From album
Nevermind
Nirvana · 1991 · Track 5
Details
TonalidadA#
Compás4/4
Tempo123 BPM
Duración3:55
CompositorKurt Cobain
ÁlbumNevermind
Año1991
Credits
Music Kurt Cobain
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The story behind
When you dive into *Lithium*, you encounter a song that seems to explore the idea of clinging to something, anything, as a last resort. Kurt Cobain himself explained that the lyrics imagined someone turning to faith as a lifeline to avoid falling into despair after losing their partner. It's a perspective that some connect with the idea of religion as an "opiate of the masses," a way to cope with pain.
The story of how it became part of *Nevermind* is interesting. Originally, it was recorded in 1990 at Smart Studios, intended for an album that never saw the light of day on its original label. That session ended up circulating as a demo tape that helped capture the attention of larger record labels. Months later, in May 1991, it was re-recorded at Sound City Studios, this time for what would be the major debut with DGC Records. There were some stumbles at first; the band struggled to maintain a consistent tempo, speeding up the music. It wasn't until Dave Grohl joined and followed the advice to use a metronome that they managed to lock in the tempo, this being the only track on the album recorded with that assistance. The result was a single that made its way onto charts like the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, in addition to reaching number one in Finland.
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