School Lyrics

On 24th April 1988, Sub Pop's Jonathan Poneman secured Nirvana the opening slot on a Sub Pop Sunday show at Seattle's The Vogue. Poneman, his business partner Bruce Pavitt, scene photographer Charles Peterson and Mudhoney's Mark Arm were among those embarrassed by a typically messy performance by the band. In his subsequent letter to Melvin's drummer Dale Crover, however Cobain put a self serving spin on the night's proceedings, lashing out at the cliquey grunge elders with the dismissive words "Fuck, I'm in high "School" again!". The letter remained unsent, but called upon to scribble lyrics for a chugging instrumental in guitarist Jason Everman's house, those sentiments formed the central theme of "School". "We wrote it about Sub Pop," Cobain confessed "If we could've thrown Soudgarden's name in there we would have."