Smells Like Teen Spirit and Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux: Difference between pages

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[[Image:Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux's marble sculpture 'Ugolino and his Sons', Metropolitan Museum of Art.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux's marble sculpture 'Ugolino and his Sons', Metropolitan Museum of Art]]
{{Infobox Single | Name = Smells Like Teen Spirit
[[Image:Jean-Baptiste_Carpeaux_La_Danse.jpg|thumb|right|400px|La Danse (The Dance), Opera Garnier in Paris]]
| Cover = Smells Like Teen Spirit.jpg
{{Commonscat}}
| Artist = [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]
| from Album = [[Nevermind]]
| B-side = "[[Drain You]]"/"[[Even in His Youth]]"/"[[Aneurysm (song)|Aneurysm]]"
| Released = [[September 10]] [[1991]]
| Format = [[Compact disc|CD]], [[Compact Cassette|cassette]], [[vinyl record|7"]], [[12-inch single|12"]]
| Recorded = May 1991 at Sound City, [[Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California|Van Nuys, California]]
| Genre = [[Grunge music|Grunge]]
| Length =
<ul><li> 5:01 <small>(album version)</small>
<li> 4:30 <small>(single version)</small></ul>
| Label = [[Geffen Records|DGC]]
| Writer = [[Kurt Cobain]], [[Dave Grohl]], [[Krist Novoselic]]
| Producer = [[Butch Vig]]
| Certification = Platinum <small>([[RIAA]])</small>
| Chart position = * 1 <small>([[France]])</small>
* 2 <small>([[Norway]])</small>
* 3 <small>([[Sweden]])</small>
* 5 <small>([[Australia]])</small>
* 6 <small>([[Switzerland]])</small>
* 6 <small>([[United States|U.S.]] [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]])</small>
** 1 <small>([[Modern Rock Tracks]])</small>
** 7 <small>([[Mainstream Rock Tracks]])</small>
* 7 <small>([[United Kingdom|UK]])</small>
* 8 <small>([[Austria]])</small>
| Last single = "[[Here She Comes Now/Venus in Furs]]"<br />(1991)
| This single = "Smells Like Teen Spirit" <br /> (1991)
| Next single = "[[Come as You Are]]"<br />(1992)
| Misc = {{Extra tracklisting
| Album = [[Nevermind]]
| Type = studio
| this_track = "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
| track_no = 1
| next_track = "[[In Bloom]]"
| next_no = 2
}}}}


'''Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux''' ([[May 11]], [[1827]], [[Valenciennes]] –[[October 12]], [[1875]], [[Courbevoie]]) was a French sculptor and painter. His early studies were under [[François Rude]]. Carpeaux won the [[Prix de Rome]] in [[1854]], and moving to [[Rome]] to find inspiration, he there studied the works of [[Michelangelo Buonarroti|Michelangelo]], [[Donatello]] and [[Andrea del Verrocchio|Verrocchio]]. Staying in Rome from [[1854]] to [[1861]], he obtained a taste for movement and spontaneity, which he joined with the great principles of [[baroque art]]. In [[1861]] he made a bust of [[Mathilde Bonaparte|Princess Mathilde]], and this later brought him several commissions from [[Napoleon III]]. He worked at the pavilion of [[Flora (goddess)|Flora]], and the [[Opéra Garnier]]. His group La Danse (the Dance, [[1869]]), situated on the right side of the façade, was criticised as an offence to common decency.
"'''Smells Like Teen Spirit'''" is a song by the [[United States|American]] [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], and the [[opening track]] and lead [[Single (music)|single]] from the band's 1991 breakthrough album ''[[Nevermind]]''. Written by [[Kurt Cobain]], [[Krist Novoselic]], and [[Dave Grohl]] and produced by [[Butch Vig]], the song uses a [[verse-chorus form]] where the main four-chord [[riff]] is used during the intro and chorus to create an alternating loud and quiet dynamic.


He never managed to finish his last work, the famous Fountain of the Four Parts of the Earth, on the Place Camille Jullian. He did finish the terrestrial globe, supported by the four figures of [[Asia]], [[Europe]], [[North America|America]] and [[Africa]], and it was [[Emmanuel Frémiet]] who completed the work by adding the eight leaping horses, the tortoises and the dolphins of the basin.
The unexpected success of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" propelled ''Nevermind'' to the top of the charts at the start of 1992, often marked as the point where [[alternative rock]] entered the mainstream.<ref>{{cite web | author=Erlewine, Stephen Thomas; Prato, Greg | year=| title=Nirvana - Biography | publisher=Allmusic.com| url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:hifexqr5ld6e~T1 | accessdate=April 15 | accessyear=2007}}</ref> "Teen Spirit" was Nirvana's first and biggest hit, reaching number six on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]] and placing high on music industry charts all around the world in 1991 and 1992. The song also received many critical plaudits, including topping the ''[[Village Voice]]'' [[Pazz & Jop]] critics' poll and winning two [[MTV Video Music Awards]] for its [[music video]], which was in heavy rotation on [[music television]]. The song was dubbed an "anthem for apathetic kids" of [[Generation X]],<ref>{{cite news | date=[[January 6]] [[1992]]| title=Winners of 1991 |publisher=''Time''| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,974625,00.html | accessdate=April 15 | accessyear=2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | author=Sold On Song Top 100 | title="Smells Like Teen Spirit" | publisher=BBC.co.uk| url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/smellsliketeenspirit.shtml| accessdate=October 29 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> but the band grew uncomfortable with the success and attention they received. In the years since Nirvana's breakup, listeners and critics have continued to praise "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as one of the greatest rock songs of all time.


== Sculptures by Carpeaux ==
==Origins and recording==
In a January 1994 ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' interview, Nirvana [[frontman]] Kurt Cobain revealed that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was an attempt to write a song in the style of the [[Pixies]], a band he greatly admired. He explained:<ref name=pixies>Fricke, David. "Kurt Cobain: The Rolling Stone Interview." ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. [[January 27]] [[1994]]</ref>


* Ugolin et ses fils - [[Ugolino della Gherardesca|Ugolino]] and his Sons (1861, in the permanent collection of the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]])[[http://www.insecula.com/oeuvre/photo_ME0000009025.html]] with versions in other museums including the [[Musée d'Orsay]]
{{cquote|I was trying to write the ultimate pop song. I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies. I have to admit it. When I heard the Pixies for the first time, I connected with that band so heavily that I should have been in that band &mdash; or at least a Pixies cover band. We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard.}}
* The Dance (commissioned for the [[Palais Garnier|Opera Garnier]])
* Jeune pêcheur à la coquille - [[Naples|Neapolitan]] Fisherboy - in the [[Louvre]], [[Paris]] [[http://www.insecula.com/oeuvre/photo_ME0000034255.html]]
* Girl with Shell
* [[Antoine Watteau]] monument, [[Valenciennes]]


==Neapolitan Fisherboy==
Cobain did not begin to write "Smells Like Teen Spirit" until a few weeks before recording started on Nirvana's second album, ''Nevermind'', in 1991.<ref>Azerrad, pg. 175</ref> When he first presented the song to his bandmates, it comprised just the main riff and the chorus vocal melody,<ref name="az176">Azerrad, pg. 176</ref><ref name=rsslts>"Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit." ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. [[December 7]], [[2000]].</ref> which [[bassist]] Krist Novoselic dismissed at the time as "ridiculous." In response, Cobain made the band play the riff for "an hour and a half."<ref name=pixies /> In a 2001 interview, Novoselic recalled that after playing the riff repeatedly, he thought, "'Wait a minute. Why don't we just kind of slow this down a bit?' So I started playing the verse part. And Dave [started] playing a drum beat."<ref name=requiem>Cross, Charles. "Requiem for a Dream." ''[[Guitar World]]''. October 2001.</ref> As a result, all three band members are credited as songwriters.


Carpeaux submitted a plaster version of ''Pêcheur napolitain à la coquille'', the Neapolitan Fisherboy, to the [[French Academy]] while a student in [[Rome]]. He carved the marble version several years later, showing it in the Salon exhibition of 1863. It was purchased for [[Napoleon III]]'s empress, [[Eugénie de Montijo|Eugènie]]. The statue of the young smiling boy was very popular, and Carpeaux created a number of reproductions and variations in marble and bronze. There is a copy, for instance, in the Samuel H. Kress Collection in the [[National Gallery of Art]] in [[Washington D.C.]]
Cobain came up with the song's title when his friend [[Kathleen Hanna]], at the time the lead singer of the [[riot grrrl]] punk band [[Bikini Kill]], spray painted "Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit" on his wall. Since they had been discussing [[anarchism]], [[punk rock]], and similar topics, Cobain interpreted the slogan as having a revolutionary meaning. What Hanna actually meant, however, was that Cobain smelled like the deodorant [[Teen Spirit (deodorant)|Teen Spirit]], which his then-girlfriend [[Tobi Vail]] wore. Cobain later claimed that he was unaware that it was a brand of deodorant until months after the single was released.<ref name="Azerrad21112">Azerrad, pg. 211-12</ref>


Some years later, he carved the Girl with a Shell, a very similar study.
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" was, along with "[[Come as You Are]]," one of a few new songs that had been written since Nirvana's first recording sessions with producer Butch Vig in 1990. Prior to the start of the ''Nevermind'' recording sessions, the band sent Vig a rough cassette demo of song rehersals that included "Teen Spirit." While the sound of the tape was wildly distorted due to the band playing at a loud volume, Vig could pick out some of the melody and felt the song had promise.<ref>Azerrad, pg. 167</ref> Nirvana recorded "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at Sound City recording studio in [[Van Nuys]], [[California]] with Vig in May of 1991.<ref>Cross, Charles. "The Stories Behind the Songs." ''Rolling Stone''. [[November 14]], [[2002]]</ref> Vig suggested some arrangement changes to the song, including moving a guitar ad lib into the chorus, and trimming down the chorus length.<ref>di Perna, Alan. "The Making of ''Nevermind''." ''Guitar World''. Fall 1996.</ref> The band recorded the basic track for the song in three takes, and decided to keep the second one.<ref name=rsslts />


Carpeaux sought real life subjects in the streets and broke with the classical tradition. The Neapolitan Fisherboy's body is carved in intimate detail and shows an intricately balanced pose. Carpeaux claimed that he based the Neapolitan Fisherboy on a boy he had seen during a trip to [[Naples]].
==Composition==
{{Sound sample box align right|Music sample:}}
{{Listen|filename=NirvanaSmellsLikeTeenSpirit.ogg|title="Smells Like Teen Spirit"|description=Sample of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from Nirvana's 1991 album ''[[Nevermind]]''. The sample illustrates the change in dynamics from verse to pre-chorus and chorus. The band maintains the Fm-Bbm-Abm-Dbm chord progression throughout, relying on the changes in dynamics and the reintroduction of the main guitar riff at the end to indicate the shifts between sections. |format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{sample box end}}
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is written in the [[Key (music)|key]] of [[F minor]], with the main guitar riff constructed from four [[power chords]] (F5-Bb5-Ab5-Db5) played in a [[syncopation|syncopated]] [[sixteenth note]] strum by Cobain.<ref name="music">Chappell, Jon. "Nirvana's Music." ''Guitar''. June 1993.</ref> The guitar chords were double-tracked because the band "wanted to make it sound more powerful," according to Vig.<ref name=classicalbums>''Classic Albums&mdash;Nirvana: Nevermind'' [DVD]. Isis Productions, 2004.</ref> The chords occasionally lapse into [[Added tone chord|suspended chord]] voicings as a result of Cobain playing the bottom four strings of the guitar for the thickness of sound.<ref name="music" /> Due to being neither major nor minor, the occasional use of suspended chords also allows the [[chord progression]] used in the riff to be thought of as a I-IV-bIII-bVI major chord progression. The song's chord progression has been described as "an ambiguous, harmonically dislocated sequence," and "it is the asymmetrical nature of Cobain's riff [. . .] that makes it so great."<ref>Rooksby, Rikky. ''How to Write Songs on Guitar''. San Francisco: Backbeat, 2000. ISBN 0-87930-611-4, pg. 55.</ref> Listeners made many comments that the song bears a passing resemblance to [[Boston (band)|Boston]]'s 1976 hit "[[More Than a Feeling]]."<ref name="az176"/> Cobain himself held similar opinions, saying that it "was such a clichéd riff. It was so close to a Boston riff or <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[The Kingsmen]]'s] '[[Louie Louie]].'"<ref name=pixies />

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" utilizes a "somewhat conventional formal structure" consisting of four-, eight-, and twelve-bar sections that includes an eight-bar verse, an eight-bar first chorus (pre-chorus), and a twelve-bar second chorus (main chorus).<ref name="Starr"/> Elements of the song's structure are marked off with shifts in volume and dynamics, going back and forth from quiet to loud a number of times during the length of the recording. This structure of "quiet verses with wobbly, [[Chorus effect|chorused]] guitar, followed by big, loud [[Hardcore punk|hardcore]]-inspired choruses" became a much-emulated template in alternative rock because of "Teen Spirit."<ref>di Perna, Alan. "Brave Noise&mdash;The History of Alternative Rock Guitar." ''Guitar World'', December 1995.</ref>

The song begins with Cobain strumming the main riff, adding [[Guitar effects#Distortion|distortion]] when the rest of the band joins in. During the verse Cobain plays a sparse two-note guitar line over Novoselic's [[eighth note]] bassline, which outlines the chord progression. In the pre-chorus, Cobain begins to play the same two notes on every beat of the measure and repeats the phrase "Hello, hello, hello, how low?" Cobain then resumes the main guitar riff for the chorus, where the band plays loudly and Cobain screams the lyrics. The first and second choruses both end with a brief four-bar interlude where Cobain shouts "Yeah!" twice over a new riff. After the second chorus, Cobain plays a 16-bar guitar solo that almost completely restates his vocal melody from the verse and pre-chorus.<ref name="Starr">Starr; Waterman, pg. 434-5</ref> The band extends the third and final verse and chorus as Cobain sings the refrain "A denial" repeatedly. At this point Cobain's vocals become strained and his voice is almost shot from the force of yelling.<ref name=classicalbums /> The song ends with the feedback of the guitar.

==Release, success, and acclaim==
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" was released on [[September 10]], [[1991]] as the lead single from ''Nevermind'', the band's major label debut on [[Geffen Records]] (DGC). The song was not expected to be a hit, for it was merely intended to be the base-building alternative rock cut. It was anticipated that the follow-up single "Come as You Are" would be the song that could cross over to mainstream formats. However, [[campus radio]] and [[modern rock]] radio stations picked up on the track, and placed it on heavy rotation. Danny Goldberg of Nirvana's management firm Gold Mountain later admitted that "none of us heard it as a crossover song, but the public heard it and it was instantaneous [. . .] They heard it on alternative radio, and then they rushed out like lemmings to buy it."<ref>Azerrad, pg. 227</ref> The video received its world premiere on [[MTV]]'s late-night alternative rock program ''[[120 Minutes]]'', and proved so popular that the channel began to air it during its regular daytime rotation.<ref name="Azerrad199">Azerrad, pg. 199</ref> As a result, ''Nevermind'' began to sell thousands of copies a week, culminating in the album knocking [[Michael Jackson]]'s ''[[Dangerous (album)|Dangerous]]'' album from the top spot on the ''Billboard'' charts in January of 1992.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" was a critical and commercial success. The song topped the 1991 ''[[Village Voice]]'' "[[Pazz & Jop]]" and ''[[Melody Maker]]'' year-end polls, and reached number two on ''Rolling Stone's'' list of best singles of the year. The single peaked at number six on the ''Billboard'' singles chart the same week that ''Nevermind'' reached number one on the album charts.<ref>"Nirvana Achieves Chart Perfection!" ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]''. [[January 25]], [[1992]].</ref> "Teen Spirit" hit number one on the [[Modern Rock Tracks]] chart, and has since been [[RIAA single certification|certified platinum]] (one million copies shipped) by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]].<ref>{{cite web | author=Basham, David | date = [[December 20]] [[2001]]| title=Got Charts? No Doubt's Christmas Gift; Nirvana Ain't No Beatles | publisher=MTV.com | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451583/20011220/story.jhtml#/news/articles/1451583/20011220/story.jhtml | accessdate=October 19 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> However, many American [[Top 40]] stations were reluctant to play the song in regular rotation due to its sound, and restricted it to night-time play.<ref>Ross, Sean. "Nirvana Receiving Less-Than-Spirited Airplay." ''Billboard''. [[February 1]], [[1992]].</ref> The single was also successful in other countries. In the United Kingdom, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" reached number seven and charted for 184 weeks.<ref name="qpg54">''Nirvana and The Story of Grunge''. ''Q''. pg. 54. December 2005.</ref> The song was nominated for two Grammy awards &mdash;[[Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance|Best Hard Rock Vocal Performance]] and [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Song|Best Rock Song]]&mdash; though it lost to the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]]' "[[Give it Away]]" and "[[Layla]]" by [[Eric Clapton]], respectively. Clapton's win over Nirvana would later be named one of the 10 biggest upsets in Grammy history by ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''.<ref>{{cite web | year=2007| title="Grammy's 10 Biggest Upsets" | publisher=EW.com | url= http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,1567466_20010834_20010795_1,00.html | accessdate=February 13 | accessyear=2007}}</ref>

In the wake of Nirvana's success, [[Michael Azerrad]] wrote in a 1992 ''Rolling Stone'' article, "'Smells Like Teen Spirit' is an anthem for (or is it against?) the 'Why Ask Why?' generation. Just don't call Cobain a spokesman for a generation."<ref>Azerrad, Michael. "Inside the Heart and Mind of Nirvana." ''Rolling Stone''. [[April 16]], [[1992]].</ref> Nevertheless, the music press awarded the song an "anthem-of-a-generation" status, placing Cobain as a reluctant spokesman for Generation X.<ref>Garofalo, Reebee. ''Rockin' Out: Popular Music in the USA''. Allyn & Bacon, 1997. ISBN 0-205-13703-2, pg. 447</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' observed that "'Smells Like Teen Spirit’ could be this generation’s version of the [[Sex Pistols]]’ 1976 single, ‘[[Anarchy in the U.K.]]’, if it weren’t for the bitter irony that pervades its title," and added, "As Nirvana knows only too well, teen spirit is routinely bottled, shrink-wrapped and sold."<ref>{{cite news | author=Reynolds, Simon. | date = [[November 24]] [[1991]]| title=Boredom + Claustrophobia + Sex = Punk Nirvana | publisher=NYTimes.com | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE7DB103AF937A15752C1A967958260 | accessdate= 2007-04-08}}</ref> The band grew uncomfortable with the song's success, and in later concerts often pointedly excluded it from the setlist.<ref name="Crisafulli38">Crisafulli, pg. 38</ref> Prior to the release of the band's 1993 follow-up album ''[[In Utero]]'', Novoselic remarked, "If it wasn't for 'Teen Spirit' I don't know how ''Nevermind'' would have done," and observed, "There are no 'Teen Spirits' on ''In Utero''."<ref>DeRogatis, Jim. ''Milk It!: Collected Musings on the Alternative Music Explosion of the 90's''. Cambridge: Da Capo, 2003. ISBN 0-306-81271-1, pg.14</ref> Cobain said in 1994, "I still like playing 'Teen Spirit,' but it’s almost an embarrassment to play it [. . .] Everyone has focused on that song so much."<ref name=pixies />

In the years following Cobain's 1994 death, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" has continued to garner critical acclaim. In 2000, MTV and ''Rolling Stone'' ranked the song third on their joint list of the 100 best pop songs, trailing only [[The Beatles]]' "[[Yesterday (song)|Yesterday]]" and [[The Rolling Stones]]' "[[(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction]]."<ref>{{cite web | author=Angulo, Sandra P. | date = [[November 17]] [[2000]] | title=News Summary: Lord Jim | publisher=EW.com | url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,88627,00.html | accessdate=April 09 | accessyear=2007}}</ref> The Recording Industry Association of America's 2001 "Songs of the Century" project placed "Teen Spirit" at number 80, above [[Miles Davis]]' ''[[Kind of Blue]]'' and The Beatles' ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' albums.<ref>{{cite web | author=Allen, Jamie | date = [[March 7]] [[2001]]| title=New song list puts 'Rainbow' way up high | publisher=CNN.com | url= http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/07/365.songs/index.html | accessdate=April 07 | accessyear=2007}}</ref> In 2002, ''[[NME]]'' awarded the song the number two spot on its list of "100 Greatest Singles of All Time,"<ref>{{cite web | author= | date= [[April 24]] [[2002]]| title=''NME's'' 100 Greatest Singles of All Time Unveiled | publisher=''NME'' | url= http://web.archive.org/web/20060427035859/http://www.nme.com/news/103493.htm | accessdate=2007-05-19 }}</ref> while in 2003 [[VH1]] placed "Smells Like Teen Spirit" number one on its list of "100 Greatest Songs of the Past 25 Years."<ref>{{cite web | date = [[June 10]] [[2003]]| title="VH1's 100 Greatest Songs" | publisher=CBSNews.com | url= http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/10/entertainment/main557973.shtml | accessdate=October 19 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> The song came third in a ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' poll that same year.<ref>{{cite web | date = [[18 November]] [[2003]]| title=U2's One named 'greatest record' | publisher=BBC.co.uk | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3281327.stm | accessdate=October 22 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' ranked "Smells Like Teen Spirit" ninth in its 2004 list of ''[[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]'', and described its impact as "A shock wave of big-amp purity, [it] wiped the lingering jive of the Eighties off the pop map overnight."<ref>{{cite web | date = [[December 9]] [[2004]] | title="Smells Like Teen Spirit" | publisher=RollingStone | url= http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6595854/smells_like_teen_spirit | accessdate=October 19 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> In the 2006 [[VH1 UK]] poll ''The Nation's Favourite Lyric'', the line "I feel stupid and contagious/here we are now, entertain us" was ranked as the third-favorite song lyric among over 13,000 voters.<ref>{{cite web | date = [[April 17]] [[2006]] | title="U2 cop nation's favourite lyric" | publisher=ITV.com | url= http://www.itv.com/news/entertainment_1646059.html | accessdate=October 22 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> In contrast, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine proposed in its entry for ''Nevermind'' on "The All-TIME 100 Albums" from 2006 that "'Smells Like Teen Spirit' [. . .] may be the album's worst song."<ref>{{cite web | author=Tyrangiel, Josh | date = [[November 13]] [[2006]] | title="''Nevermind'' by Nirvana" | publisher=''Time'' | url= http://www.time.com/time/2006/100albums/0,27693,Nevermind,00.html | accessdate=April 06 | accessyear=2007}}</ref>

==Lyrics and interpretation==
<!--- Please don't add the lyrics to this section, due to copyright. Our posting them would be a violation. --->

The lyrics to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" were often difficult for listeners to decipher, both due to their nonsensicality and because of Cobain's slurred, guttural singing voice. This problem was compounded by the fact that the ''Nevermind'' album liner notes did not include any lyrics for the songs aside from selected lyrical fragments. This incomprehensibility contributed to the early resistance from radio stations towards adding the song to their playlists; one Geffen promoter recalled that people from rock radio told her, "We can't play this. I can't understand what the guy is saying."<ref>Cross, pg. 204-05</ref> MTV went as far as to prepare a version of the video that included the lyrics running across the bottom of the screen, which they aired when the video was added to their heavy rotation schedule.<ref name="Azerrad199"/> The lyrics for the album &mdash;and some from earlier or alternate versions of the songs&mdash; were later released with the liner notes of the "[[Lithium (Nirvana song)|Lithium]]" single in 1992. American rock critic [[Dave Marsh]] noted comments by [[disc jockey]]s of the time that the song was "the 'Louie Louie' of the nineties" and wrote, "Like 'Louie,' only more so, 'Teen Spirit' reveals its secrets reluctantly and then often incoherently."<ref> Marsh, pg. 204</ref> Marsh, trying to decipher the lyrics of the song, felt after reading the correct lyrics from the song's sheet music that "what I imagined was quite a bit better (at least, more gratifying) than what Nirvana actually sang," and added, "Worst of all, I'm not sure that I know more about [the meaning of] 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' now than before I plunked down for the official version of the facts."<ref>Marsh, pg. 206</ref>

"Teen Spirit" is widely interpreted to be a [[teenager|teen]] revolution anthem, an interpretation reinforced by the song's music video.<ref name="Crisafulli38"/> When discussing the song in Michael Azerrad's biography ''[[Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana]]'', Cobain revealed that he felt a duty "to describe what I felt about my surroundings and my generation and people my age."<ref name="Azerrad21112"/> The book ''Teen Spirit: The Stories Behind Every Nirvana Song'' describes "Teen Spirit" as "a typically murky Cobain exploration of meaning and meaninglessness."<ref>Crisafulli, pg. 37</ref> Azerrad plays upon the juxtaposition of Cobain's contradictory lyrics (such as "It's fun to lose and to pretend") and states "the point that emerges isn't just the conflict of two opposing ideas, but the confusion and anger that the conflict produces in the narrator&mdash;he's angry that he's confused." Azerrad's conclusion is that the song is "alternately a sarcastic reaction to the idea of actually having a revolution, yet it also embraces the idea."<ref name="Azerrad213">Azerrad, pg. 213</ref>

In ''[[Heavier Than Heaven]]'', [[Charles R. Cross]]' biography of Kurt Cobain, the author posits the lyrics were influenced by something else besides Cobain's anger, boredom, and cynicism. Cross argues that the song is a reference to Cobain's relationship with ex-girlfriend Tobi Vail. Cross cites the line "She's over-bored and self-assured" and states the song "could not have been about anyone else." Cross backs up his argument with lyrics which were present in earlier drafts, such as "Who will be the King & Queen of the outcasted [sic] teens."<ref>Cross, pg. 169</ref><ref>Earlier drafts of the lyrics to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" have been reprinted in Kurt Cobain's ''Journals'' (2002).</ref>

Cobain has said, "The entire song is made up of contradictory ideas [. . .] It's just making fun of the thought of having a revolution. But it's a nice thought."<ref name="Azerrad213"/> Drummer Dave Grohl has stated he does not believe the song has any message, and said, "Just seeing Kurt write the lyrics to a song five minutes before he first sings them, you just kind of find it a little bit hard to believe that the song has a lot to say about something. You need syllables to fill up this space or you need something that rhymes."<ref>Azerrad, pg. 214</ref>

==Music video==
[[Image:Teen Spirit.jpg|thumb|200px|A screenshot from the music video]]
The music video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was the first for director [[Samuel Bayer]], who would go on to direct videos for artists including [[Green Day]], [[Metallica]], and [[The Smashing Pumpkins]]. Bayer believes he was hired because his test reel was so poor the band anticipated his production would be "punk" and "not corporate."<ref name=classicalbums /> The video was based on the concept of a school concert which ends in [[anarchy]] and riot. Inspiration was taken from [[Jonathan Kaplan]]'s 1979 movie ''[[Over the Edge (film)|Over the Edge]]'', as well as the [[Ramones]] film ''[[Rock 'n' Roll High School]]''.<ref name=classicalbums /> Filmed on a soundstage in [[Culver City]], the video featured the band playing at a [[pep rally]] in a high school gym to an audience of apathetic students on bleachers, and cheerleaders wearing black dresses with the [[Anarchist symbolism#Circle-A|Circle-A]] anarchist symbol. The video ends with the assembled students destroying the set and the band's gear. The demolition of the set captured in the video's conclusion was the result of genuine discontent. The extras that filled the bleachers had been forced to stay seated through numerous replays of the song for an entire afternoon of filming. Cobain convinced Bayer to allow the extras to [[moshing|mosh]], and the set became a scene of chaos. "Once the kids came out dancing they just said 'fuck you,' because they were so tired of this shit throughout the day," Cobain said.<ref name="Azerrad19091">Azerrad, pg.190-91</ref> Cobain disliked Bayer's final edit and personally oversaw a re-edit of the video that resulted in the version finally aired.<ref name="qpg54" /> One of Cobain's major additions was the next-to-last shot of the video, which was a close-up of his own face after it had been obscured for most of the video.<ref name="Azerrad19091"/> Bayer noted that unlike subsequent artists he worked with, Cobain did not care about vanity, rather that "the video had something that was truly about what they were about."<ref name=classicalbums />

Like the song itself, the music video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was well received by critics. ''Rolling Stone'' writer [[David Fricke]] described the video as looking like "the greatest gig you could ever imagine."<ref name=classicalbums /> In addition to a number one placing in the singles category, "Teen Spirit" also topped the music video category in the ''Village Voice'''s 1991 "Pazz & Jop" poll.<ref>{{cite web | author=Christgau, Robert | year= [[March 3]] [[1992]]| title=The 1991 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll | publisher=RobertChristgau.com | url= http://web.archive.org/web/20060507034515/http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres91.php | accessdate=2007-05-19}}</ref> The video won Nirvana the "Best New Artist" and "Best Alternative Group" awards at the 1992 [[MTV Video Music Awards]],<ref>{{cite web | year=2006| title="Past Winners Database" | publisher= LATimes.com | url= http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/1992/1992mtvv.htm| accessdate=October 29 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> and in 2000 the ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' named "Teen Spirit" the Most Played Video on [[MTV Europe]].<ref>{{cite web | date = [[November 27]] [[2006]] | title=ABC News: Achieving Nirvana: Grunge Band's 'Teen Sprit' is Top Song of Past Two Decades | publisher=ABC News | url= http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=2682023&page=1 | accessdate=December 01 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> In subsequent years Amy Finnerty, formerly of MTV's Programming department, claimed the video "changed the entire look of MTV" by giving them "a whole new generation to sell to."<ref name=classicalbums /> VH1 placed the debut of the "Teen Spirit" video at number eighteen on its list of "100 Greatest Rock & Roll Moments on TV," noting that "the video [ushered] in alternative rock as a commercial and pop culture force."<ref>{{cite web | title=100 greatest rock & roll moments on tv (20-1) | publisher=VH1 | url= http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/62183/episode.jhtml | accessdate=April 07 | accessyear=2007}}</ref> In 2001, VH1 ranked the video fourth on its "100 Greatest Videos" list.<ref>{{cite web | author=Susman, Gary | date = [[May 02]] [[2001]] | title=News Summary: Model Patient | publisher=EW.com | url= http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,108354,00.htm | accessdate=April 09 | accessyear=2007}}</ref> The video has been parodied at least twice: in [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]'s music video for "[[Smells Like Nirvana]]" and in [[Bob Sinclar]]'s 2006 music video for "[[Rock This Party (Everybody Dance Now)]]."

==Live performances==
{{Sound sample box align right|Music sample:}}
{{Listen|filename=SmellsLikeTeenSpirit.ogg|title="Smells Like Teen Spirit" (live)|description=Sample of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana, from the live album ''[[From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah]]'' (1996). The band performs the chorus of the song, at a faster tempo than the studio recording. |format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{sample box end}}
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" was first performed live on [[April 17]], [[1991]] at the [[OK Hotel]] in [[Seattle, Washington]].<ref>''With the Lights Out'' (pg. 23) [CD liner notes]. Santa Monica: Geffen Records. 2004.</ref> The performance is featured on the DVD of the 2004 boxset ''[[With the Lights Out]],'' while shorter clips are included on the ''[[Nevermind]]'' [[Classic Albums]] DVD, as well as the documentary film ''[[Hype!]]''. As the song's lyrics had not yet been entirely written, there are notable differences between it and the final version. For example, the first performance started with "Come out and play, make up the rules" instead of the eventual opening of "Load up on guns, bring your friends." A recording of the earlier version appears on ''[[With the Lights Out]]'' and again on ''[[Sliver: The Best of the Box]]''. A similar early live performance of the song is found in the documentary ''[[1991: The Year Punk Broke]]'', filmed during a 1991 summer tour in [[Europe]] with [[Sonic Youth]].

Nirvana often altered the song's lyrics and [[tempo]] for live performances. Some live performances of the song had the line "our little group has always been" changed to "our little tribe has always been," which can be heard on the 1996 live album ''[[From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah]]''. ''Rolling Stone'' remarked that the ''Wishkah'' version of "Teen Spirit" "[found] Cobain's guitar reeling outside the song's melodic boundaries and sparking new life in that nearly played-out hit."<ref>{{cite web | author=Ali, Lorraine | date = [[October 17]] [[1996]] | title=''From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah'' (review) | publisher=''Rolling Stone'' | url= http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/nirvana/albums/album/231436/review/5942502/from_the_muddy_banks_of_the_wishkah | accessdate=April 07 | accessyear=2007}}</ref> A memorable alternate performance of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" occurred on [[BBC]]'s ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' in 1991, during which the band refused to mime to the prerecorded backing track and Cobain sang in a deliberately low voice and altered numerous lyrics in the song (for example, "Load up on guns, bring your friends" became "Load up on drugs, kill your friends"). Cobain would later claim he was trying to sound like former [[The Smiths|Smiths]] frontman [[Morrissey]].<ref>Cross, pg. 208</ref> ''[[The Observer]]'' stated Nirvana's performance was responsible for "Teen Spirit" entering the UK top ten the following week;<ref>Reynolds, Simon. "Nirvana: Smells Like A Sensation." ''The Observer''. [[December 8]], [[1991]].</ref> when ''Top of the Pops'' was cancelled in 2006, ''The Observer'' listed Nirvana's performance of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as the third greatest in the show's history.<ref>{{cite web | date = [[July 16]] [[2006]] | title="Top of the Pops" shows | publisher=''Guardian'' (UK) | url= http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/the10/story/0,,1818026,00.html | accessdate=October 18 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> This performance can be found on the 1994 home video ''[[Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!]]'' and on the bootleg ''[[Outcesticide|Outcesticide IV: Rape of the Vaults]]''.

==Cover versions==
{{Sound sample box align right|Music samples:}}
{{Listen|filename=SmellsLikeToriAmos.ogg|title="Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Tori Amos cover)|description=Sample of Smells Like Teen Spirit" as covered by [[Tori Amos]] on the ''[[Crucify (song)|Crucify]]'' EP (1992). Amos performs the song by herself on piano, where she slows down the tempo and enunciates the lyrics to the chorus clearly.|format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{Listen|filename=SmellsLikeAnka.ogg|title="Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Paul Anka cover)| description=Sample of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as covered by [[Paul Anka]] on his album, ''[[Rock Swings]]'' (2005). Anka performs the song in an upbeat swing style.|format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{sample box end}}
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" has been covered by numerous artists. One of the first cover recordings was an [[Acoustic music|acoustic]] [[piano]] version by [[Tori Amos]] on her 1992 ''[[Crucify (song)|Crucify]]'' EP, which Cobain referred to as "a great breakfast cereal version."<ref>Azerrad, pg. 257</ref> The jazz trio [[The Bad Plus]] recorded the track for their CD ''[[These are the Vistas]]'',<ref>{{cite web | author=Norris, Michele | date =[[May 9]] [[2003]]| title=The Bad Plus | publisher=NPR.org | url= http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1258433 | accessdate=April 07 | accessyear=2007}}</ref> while [[The Melvins]] as well as the [[industrial music|industrial]] act [[Xorcist]] have also released tributes. [[The Moog Cookbook]] put out a [[synthesizer]]-based cover version on ''[[The Moog Cookbook (album)|The Moog Cookbook]]'' and the Japanese Beatboxer [[Dokaka]] has recorded a beatboxed cover version. British group [[The Flying Pickets]] released an [[a cappella]] version of the song on their album ''[[The Original Flying Pickets: Volume 1 - 1994]]''. Covers of the song on tribute albums include [[Blanks 77]] on ''Smells Like Bleach: A Punk Tribute to Nirvana'', and [[Beki Bondage]] on ''Smells Like Nirvana''; both released in 2000. In 2005, "Teen Spirit" was covered as a [[swing music|swing]] song by 1950s star [[Paul Anka]]. In 2006, the band [[Flyleaf]] covered the song for [[Yahoo!|Yahoo's]] [[LAUNCHcast]] service. In 2007, [[Patti Smith]] included a cover version, which incorporated a piece of her poetry, on her album of cover songs ''[[Twelve (Patti Smith album)|Twelve]]''.

The song has been adapted into other forms over the years. [[Germany]]'s [[Atari Teenage Riot]] sampled "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in the song "Atari Teenage Riot" from their 1997 album, ''[[Burn, Berlin, Burn!]]''. [[DJ Balloon]], a German techno DJ, also used the sample in his song "Monstersound"<ref>{{cite web | publisher= [[Norddeutscher Rundfunk]] | date = [[April]] [[2001]] | title=DJ Balloon: "Techno Rocker" | url= http://www.ndrtv.de/grandprix/rueckblick/grandprix2001/ve_djballoon.html | language=German | accessdate=May 31 | accessyear=2007}}</ref>. An instrumental cover version (slightly altered and named "Self High-Five" to avoid legal complications) was produced by [[World Championship Wrestling]] as the [[Music in professional wrestling|entrance music]] for wrestler [[Dallas Page|Diamond Dallas Page]],<ref>{{cite web | author=Gentry, Joseph | date = [[April 7]] [[2007]] | title=DDP Speaks On Jay-Z, WCW Days, Kanyon, More | publisher=PWHeadlines.com | url= http://www.pwheadlines.com/WWE/DDP_Speaks_On_Jay-Z_WCW_Days_Kanyon_More.shtml | accessdate=April 15 | accessyear=2007}}</ref> with clips of Page's voice dubbed in from time to time. A snippet of the song was also performed in a [[cabaret]] style in the 2001 movie ''[[Moulin Rouge!]]''.

In addition to cover versions, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" has also inspired a few [[parody|parodies]]. "Weird Al" Yankovic parodied the song in 1992 with "Smells Like Nirvana," a song about Nirvana itself. Yankovic parodied the difficulty in understanding Cobain's singing as well as the lyrics and their meaning. Yankovic has said Kurt Cobain told him he realized that Nirvana had "made it" when he heard the parody.<ref>{{cite web| date = [[2006-09-19]] | title=Weird Al Yankovic Dishes On James Blunt, Discusses His Role As the Whitest, Nerdiest Rock Star Ever | publisher=''Rolling Stone'' | url= http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2006/09/19/weird-al-yankovic-dishes-on-james-blunt-discusses-his-role-as-the-whitest-nerdiest-rock-star-ever/ | accessdate=October 21 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> In 1995, the [[queercore]] band [[Pansy Division]] recorded a parody of the song called "Smells Like Queer Spirit" for their ''[[Pile Up]]'' album.
System Of A Down also have a cut down version called "The Ballad Of Kurt Cobain" which is played live occasionally while the guitarist Daron Malakian is tuning up, he tests his guitar by playing the intro to Smells Like Teen Spirit and right before it breaks into the first verse he would scream "you're dead, mother fucker" several times. This was done in the late 90's during a period where the hype over Nirvana was incredibly high which resulted in infuriating a lot of people who didn't take kindly to Malakian's blunt sense of humour.

==Formats and track listing==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
;UK 7" single (DGC 5)
#"Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 4:30
#"[[Drain You]]" (Cobain) — 3:43

;UK 12" single (DGCT 5)
#"Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 5:01
#"Drain You" (Cobain) — 3:43
#"[[Even in His Youth]]" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 3:03
*Features album version of "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

;UK CD single (DGCTD 5)
#"Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 4:30
#"Drain You" (Cobain) — 3:43
#"Even in His Youth" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 3:03
#"[[Aneurysm (song)|Aneurysm]]" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 4:44

;UK picture disc 12" single (DGCTP 5)
#"Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 5:01
#"Even in His Youth" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 3:03
#"Aneurysm" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 4:44
*Features album version of "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
{{col-break}}
;US 7" single (DGCS7-19050)
#"Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 4:30
#"Even in His Youth" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 3:03

;US CD single (DGCDS-21673)
#"Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 4:30
#"Even in His Youth" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 3:03
#"Aneurysm" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 4:44

;US cassette single (DGCCS-19050)
#"Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 4:30
#"Even in His Youth" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) — 3:03
{{col-break}}
{{col-end}}

The single edit of "Smells Like Teen Spirit," which was featured in the music video, removes approximately thirty seconds from the album version. In particular, two repetitions of the main riff have been removed from the beginning of the song, as has the repeat of the first section of the guitar solo. Additionally, the CD single falsely lists the length of "Even in His Youth" as 4:20.

==Chart positions==

{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable"
!Chart (1991)
!Peak<br>position
|-
| Swedish Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web | title=Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (song) | publisher= SwedishCharts.com | url= http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Nirvana&titel=Smells+Like+Teen+Spirit&cat=s | accessdate=April 14 | accessyear=2007}}</ref>
|align="center"| 3
|-
| [[UK Singles Chart]]<ref name="qpg54" />
|align="center"| 7
|-
| U.S. ''[[Billboard]]'' [[Modern Rock Tracks]]<ref name="US charts">{{cite web | title= Nirvana&mdash;Artist Chart History | publisher= Billboard.com | url= http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=5316&model.vnuAlbumId=810092 | accessdate=April 14 | accessyear=2007}}</ref>
|align="center"| 1
|-
!Chart (1992)
!Peak<br>position
|-
| Australian [[ARIA Singles Chart]]<ref>{{cite web | title=Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (song) | publisher=Australian-Charts.com | url=http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Nirvana&titel=Smells+Like+Teen+Spirit&cat=s | accessdate=April 14 | accessyear=2007}}</ref>
|align="center"| 5
|-
| Austrian Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web | title=Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (song) | publisher=AustrianCharts.at | url=http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Nirvana&titel=Smells+Like+Teen+Spirit&cat=s | accessdate=April 14 | accessyear=2007}}</ref>
|align="center"| 8
|}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable"
!Chart (1992)
!Peak<br>position
|-
| French Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web | title=Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (song) | publisher=LesCharts.com | url=http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Nirvana&titel=Smells+Like+Teen+Spirit&cat=s | accessdate=April 14 | accessyear=2007}}</ref>
|align="center"| 1
|-
| Norwegian Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web | title=Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (song) | publisher=NorweiganCharts.com | url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Nirvana&titel=Smells+Like+Teen+Spirit&cat=s | accessdate=April 14 | accessyear=2007}}</ref>
|align="center"| 2
|-
| Swiss Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web | title=Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (song) | publisher=SwissCharts.com | url=http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Nirvana&titel=Smells+Like+Teen+Spirit&cat=s | accessdate=April 14 | accessyear=2007}}</ref>
|align="center"| 6
|-
| U.S. ''Billboard'' [[Hot 100]]<ref name="US charts" />
|align="center"| 6
|-
| U.S. ''Billboard'' [[Mainstream Rock Tracks]]<ref name="US charts" />
|align="center"| 7
|-
| U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Club Play<ref name="US charts" />
|align="center"| 14
|-
| U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales<ref>{{cite web | title=Nirvana - Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles (song) | publisher=Allmusic.com | url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:hifexqr5ld6e~T51 | accessdate=April 14 | accessyear=2007}}</ref>
|align="center"| 27
|}
{{col-end}}

{{start box}}
{{succession box
| before = "[[The Fly (song)|The Fly]]" by [[U2]]
| title = [[Modern Rock Tracks|''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks]] [[List of number-one modern rock hits (United States)|number-one single]]
| years = [[November 23]], [[1991 in music|1991]]
| after = "[[Mysterious Ways (song)|Mysterious Ways]]" by [[U2]]
}}
{{end box}}

==References==
* Azerrad, Michael. ''Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana''. Doubleday, 1994. ISBN 0-385-47199-8
* ''Classic Albums&mdash;Nirvana: Nevermind'' [DVD]. Isis Productions, 2004.
* Crisafulli, Chuck. ''Teen Spirit: The Stories Behind Every Nirvana Song''. Carlton, 1996. ISBN 0-684-83356-5
* Cross, Charles R. ''Heavier Than Heaven''. Hyperion, 2001. ISBN 0-7868-6505-9
* Marsh, Dave. ''Louie Louie''. Hyperion, 1993. ISBN 1-56282-865-7
* Starr, Larry; Waterman, Christopher. ''American Popular Music: From Minstrelsy to MTV''. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN 0-19-510854-X

==Notes==
<!--<nowiki>
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref> and </ref> tags, and the template below.
</nowiki>-->
{{reflist|2}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.sliver.it/nirvana/test/pages/official/smells_like.html Smells Like Teen Spirit discography information]
* [http://www.salon.com/ent/masterpiece/2002/04/15/teen_spirit/ Salon article on cultural impact of ''Smells Like Teen Spirit]
* {{MusicBrainz release|id=2f03daed-36e6-4b17-8df3-6dc49556f438|name=Smells Like Teen Spirit}}

{{Nirvana (band)}}


*[http://cartelfr.louvre.fr/cartelfr/visite?srv=rs_display_res&critere=jean+baptiste+carpeaux&operator=AND&nbToDisplay=5&langue=fr A page on the official Louvre site giving access to some of Carpeaux's works (French language only)]
{{featured article}}
*[http://www.insecula.com/contact/A005511_oeuvre_1.html A page from insecula.com listing more views of Carpeaux's works (also in French;] it may be necessary to close an advertising window to view this page)
*[http://www.studiolo.org/MMA-Ugolino/Ugolino.htm A page analysing Carpeaux's ''Ugolino'', with numerous illustrations]


[[Category:1991 singles]]
[[Category:French sculptors|Carpeaux, Jean-Baptiste]]
[[Category:Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one singles]]
[[Category:1827 births|Carpeaux, Jean-Baptiste]]
[[Category:Nirvana songs]]
[[Category:1875 deaths|Carpeaux, Jean-Baptiste]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in France]]


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Revision as of 01:07, 19 June 2007

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux's marble sculpture 'Ugolino and his Sons', Metropolitan Museum of Art
La Danse (The Dance), Opera Garnier in Paris
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux.

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (May 11, 1827, Valenciennes –October 12, 1875, Courbevoie) was a French sculptor and painter. His early studies were under François Rude. Carpeaux won the Prix de Rome in 1854, and moving to Rome to find inspiration, he there studied the works of Michelangelo, Donatello and Verrocchio. Staying in Rome from 1854 to 1861, he obtained a taste for movement and spontaneity, which he joined with the great principles of baroque art. In 1861 he made a bust of Princess Mathilde, and this later brought him several commissions from Napoleon III. He worked at the pavilion of Flora, and the Opéra Garnier. His group La Danse (the Dance, 1869), situated on the right side of the façade, was criticised as an offence to common decency.

He never managed to finish his last work, the famous Fountain of the Four Parts of the Earth, on the Place Camille Jullian. He did finish the terrestrial globe, supported by the four figures of Asia, Europe, America and Africa, and it was Emmanuel Frémiet who completed the work by adding the eight leaping horses, the tortoises and the dolphins of the basin.

Sculptures by Carpeaux

Neapolitan Fisherboy

Carpeaux submitted a plaster version of Pêcheur napolitain à la coquille, the Neapolitan Fisherboy, to the French Academy while a student in Rome. He carved the marble version several years later, showing it in the Salon exhibition of 1863. It was purchased for Napoleon III's empress, Eugènie. The statue of the young smiling boy was very popular, and Carpeaux created a number of reproductions and variations in marble and bronze. There is a copy, for instance, in the Samuel H. Kress Collection in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

Some years later, he carved the Girl with a Shell, a very similar study.

Carpeaux sought real life subjects in the streets and broke with the classical tradition. The Neapolitan Fisherboy's body is carved in intimate detail and shows an intricately balanced pose. Carpeaux claimed that he based the Neapolitan Fisherboy on a boy he had seen during a trip to Naples.

External links

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