Lounge Act
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Lounge Act" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Song by Nirvana | ||
| from the album Nevermind | ||
| Released | September 24, 1991 | |
| Recorded | May/June 1991 at Sound City, Van Nuys and Devonshire, North Hollywood | |
| Genre | Grunge | |
| Length | 2:36 | |
| Label | DGC Records / Sub Pop | |
| Producer(s) | Butch Vig | |
| Nevermind track listing | ||
| "Drain You" (8) |
"Lounge Act" (9) |
"Stay Away" (10) |
"Lounge Act" is a song by the 1990s grunge band, Nirvana. It is the ninth song on their 1991 album, Nevermind. The lyrics were written by Kurt Cobain, and the music by Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl. The title "Lounge Act" comes from the fact that the band felt that the song sounded like a lounge song that a bar band would play.
Kurt Cobain said of the song: "That song is mostly about having a certain vision and being smothered by a relationship and not being able to finish what you wanted to do artistically because the other person gets in your way."
It was later revealed in Charles Cross's book, Heavier Than Heaven that the song was about Kurt's ex-girlfriend, Tobi Vail. Krist Novoselic is quoted as saying that "Lounge Act" is about Tobi and Kurt wrote in an angry (unsent) letter to Vail that "Lounge Act" was the only song written about her and wrote that he never played it, unless Courtney Love wasn't around.
A key lyrical reference is "I'll arrest myself and wear a shield" - this is a direct reference to a K-Records logo that he had tattooed on his arm to prove his indie-rock credibility to Tobi and because he thought they were the label of The Vaselines. He was however, mistaken, as The Vaselines were merely distributed by the label.
Lounge Act also plays over the credits at the end of the Nirvana home video Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! released in 1994, re-released on DVD in 2006.
A demo version of the song plays over the credits of the DVD with the Nirvana rarities boxset With the Lights Out released in 2004.
[edit] References
- Azerrad, Michael. Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana, Doubleday, New York: 1993, ISBN 0-86369-746-1
