Nirvana’s “Something in the Way” Lyrics Meaning

Kurt Cobain was a wild boy. And as is sorta standard with such characters, he did endure a spell of homelessness. And it is upon that idea that “Something in the Way” is premised.

That said, even though Cobain endured some uncomfortable hardships as a result, he was only, if you will, homeless for about four months. And the lyrics of this song, based on his own explanation, are not “necessarily autobiographical”. Instead they are based on a “fantasy” of him being “a total street person”, complete with suffering from a terminal illness.

Life Under a Bridge

So in the first verse for instance, we find the vocalist living “underneath the bridge”. Previously, it was believed that Cobain, during his homeless days, may have in fact lived under a bridge in his hometown Aberdeen. It has since been proven that such a postulation is false. However, the lyrics do read as if Cobain, the writer, does have some type of intimate knowledge of surviving in the wild, if you will.

Animal Rights Promotion?

But that noted, without going into some type of super in-depth analysis of Cobain – a legendary musician who has been studied innumerable times over – what some parts of this song read like, honestly put, is as if the vocalist is promoting animal rights (for lack of a better term.) That is to say that ultimately, what he harps on the most as far as the verse is concerned is his interactions with the animal kingdom amidst his homelessness but not the homelessness itself.

Kurt was from a part of Washington State which is known to have a notable wildlife population. Also, the river that the aforementioned bridge crossed was one that he had experience fishing out of. Or put more directly in terms of this analysis, there was not only sea life inside, but also said creatures were edible.

So with all of that in mind, what the vocalist is actually saying is this. He has in fact ‘trapped’ a number of “animals”. But instead of eating them, he has rather resorted to digesting grass. And the reason he has done so is because, most simply put, he is sympathetic to such animals, rather adopting them as pets.

But as for fish, he doesn’t mind killing and eating them. The reason being is that “they don’t have any feelings”. And by making such an assertion, what he’s doing is actually harping back to a long held belief that reportedly originated about half a millennia ago. 

Fishes do have Feelings

It wasn’t until really recently and after much research that the scientific community is finally starting to propagate the idea that fish do feel some sort of pain. But in 1990, when this song was conceived, Kurt was obviously under the impression (as many of us still are) that they don’t. 

So what he’s basically saying is that he cannot rationalize eating like a mammal or a bird, as he doesn’t have the heart to make such creatures suffer. But when it comes to fish, since he believes they don’t feel pain, it’s like break out the frying pan. And yes dear reader, Kurt Cobain was not only a vegetarian but also had issues with some of his bandmates’ meat-eating practices.

Takeaway

Despite the above, most analysts of this song seem to focus more on the presentation, so to speak, than what’s actually being said. The legend of Cobain is that he was some type of misunderstood, persecuted artist, and rather focusing on the homeless element of this song, as well as the generally-negative connotation of the title, fits within that mythos. 

And even as far as the title goes, it can be argued that what the vocalist is saying is that there’s ‘something in the way’, i.e. his conscience, of him eating the animals he has trapped.

So at the end of the day, there were aspects of Cobain’s life that weren’t particularly about drugs, music or his art. And it seems, at least for a spell, that he did take vegetarianism quite seriously.

But that said, it should also be noted strongly that this song has a strong atmosphere of extreme anguish surrounding it. In as much as the lyrics literally talk about animals and not killing them for consumption, the song’s central theme might actually have very little to do with animals. This is just how brilliant Cobain’s songwriting skills were.

Throughout the song, he repeats the phrase “something in the way” some 14 times. On the surface, that could be translated as there being something in his way preventing him from eating the animals he has trapped. However, when you think of the fact that Cobain was generally a depressed person all his life, he could also be using the iconic phrase to talk about something always standing in his way from being happy in life.

When did Nirvana release “Something in the Way”?

This track dates back to “Nevermind” (1991), which was the second of three studio albums Nirvana managed to put out. And “Something in the Way” was released with the aforementioned album, via DGC (a subsidiary of Geffen Records), on 24 September 1991.

Credits for “Something in the Way”

As it seems with most Nirvana songs, this one was written exclusively by the late Kurt Cobain (1967-1994). And its producer is Butch Vig, who is recognized as one of the masterminds behind the highly-successful “Nevermind”. According to Vig, this was ‘by far the hardest song’ to lay down for the album.

More Facts about “Something in the Way”

To note, this song was never issued as a single. However, it did manage to chart in mid-2020. This was made possible by the advent of digital song sales (which were nonexistent as we know them today in 1991). 

The reason why the song suddenly went viral is because it was featured in the initial trailer for The Batman (2022), with said film marking the onset of yet another big-budget, uber-popular movie franchise based on the fictional Caped Crusader. 

Moreover “Something in the Way” features prominently within the movie itself. Actually the song inspired director Matt Reeves to fashion his portrayal of Bruce Wayne after Kurt Cobain.

As implied earlier, “Something in the Way” actually fared most impressively on Billboard’s Alternative Digital Song Sales and Rock Digital Songs Sales charts, respectively peaking at numbers 5 and 2.

There is also a live rendition of this song, as found on Nirvana’s 1994 MTV Unplugged in New York album. And other versions have always made their way onto various Nirvana projects. It should also be pointed out that the version featured on The Batman is an embellishment of the original.

This song is known to be a personal favorite of Courtney Love’s, i.e. Cobain’s widow.

This is the penultimate track on the standard playlist of “Nevermind”, if you consider the hidden song that follows (entitled “Endless, Nameless”) as part of such also.

To note, Cobain’s practice of vegetarianism seems to have commenced after this song was written (though obviously he was contemplating it beforehand).

The “Nevermind” Album

“Nevermind” came out in September of 1991.

According to the band’s lead singer Kurt Cobain, inspiration for the album came from bands like  R.E.M., Pixies, the Melvins and the Smithereens.

“Nevermind” was recorded at Sound City Studios in California and Butch Vig’s Smart Studios located in Wisconsin.   

The album was produced by the band in collaboration with Butch Vig, a renowned American songwriter, record producer and musician. The success of the album earned Butch the nickname, “the Nevermind Man”.

The album has recorded sales of over 30 million copies globally, making it one of the most successful albums ever. In 2004, it was added to the National Recording Registry in the US.

It debuted at No. 144 on the Billboard 200, eventually peaking at No. 1. It peaked atop charts in a great deal of countries, including:

• Canada
• Australia
• France
• Finland
• Ireland
• Greece
• Sweden
• Portugal
• Belgium

“Nevermind” has been certified, Diamond in the US, 6x Platinum in the UK and 7x Platinum in New Zealand. It received several other certifications around the world including:

• 3x Platinum in Argentina
• 3x Platinum in Austria
• Platinum in Belgium
• Diamond in Canada
• Gold in Finland
• Diamond in France
• 2x Platinum in Germany
• 3x Platinum in Italy

The Album’s Singles

In all 4 singles emerged from this iconic album. The singles were released in the following order:

• “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
• “Come as You Are”
• “Lithium”
• “In Bloom”

The Lawsuit

In August of 2021, a lawsuit was filed against members of the band as well as Cobain’s estate by Spencer Elden. Elden claimed his picture was used on the cover art of the album without his consent or the consent of his guardians.

He also accused the band of violating Federal statues related to child p–nog-aphy. Elden’s picture was featured on the cover of the album as a necked baby in a pool of water trying to get hold of a Dollar bill attached to a hook and thread.