From album
In Utero
Nirvana · 2013 · Track 1
Details
TonalidadG
Compás4/4
Tempo81 BPM
Duración3:36
CompositorKurt Cobain
ÁlbumIn Utero
Año2013
ISRCUSGF19960701
Credits
Music Kurt Cobain
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The story behind
"Serve the Servants" opens In Utero, the third and final studio album by Nirvana, released in September 1993. This song was recorded in February 1993 at Pachyderm Studio, in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, with Steve Albini as producer. Krist Novoselic recalls that Kurt Cobain brought the song to the studio "practically finished," it being the only piece from In Utero that had not been registered as a demo by the full band prior to the album's recording. Early records of the song date back to 1992, including a home demo with Cobain on vocals and acoustic guitar, recorded on a boombox. This version was included in the posthumous box set With the Lights Out in November 2004.
The lyrics of "Serve the Servants" are notable for their autobiographical nature, touching on themes such as the fame the band achieved after the success of Nevermind in 1991, the separation of Cobain's parents, and the criticism the press perceived against his wife, musician Courtney Love. Lines like "Teenage angst has paid off well, now I'm bored and old" reflect Cobain's perspective on his public image and his life as a celebrity. The song, written in 1992, is described as a straightforward rock piece, with a steady rhythm that departs from Nirvana's usual "loud/quiet" dynamic. The first time it was played live was on April 9, 1993, at a benefit concert at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California. It was also performed, along with Dumb, during the band's last television appearance on February 23, 1994, in Rome, Italy, for the show Tunnel. Nirvana's final concert, where they performed "Serve the Servants," took place on March 1, 1994, in Munich, Germany.
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