Rock band Nirvana's most popular song, it is also widely considered the song that killed their lead singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain as he felt that its popularity turned him into a sellout.
Dude 1: Play some Nirvana, dude.
Dude 2: How bout Smells Like Teen Spirit
Dude 1: Fuck that it killed Kurt, play Lithium or Sliver
Dude 2: How bout Smells Like Teen Spirit
Dude 1: Fuck that it killed Kurt, play Lithium or Sliver
by Jesus Tap-dancing Christ January 12, 2009
Both MC and Chelsea are wrong. Kathleen Hanna inspired the name of Nirvana's hit song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by writing "Kurt smells like teen spirit" on one of Kurt Cobain's walls. He thought it meant "the spirit of teens" and didn't know it was a deodorant.
by Kay January 9, 2005
Smells Like Teen Spirit was written by Kurt Cobain for his band, Nirvana and is found on the album Nevermind. Kurt got the name when Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill, Le Tigre) spray painted "Kurt smells like teen spirit" on the walls of his apartment. She spray painted this because, at the time, Kurt was dating Tobi Vail (Bikini Kill, riot grrrl) and she wore Teen Spirit deoderant, so Hanna said Kurt smelt like her. A parody of the song was later made by Weird Al Yankovic called "Smells Like Nirvana".
by Shit Blah Shit December 29, 2005
smells like teen spirit is a song by the group nirvana written by the greatest person who every lived, kurt cobain
1967-1994
1967-1994
by gina April 29, 2003
Nirvana song that symbolizes grunge and, more than any other song, defines 90's music. My personal opinion is that the guitar riff is pretty good, but if you take a look at the lyrics, they are pretty random. The point of the song isn't really the lyrics, though. This is more about the guitars and practicing the style of grunge, which is more apparent in the music video. What it looks like is a stripped-down performance with excited teens in a sweaty gym.
With the lights out/ it's less dangerous/ Here we are now/
Entertain us/ I feel stupid/ and contagious/ Here we are now
Entertain us/ A mulatto/ An albino/ A mosquito/ My Libido/ Yeah
How much more random can you get? Smells Like Teen Spirit isn't really about anything. The title comes (indirectly) from deodorant. Maybe that's what the sweaty fans need when they're jumping around in the poorly ventilated gym. Hey, just a guess.
Entertain us/ I feel stupid/ and contagious/ Here we are now
Entertain us/ A mulatto/ An albino/ A mosquito/ My Libido/ Yeah
How much more random can you get? Smells Like Teen Spirit isn't really about anything. The title comes (indirectly) from deodorant. Maybe that's what the sweaty fans need when they're jumping around in the poorly ventilated gym. Hey, just a guess.
by Mikey Cee August 22, 2007
A very good but overplayed song by Nirvana that Kurt Cobain claimed was his attempt at making "the ultimate pop song." Inspired heavily by The Pixies, according to Cobain, in fact he called the song a "Pixies rip-off", though the now extremely famous riff is often compared to Boston's "More Than a Feeling". Title was inspired by a friend of his telling him he "smelled like teen spirit." Kurt had no clue that there was a deoderant of that name and took it as though he was teenage-like. Basically the song that killed hair metal music such as Van Halen, Gusn N Roses, Poison, Whitesnake etc. I personally like the song a lot though I must admit the radio stations have killed it by now. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was chosen by Rolling Stone as the 9th greatest rock song of all time. I suppose influencially, it was up there, virtually inspiring every hard rock band after them, though there are better Nirvana songs. In my opinion, what the song is isa very good part punk, part 70s style hard rock, part Pixies soft-hard effort piece of music that is a lot better than the other trash that was out at the time.
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" destroyed the trash music known as hair metal though unfortunetely ended up influencing tons of bands that sound nothing like Nirvana, such as nu metal and pop punk shitbands.
by Ethan Findal August 16, 2005
A phrase used to remark on the stupidity of teen, especially high school drama. It is used as a means to put things in perspective, often uttered by an observer of a pointless, fruitless argument that has to do with some aspect of dating.
Etymology: The term was sued in a completely different context by the early 90's grunge band, Nirvana.
Etymology: The term was sued in a completely different context by the early 90's grunge band, Nirvana.
Girl 1: "I saw you with my boy at the movies, you whore!"
Girl 2: "He don't like busted girls, bitch. That's why he's on my team now."
Observer: "Damn. Smells like teen spirit..."
Girl 2: "He don't like busted girls, bitch. That's why he's on my team now."
Observer: "Damn. Smells like teen spirit..."
by MotherEarthFracker December 10, 2006