This quote is often attributed to Kurt Cobain, who was the front man for the grunge band Nirvana in the late 80s/early 90’s. However, a variation of it was published in the book Autumn Leaves by André Gide in 1950.
There are always going to be haters who want to drag you down. In earlier posts I wrote about how when my husband and I first started our YouTube channel (unrelated to this blog) we got some haters. At first their comments bothered me, and now it’s just amusing. We get some good laughs. It’s easy for these people to spew their negativity in the comments section when they are hiding behind a screen.
Don’t ever lose yourself in the quest to satisfy people. You will never be able to please everyone, and people are always going to have something negative to say about you.
But back to Kurt and Nirvana. The interesting thing about the band was that they had a sound unlike anything else that had been heard in the business until that point. Rock music was transitioning from hair metal and a new sound of grunge was emanating from Seattle. In 1989, Nirvana released an album titled Bleach. Many people working in the music industry were blown away by this new sound. They all predicted that this new music would change the entire landscape of rock and roll – and it did.
For many people, their first exposure to Nirvana was probably in 1991 when their album Nevermind was released. The song, Smells Like Teen Spirit became a hit overnight and Nirvana became the new face of rock. This kind of music resonated with mainstream America and didn’t stop until Kurt’s death in 1994.
I remember seeing the music video for the first time and falling in love with this kind of music.
Nirvana paved the way for other great grunge bands like Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. These bands also became popular quickly.
Nirvana wasn’t afraid to go against the grain and be different. They didn’t care about being famous like people do today. I have a feeling if their sound hadn’t resonated with the world, they would have been content making a living playing locally around Seattle.
In the end, you are better off just being you. There is nothing that is worth losing yourself over, just to feel accepted and loved. Stay true to yourself and the right people will come into your life and love you for who you are.
