What is Nirvana's 'Verse Chorus Verse' about?

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I just came across this track on the 'No Alternative' compilation from 95 or so that I picked up at a garage sale. The song certainly has the 'Nevermind' production sound and the quiet/loud thing down pat. But what about the words, which I can barely make out.

― 57 7th (calstars), Thursday, 28 April 2005 15:47 (twenty years ago)

and if you save yourself,
you will make him happy.
he'll keep you in a jar,
and you'll think you're happy.
he'll give you breather holes,
and you'll think you're happy.
he'll cover you with grass
and you'll think you're happy.

[chorus]

Now.....
you're in a laundry room.
you're in a laundry room.
the clues they came to you....

and if you cut yourself,
you will think you're happy.
he'll keep you in a jar,
then you'll make him happy.
he'll give you breather holes,
then you'll think you're happy.
he'll cover you with grass,
then you'll think you're happy.

[chorus]x2

and if you fool yourself,
you will make him happy.
he'll keep you in a jar,
then you'll think you're happy.
he'll give you breather holes,
then you will seem happy.
you'll wallow in the shit,
then you'll think you're happy.
[chorus]

It's one my favorite Nirvana songs.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 28 April 2005 15:50 (twenty years ago)

It's probably my favorite Nirvana song, I was just listening to this yesterday.

― daria g (daria g), Thursday, 28 April 2005 16:18 (twenty years ago)

It sucks that they didn't put this on their best of compilation.

Isn't it about a girl who's dating a kind of macho stereotype guy, getting warned he won't let her be herself? That's what I always thought.

― steve hise, Thursday, 28 April 2005 16:24 (twenty years ago)

Lyrics here

The song is better known as 'Sappy'.

YouSendIt-SappyLiveMilan25-02-94

― Si Carter (Si Carter), Thursday, 28 April 2005 16:59 (twenty years ago)

I always thought it was, "You're in a locker room..."

― Eppy (Eppy), Thursday, 28 April 2005 17:05 (twenty years ago)

it seems pretty obvious (to me at least but i'm not the sharpest) that it's about being in a relationship with a domineering and overpossessive person....the "bug in a jar" metaphor seems pretty explicit.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 28 April 2005 17:20 (twenty years ago)

I always assumed it was about the nature of the music industry, but now that I read the lyrics, that doesn't make much sense.

― Vestigial Appendages, Esq. (King Kobra), Thursday, 28 April 2005 17:22 (twenty years ago)

it's about doing laundry

― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 28 April 2005 17:25 (twenty years ago)

NO IT'S ABOUT DOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

― Aaron A., Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:20 (twenty years ago)

-- M@tt He1geson (matt@game[remove]informer.com), April 28th, 2005.

yeah, that's pretty much what i've always guessed.

it's probably one of the most archetypal Nirvana songs. its so mechanical and of that famous 'quiet/loud/quiet' formula i'm not at all surprised it wasn't used as an album track. great song regardless!

― latebloomer: But when the monkey die, people gonna cry. (latebloomer), Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:39 (twenty years ago)

come on, guys. I like Saint Kurt as much as the next guy (well, maybe not QUITE as much) but this song is doo-doo of the lowest quality. Totally formulaic / obvious (which is probably why Kurt was wise enough to keep it off any 'official' anything) and the words make a great case for the 'Kurt as crap lyricist' school of thought

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:42 (twenty years ago)

"Verse Chorus Verse" has always been one of my top favorites, up there with "All Apologies," "Lithium," "Scentless Apprentice," and "Very Ape."

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:46 (twenty years ago)

Totally formulaic / obvious

let Steve albini record the drums and BAD CREDIT NO PROBLEM

― Aaron A., Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:48 (twenty years ago)

I like this song. I think "Drain You" is my fav Nirvana song, though....that and Frances Farmer

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:49 (twenty years ago)

I fail to see how this song was any more or less formulaic than the majority of Nirvana songs! If anything, this is the ultimate Nirvana song.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:49 (twenty years ago)

I thought it was Nevermind, not a Utero outtake -

― 57 7th (calstars), Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:57 (twenty years ago)

But I agree with Roger that there is a poopie element to this song.

― 57 7th (calstars), Thursday, 28 April 2005 19:59 (twenty years ago)

I think it's that a lot of my favorite Nirvana songs are the incredibly dumb ones. Quiet/loud/quiet, stupid/brilliant/stupid, what's the difference.

― daria g (daria g), Thursday, 28 April 2005 20:01 (twenty years ago)

oh yeah I suppose it was. well chalk the appeal to a formula that called for a poppy melody instead of dirge or dissonance. (Let's not forget the title of the song when attacking it on merit of its originality.)

― Aaron A., Thursday, 28 April 2005 20:03 (twenty years ago)

I don't get the laundry part.

― billstevejim, Thursday, 28 April 2005 21:12 (twenty years ago)

twelve years pass...

the actual 'verse chorus verse' (not 'sappy') is one of my favorite nirvana songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBReLMu9S0A

― flappy bird, Tuesday, 19 December 2017 07:53 (eight years ago)

same ^^

good band, they have a lot of potential

― alpine static, Tuesday, 19 December 2017 08:17 (eight years ago)

Guitar groups are on their way out.

― Sam Weller, Tuesday, 19 December 2017 09:27 (eight years ago)

Sappy one of my all-time favourite Nirvana songs

― "Taste's very strange!" (stevie), Tuesday, 19 December 2017 10:19 (eight years ago)

Sam Weller otm

― Burru Men Meet Burryman ina Wicker Man (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 19 December 2017 11:11 (eight years ago)

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