare people that we’re blessed to have been able to see. People like him don’t come along too often. And they were right.
Today Kurt continues to live on through fans all over the world who love him through his music. He was a unique soul who defined the grunge movement. He was the voice of a generation of Nirvana fans.
Lithium was released in July of 1992 from Nirvana’s second album, Nevermind. It went to #64 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and #11 in the United Kingdom.
According to an interview from that same year, Kurt said the song is about a man who, after the death of his girlfriend, turns to religion “as a last resort to keep himself alive. To keep him from suicide”. He also stated that the narrative of Lithium was fictional but that he did incorporate some of his personal experiences with past relationships. During the time he wrote it, he was living with his friend who had born-again Christian parents. Kurt stated, ”I’ve always felt that some people should have religion in their lives…That’s fine. If it’s going to save someone, it’s okay. And the person in ‘Lithium’ needed it.”
Happy Birthday, Kurt Cobain. We miss you.
