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Kurt Cobain quotes speak about his wisdom and beliefs.
Kurt Cobain quotes are truly inspirational. Considered as one of the most talented artists, Kurt Cobain became an icon of the ’90s. He was not only a great singer, but also an excellent songwriter, musician, and visual artist. However, he was most well-known as the frontman of Nirvana. Cobain is one of the most gifted musicians, that is why it’s no surprise that most people love his songs.
As the band became more successful, Cobain was struggling. He was confronted by different issues in his life. In order to ease the pain, he turned to heroin. Unfortunately, Kurt Cobain committed suicide and died on April 5, 1994. Despite his unexpected death, he still inspires people through these Kurt Cobain quotes.
A Bit About Kurt Cobain Quotes
Kurt Cobain is one of the most popular musicians who popularized the grunge. His life is full of love yet mysterious. Cobain passed away at an early age of 27 due to suicide. Even if Cobain is not with us anymore, we can still remember him through his brilliant views on love, life, death, and success.
Kurt Cobain was a rising star, yet he had a difficult time living in a world of shallowness. He could not manage his popularity, his influence, and most of all his life. He believed that he failed which made him feel frustrated about himself as well as the society.
Just like any other tormented artists, Cobain became addicted to drugs particularly heroin. As a result, most people lost their faith in him. However, there are still some people who still believe in him. They think that Kurt Cobain is a deep thinker and most of all he was a perceptive musician.
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Who was Kurt Cobain?
Kurt Donald Cobain was the lead singer of the band Nirvana. He was also an outstanding songwriter, and guitarist. Cobain is one of the most prominent musicians. Just like Cobain, his band, Nirvana, also experienced some ups and downs. But despite this, they were able to sell over 75 million copies all over the world. He was most admired for his unique talent and passion for music. Although there are still a lot of speculations about his death, he will always be remembered through his profound Kurt Cobain quotes.
What can we glean from Kurt Cobain quotes?
Despite his tragic death, Cobain still inspires us to pursue our dreams through his impelling Kurt Cobain quotes. Aside from being the frontman of Nirvana, he also constantly spoke about his wisdom and insights. Cobain spoke openly about his struggles in life both physically and mentally. He is straightforward when it comes to his opinions about politics and feminism. We can always learn a lot from Kurt Cobain quotes. This is his great legacy which will stay forever.
Remarkable Kurt Cobain Quotes
Looking for something to inspire you today? This collection of Kurt Cobain quotes can empower you to do what you want today. Cobain may have had a dark journey while he was still alive, yet he truly knew how to find the right words. These 10 Kurt Cobain quotes can surely touch anyone’s heart.
1. “I’d rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.”
Kurt Cobain quotes deals about his personal life. Kurt Cobain was highly recognized for his individuality. He possessed his own unique style not only in his music but also on the way he dressed up. Cobain was truly the perfect image for grunge. It seems that he represented isolation, impassivity, and the passion for freedom. He was an outspoken person who likes to express his own beliefs as well as his evils. That is why some people may find him weird and a bit isolated sometimes.
One of the things that we all want is to feel that we are being loved. If only we could connect deeply with others and be appreciated for who we are. You might have a lot of friends on social media, however, if none of them can give you an intimate connection, then you will feel alone.
According to some research, people wouldn’t mind if they have less physical possessions, as long as they feel that they are being loved and accepted by someone. It’s due to the fact that relationships can make you feel protected, assured, and can give you a sense of comfort. These things are considered one of the most important things in our lives.
If you really want to be loved by someone, then you need to open your heart. In order to create a close relationship, you must be the first one to engage in a meaningful conversation. It doesn’t mean that it has to be deep, it can be casual but most importantly it must be honest and authentic.
2. “Drugs are a waste of time. They destroy your memory and your self-respect and everything that goes along with your self-esteem. They’re no good at all.”
It’s no secret that Kurt Cobain was struggling with his heroin addiction. That is why it is not a surprise that Kurt Cobain quotes also includes phrases about drug addiction. In fact, only a person who has endured the real effects of drugs can talk about them with an open mind. If you really want to know more about drugs, then you must listen to the ones who have already suffered its effects.
Nirvana quickly rose to fame after hitting their first major-label record. Due to their immediate success, most of their friends are getting worried about how the band is going to cope up with it all. According to a great friend of the band members, Nils Bernstein, “Dave’s just psyched. He’s twenty-two, and he’s a womanizer, and he’s just: ‘Score!.’” Novoselic, was struggling with his drinking problem.
There were a lot of rumors spreading around that Cobain is doing heroin. According to Hits, a music-industry magazine, Cobain seemed to be “slam dancing with Mr. Brownstone.” This is actually the term being used by Guns n’ Roses when a person is doing heroin. However, this was being denied by Cobain saying, “I don’t even drink anymore because it destroys my stomach.” He further persists that, “My body wouldn’t allow me to take drugs if I wanted to, because I’m so weak all the time.”
Furthermore, he defended himself by saying, “All drugs are a waste of time. They destroy your memory and your self-respect and everything that goes along with your self-esteem. They make you feel good for a little while, and then they destroy you. They’re no good at all. But I’m not going to go around preaching against it. It’s your choice, but in my experience, I’ve found they’re a waste of time.”
3. “If you die you’re completely happy and your soul somewhere lives on. I’m not afraid of dying. Total peace after death, becoming someone else is the best hope I’ve got.”
Kurt Cobain quotes do not only talk about living but also about death. Our perception of death can likely affect our present life. Cobain, as well as other artists, believe that life is short and death can come anytime. By acknowledging this idea, it gives them the capacity to live their life to the fullest, this includes dying young just like Kurt Cobain.
The death of Nirvana’s lead singer shocked the world. Kurt Cobain took his own life at a young age. This tragic incident had shocked a lot of people. His fans were heartbroken and a bit confused. Just days before he committed suicide, his behavior was normal. This only means that it’s quite easy for someone to pretend to be happy by giving a fake smile. When in fact, they have been struggling to fight the demons inside their minds.
Many years have passed and yet Kurt Cobain’s loyal fans still miss him. Kurt had a happy childhood until he became confused when his parents divorced when he was still eight years old. In order to overcome his sadness, he turned into music. His interest in music started at the age of 14 when his uncle gifted him with a guitar. His band Nirvana became a huge success even if they only released three full-length albums. They became influential in the rock and roll music industry, particularly in the grunge category. Nirvana’s defining moment was their hit song “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
As their popularity rises, the pressure on Cobain also rises. At the same time, he was also struggling with his heroin addiction. Fatherhood gave him tranquility. However, this did not prevent him from taking his own life. He committed suicide on April 5, 1994, while he was in his home at Lake Washington.
4. “A friend is nothing but a known enemy.”
With Kurt Cobain quotes, we can learn more about life. For instance, we need to accept the hard truth that our friends will not always we there for us. As times passed by and we are already getting older, we will naturally be on our own. Some people even those who are close to you will just disappoint you since they will ultimately leave you. This can hurt a lot. That is why you must try to accept your friends for who and what they really are. In this way, the pain will be lesser when the time comes that they won’t be with you anymore.
This phrase can be found in one of Nirvana’s song, “Come As You Are.” This song emphasizes that friendships can be a great challenge. In this song, Cobain expresses his doubt on people particularly his friends. Sometimes reality can be bitter. Here, Kurt reveals that he needs a true friend. However, he feels disappointed when his imaginary friend keeps on making conflicting demands on him. He wished true friends would be easier to find.
Kurt thinks that a true friend is not actually real. They are mainly users. A person might welcome you as his friend but it is actually the opposite. In this song, Kurt is saying that he has an enemy and swore that he does not have any gun. The reality is, Cobain had guns and he was not afraid of using them. He implied that a true friend will simply be your friend rather than saying it openly.
5. “The duty of youth is to challenge corruption.”
Kurt Cobain quotes provide us a glimpse of what the youth should be doing with their lives right after graduation. When we are young, it seems like we can do almost anything. But sometimes there are things that are out of our reach. There are people who could never feel satisfied unless they have done something that can make the world a better place.
Wherever we go, there is always corruption. This is a great threat to the young generation who dreams of having a better life. Corruption is one of the greatest miseries of any society. It has become a common practice. That is why most people are getting used to it. It seems that corruption is already a part of our daily life. This is something that should be eradicated so society can experience development.
We need to encourage the youth to help us in controlling corruption. The youth comprises a greater portion of the population. At the same time, they are also more agreeable to social and political change. The young generation is more vulnerable to corruption. The youth of today plays a significant role in fighting corruption. We should encourage the youth to refuse corruption. This is a necessity since they will become the future leaders of our society.
Our country belongs to the youth. The young generation is the creator of tomorrow. Hence, whatever they do today will likely affect our tomorrow. In order to have a society that is free from corruption, we need leaders who have great minds.
6. “I like to complain and do nothing to make things better.”
Your problems cannot be solved if you don’t admit them first. Kurt Cobain is one of those people who practice self-reflection. In fact, he even felt sad that he could not make any changes to the society. He wanted to correct the things that he thought are wrong. We can do our part by doing what we can in order to implement some changes in our society.
On the other hand, there are also some people who keep on complaining about some things but did not do anything about it. However, we need to understand that there are some things in life that we cannot control. For instance, the weather, traffic, and others. Hence, complaining about those things may seem meaningless. Conversely, there are also some things that we can control. For instance, searching for a job or anything that involves our personal life. You keep on complaining about these things yet you did not do anything in order to change it.
Is it because of fear? Are you afraid that if you might change your life you might fail? Or maybe it’s because of laziness. You really want to change your life, yet you don’t have enough energy to do it. Perhaps you just don’t want to take responsibility for what will happen to your life.
Some people do not realize that they have control over those things. They believe that they are the victim because this is what they choose to believe. They don’t even recognize that they can actually do something about it. All they need to do is to take control of their life.
7. “I started being really proud of the fact that I was gay, even though I wasn’t.”
Kurt Cobain openly supported the rights of the gay. He thought that gays are simply another section of the society which is most often misunderstood. They are the ones who are frequently neglected by society just like himself. Gays are ignored by society because they are unique and bizarre. In Nirvana’s music, you can find this theme is one of their hit songs. It describes how gays are being alienated because they do not fit in our society.
When Cobain was still a teenager, he had a friend who is a homosexual. That is why he was bullied by heterosexual students who thought that Kurt was gay. In one of his interviews, he admitted that he wants to be identified as gay so that people will leave him alone. He said, “I started being really proud of the fact that I was gay even though I wasn’t”. His friend even attempted to kiss him and Cobain drew back and confessed to his friend that he was not gay. However, he still wants to be friends with him.
When he was interviewed by The Advocate in 1993, Cobain expressed that he was “gay in spirit” and thinks that he could possibly be a “bisexual.” He also admitted that he spray painted the words “God Is Gay” on pickup trucks. He was even arrested by the police when he was caught spray painting other vehicles with the phrase “ain’t got no how watchamacallit”. Cobain also wrote in one of his journals that, “I am not gay, although I wish I were, just to piss off homophobes.”
8. “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.”
One of the most important things that we can learn about Kurt Cobain quotes is acceptance. Perhaps this is something that you already know. But it does not hurt if we will remind you again that wanting to be someone else would not do you any good. Maybe you dreamed of becoming smarter, more beautiful, or wealthier. It is a fact that people can change. However, changing the essence of oneself is very hard to do and it seldom succeeds. While it may be possible that we can change some things in ourselves, but basically we are who we really are.
Perhaps you may have thought about acceptance and have tried different ways of accepting yourself. However. This particular quote from Kurt Cobain brings the concept of acceptance into a different dimension. Finding hard to accept yourself might affect you emotionally and spiritually. Most importantly, it is just a waste of time. If we focus more on what we want to be then basically we are just trying to ignore who we really are.
Each of us is unique and we have something that we can offer to the world. However, if we are so busy thinking about what we want to be then we will lose our true self. If you can’t accept yourself for who you are, then you are just wasting yourself, and most importantly you are just wasting your life.
Certainly, almost all of us have the desire of becoming someone else. Nonetheless, it is essential that we should be aware of it and realize that it can potentially harm our lives.
9. “I was tired of pretending that I was someone else just to get along with people, just for the sake of having friendships.”
Sometimes we are having a hard time making friends because these people will not accept us for who we are. According to Wayne Dyer, “What other people think of me is none of my business.” If you are a quiet person, then you must be struggling all your life. Sometimes people will tell you that you have to come out of your shell or talk more.
When people will tell you that you are too quiet, you might be wondering what these people are hoping to achieve from this. If only it’s easy to change ourselves so people will like us. But this is not the reality. The truth is, you need to transform yourself and become an extrovert so that people will like you. But how?
You might think that the solution to your problem is alcohol since you can talk more when you get drunk. The problem with this is you need to drink more often so that people will like you. Maybe you could try befriending a person who is outgoing. This can greatly help you find more friends. But the downside is you will just become their sidekick. You will go wherever they go, because you are trying to fit yourself into their world.
Maybe you could try faking it. You’d exert more effort to become friendlier. But unfortunately, in the end, they will discover that you this is not the real you. You might think that people will not accept you because you are not a naturally loud person. However, if you talk to several extrovert people, they will tell you that some people do not like them too because they are extremely loud. It seems that whatever personality you have, you’re just going to be “too much” for someone else.
10. “It’s better to burn out than fade away.”
Kurt Cobain’s dead body was discovered by a certain electrician on April 5, 1994 in his home in Lake Washington. A shotgun was found on his chest and there was a bullet wound on his head. This made people conclude that Cobain apparently killed himself. There was also a handwritten letter found nearby. The letter was addressed to “Boddah”, which is believed to be Cobain’s imaginary friend ever since he was a child. Generally, it was believed that this letter is Cobain’s suicide note.
Kurt was having a excruciating childhood due to the separation of his parents. This is the reason why he seek refuge in drugs and became rebellious. However, Cobain was also an emotional and compassionate person. In fact, he supported the rights of the gays, women, as well as misfits just like him. If you have heard Nirvana’s songs, then you will find that these songs contain his desperation and anger. Perhaps it was his heroin addiction and failure to respond to his fans during concerts that drove him to kill himself.
In the music industry, longevity is a somewhat complicated. When Kurt Cobain wrote his suicide note, he included this quote, “it’s better to burn out than to fade away.”
Does musicians prefer to have a short, successful career rather than having a long one with uncertain quality? When athletes are no longer on this best shape, they know that it is already time for them to exit even if they are at the top of their game. Just like musicians, when they cannot reach the high notes anymore or when the passion is not there anymore, then they’ll realize that it is time to walk away.
Which of these Kurt Cobain quotes is giving you a Nirvana nostalgia?
Kurt Cobain is no longer with us yet his legacy continues to live on. Is there a particular Kurt Cobain quote that hit you the most when it comes to your outlook in life, music, and love? We hope that you love our collection of the best Kurt Cobain quotes. Also, don’t forget to share them to your friends and family, especially those who love his music.
May these Kurt Cobain quotes inspire you to find freedom in your passion. Which of these Kurt Cobain quotes is your favorite? Please leave your comment below.
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Tina Gray is a freelance journalist, theatre enthusiast and aspiring author. She has a passion for telling stories through various mediums and regularly writes for various online publications. Her short stories will soon be published in her first volume. Currently, she resides in the San Fernando Valley and is studying screenwriting.
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