Something in the Way

There are songs that, due to their atmosphere, invite you to lower the volume and pay attention to every detail. Something in the Way by Nirvana is one of them. It sounds as if it were told in a low voice, almost whispered, with an acoustic guitar that seems to float in the air. The original recording captures that intimacy in a very particular way: Kurt Cobain sat on a sofa, played the song with a 12-string guitar that he barely tuned, and that's how the base was left. Not even the full band managed to replicate that initial feeling, so they opted to record that raw take. Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic added their parts later, but they had to adjust to Cobain's tempo, and even a cello was added at the end, also struggling to fit into that unique texture.

This piece, which closes the album Nevermind (if we don't count the hidden track), was written by Kurt Cobain in 1990. The first time something similar was heard was in a medley of home demos, where it appeared alongside other musical ideas. The version we know today was recorded in May 1991 at Sound City Studios in California, under the production of Butch Vig. Although it was not released as a single at the time, the song had an unexpected resurgence. In August 2020, after appearing in the trailer for the 2022 film The Batman, Something in the Way climbed digital rock and alternative sales charts in the United States, and even entered the Billboard Hot 100 in March 2022.