Nirvana’s “In Bloom” Lyrics Meaning

Kurt Cobain (1967-1994) was an artist in the truest sense of the word. For instance in this particular song (“In Bloom”) his primary preoccupation is expressing himself, even if said exposure alienates a segment of his fanbase.

And perhaps the best way to describe said segment is as people who perceive Nirvana as some sort of mindless rock band as opposed to a group whose songs actually have deep meanings. So in the chorus, in a roundabout way, he lets such individuals have it. And there are three attributes he gives to this person. 

One is that he likes the bands “pretty songs”, i.e. the tracks which they drop that are not controversial. Secondly “he likes to shoot his gun”.  This alludes to the idea of this individual being someone who is violent. But conclusively, “he knows not what [Nirvana’s songs] mean”. In other words, even as far as the aforementioned “pretty songs” go, their actual meanings can allude this type of fan.

Multiple types of individuals being dissed on “In Bloom”

So truth be told, there are a couple of different types of individuals being dissed in this passage. One would be fair-weather fans, i.e. the types of listeners who dig Nirvana’s style though not their true message. It has also been concluded that Cobain is taking a stab at tough guys, since he was known to truly disdain violent people. But ultimately it can be deemed that what the band is speaking to would actually be the mindlessness of the listeners themselves, i.e. some of fandom’s tendency to judge a song based on its sound as opposed to its content.

Meaning of Title (“Bloom”)

And along those same lines the actual verses of “In Bloom” are pretty-deep themselves.  In fact it is verses from which the song’s title is actually derived. And the best way to describe them, in general, would probably be as critical of the way human beings misuse nature. It also seems as if Nirvana may be pointing to the idea, in the first verse especially, of people having the tendency to carelessly reproduce, which is definitely the type of topic someone like Kurt Cobain would not be afraid to tackle. And where the titular ‘blooming’ comes into the equation is as a metaphor for nature in the first case and Spring, i.e. reproduction, in the latter.

So Nirvana actually sets out to prove their point in this song. For the verses and choruses are about two different subjects. But one common theme is that the band is criticizing people throughout. Yet as indicated in the chorus, listeners aren’t even likely to pick up on that aspect of “In Bloom”.

Summary: All in all, “In Bloom” is a mutli-faceted classic which apparently criticizes the mindlessness of humans.

Facts about “In Bloom”

“In Bloom”, which came out in November 1992, can be found on Nirvana’s sophomore album. The band gave that album the title “Nevermind”. The band’s iconic song “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is contained within this album.

There are various official music videos to this song. But what can be considered the main one, which was directed by Kevin Kerslake, went on to be named Best Alternative Video during the 1993 edition of the MTV Video Music Awards.

During some scenes of said video, Nirvana wore dresses. They did so apparently in an attempt to piss off viewers who may be prejudiced against gays.

This classic was a top-30 in the United Kingdom.

The song’s exclusive writer is Kurt Cobain. It’s exclusive producer, on the other hand, is Butch Vig. Butch gained international recognition for being the drummer of a band named Garbage.