Kurt Cobain was more than just a musician. He was the voice of a generation. And he was cool.
People like to study his lyrics for insight into what he was thinking. We’ve included a few short lyrics, but what about his actual words? Let’s take a look at some great quotes taken from interviews and conversations with Kurt Cobain.
“I’d rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not. - Kurt Cobain
“The duty of youth is to challenge corruption. - Kurt Cobain
“Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are. - Kurt Cobain
“Nobody dies a virgin… Life fucks us all. - Kurt Cobain
“Come as you are, as you were, as I want you to be. Come as a friend, as a friend, as an old enemy. - Kurt Cobain
“There’s good in all of us and I think I simply love people too much, so much that it makes me feel too fucking sad. - Kurt Cobain
“If my eyes could show my soul, everyone would cry when they saw me smile. - Kurt Cobain
“The worst crime is faking it. - Kurt Cobain
“My heart is broke, but I have some glue. - Kurt Cobain
“I like to complain and do nothing to make things better. - Kurt Cobain
“Thank you for the tragedy. I need it for my art. - Kurt Cobain
“We have no right to express an opinion until we know all of the answers. - Kurt Cobain
“They laugh at me because I’m different; I laugh at them because they’re all the same. - Kurt Cobain
“I love you. I’m not gonna crack. - Kurt Cobain
“I don’t care what you think unless it is about me. - Kurt Cobain
“Take your time, hurry up, choice is yours, don’t be late. - Kurt Cobain
“If it’s illegal to rock and roll, then throw my ass in jail! - Kurt Cobain
“We could plant a house, we could build a tree. - Kurt Cobain
“If you ever need anything please don’t hesitate to ask someone else first. - Kurt Cobain
“I`m not well-read, but when I read, I read well. - Kurt Cobain
“I am not gay, although I wish I were, just to piss off homophobes. - Kurt Cobain
“Please read my diary. Look through my things, and figure me out. - Kurt Cobain
“I’m not like them but I can pretend. - Kurt Cobain
“The sun is gone but I have a light. - Kurt Cobain
“A friend is nothing but a known enemy. - Kurt Cobain
“All in all is all we are. - Kurt Cobain
“People think of life as being so sacred and they feel like this is their only chance and they have to do something with their life and make an impact. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a pitstop for the afterlife. It’s just a little test to see how you can handle reality. - Kurt Cobain
“The day is done. I’m having fun. I think I’m dumb. Or maybe just happy. - Kurt Cobain
“Once you fall in love… It’s different. - Kurt Cobain
“It’s okay to eat fish because they don’t have feelings. - Kurt Cobain
“I’m so ugly, but that’s ok, ’cause so are you. - Kurt Cobain
“I’m too busy acting like I’m not Naive. I’ve seen it all, I was here first. - Kurt Cobain
“There’s nothing more comfortable than a cosy flower pattern. - Kurt Cobain
“If you’re really a mean person you’re going to come back as a fly and eat poop. - Kurt Cobain
“Humans are stupid. I’m ashamed to be human. - Kurt Cobain
“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. 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. - Kurt Cobain
“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. - Kurt Cobain
“Punk is musical freedom. It’s saying, doing and playing what you want. In Webster’s terms, ‘nirvana’ means freedom from pain, suffering and the external world, and that’s pretty close to my definition of Punk Rock. - Kurt Cobain
“I mean I like to be passionate and sincere but I also like to have fun and act like a dork. Geeks unite. - Kurt Cobain
“Holding my baby is the best drug in the world. - Kurt Cobain
“I started being really proud of the fact that I was gay, even though I wasn’t. - Kurt Cobain
“Birds scream at the top of their lungs in horrified hellish rage every morning at daybreak to warn us all of the truth, but sadly, we don’t speak bird. - Kurt Cobain
“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you. - Kurt Cobain
“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
“I like cats. I hate people who aren’t feminists. Pale skin is beautiful. I like pastel colored hair on girls. I drink a cup of coffee every day. I like to eat pizza. I hate socializing. I wish I could stay in my room all day. I want to quit Nirvana so I can stay inside and avoid the world. I hate most people. I wish I could be alone forever. I like to read books. I love independent movies. I hate life. The world is beautiful. I like punk rock. I like girls with weird eyes. I like drugs. I like passion. I like things that are built well. I like innocence. I like and am grateful for the blue collar worker whose existence allows artists to not have to work at menial jobs. I like killing gluttony. I like playing my cards wrong. I like various styles of music. I like making fun of musicians whom I feel plagiarize or offend music as art by exploiting their embarrassingly pathetic versions of their work. I like to write poetry. I like to ignore others’ poetry. I like nature and animals. I like to be by myself. I like to feel guilty for being a white, American male. - Kurt Cobain
Bonus Quote
From Kurt’s suicide note, which can be read in full here.
“There’s good in all of us and I think I simply love people too much, so much that it makes me feel too fucking sad.- Kurt Cobain
