Fanpop

Way back in 1993, when MTV played music videos, they had buzz clips. really short clips of songs and they’d put something visually funny with it. The first time I heard a snippet of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” I turned around just as the buzz clip ended. I wondered what that was so I decided to continue to watching MTV for a while waiting for it to come back on. When it came on again, the commercial involved Punch and Judy dolls and lasted maybe 10 seconds. I was intrigued. What music was this? What band was this? My music world was limited to soft rock, 80s hip hop and whatever pop music was on the radio. But this… this wasn’t 80s hair metal, this was something different. 3 days later I finally saw the video and I was hooked. Headbanging around the room until I gave myself whiplash and a mild concussion. The next day at school, I asked friends if they had heard of Nirvana. They hadn’t so I proceeded to tell them all about the song I loved and the video that went with it. After a few chats in between classes, I ran into a student who had the tape and could make me a copy. But it was going to cost 50 cents. DONE! The next day, I had the tape and I found a new love for music.

This wasn’t the normal kind of love for a song where you keep the song going on repeat. It was more than learning the lyrics so I could sing along. It was more than begging for concert tickets as a birthday present. I wanted to play this music. I wanted to play guitar. I wanted to be this music. This music is me. Now that I’d discovered the meaning of my life at the ripe old age of 13, I needed a guitar to complete my transition. Due to parents, labor laws and a minimum wage of $4.25 an hour, I was finally able to buy my first guitar when i was 15. Bubba, the music store guy, said “So! What’s the first thing you’re going to play to break her in? Jimi Hendrix? ACDC?” I said “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” His smile turned to a concerned disappointment like if you told your parents you were going to run away and join the circus. Bubba looked down at the floor and said “Why you wanna play that?” Stunned at having my music/life’s meaning questioned, I responded with “Well…..” Another music store worker chimed in and said “That song is still awesome and my band is playing that this weekend!” Bubba laughed and said a classic parental phrase “You kids have fun. We all gotta start somewhere.” Feeling relieved that I didn’t have to answer that question, I started to walk out of the store when I noticed something on the book rack. The complete book of Nirvana’s Nevermind tabbed. (Tabs= learn to play music using numbers instead of reading music as notes). I picked up the book and used every bit of my photographic memory to study how to play Smells Like Teen Spirit before anyone noticed I was not going to buy the book. Chris, the other music store worker called out “It’s F, A sharp, G sharp, C sharp… I think that’s it…. Try that!” I still had no idea how to form a chord with my fingers, but I was not going to be stopped.

So in all the artistic glory I can muster, when someone asks “Where were you when you first heard Smells Like Teen Spirit?” I jokingly respond with “I was in a state of Nirvana.”

2 years before I heard the song, Nirvana played it Seattle, WA. And even back then, on a night that important to the rest of my life, some jerk yells “Freebird!” before they start playing.