Rape Me

"Rape Me" is a song by the grunge band Nirvana. It originally appeared on their 1993 album In Utero and later appeared on their 2002 greatest hits album Nirvana. It was released as the second song a double A-side single with the song All Apologies. A censored version of In Utero sold at Wal-Mart had altered labelling which listed the song's title as "Waif Me" (though the actual lyrics to the song remained unchanged).

Related Topics:
Grunge - Nirvana - 1993 - In Utero - Nirvana - All Apologies - Wal-Mart

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The band's frontman and songwriter Kurt Cobain often claimed that the song was an anti-rape song. The lyrics were supposed to be from the perspective of a rape victim (some consider the "victim" speaking as Polly http://www.livenirvana.com/digitalnirvana/songguide/body8199.html?songid=78). First performed on June 18, 1991, Cobain claimed it was intended as "an anti-rape song. A sort of poetic justice, where a guy rapes a girl, ends up in jail, and gets raped there." http://www.digitalnirvana.net/songguide/body.asp?songid=78

Related Topics:
Kurt Cobain - Polly - June 18 - 1991

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Still, the lyrics have been interpreted to tell a different story. The line "My favorite inside source" in particular gave away the song's reference to the band's problems with media exposure. An "inside source" had revealed personal information about Cobain to the media before the song was written, inspiring the line. The song's chorus line, "I'm not the only one", is also believed to refer to the media's treatment of Cobain and his family; the others that the line refers to are Cobain's wife Courtney Love and his daughter Frances Bean.

Related Topics:
Courtney Love - Frances Bean

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When Nirvana performed at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV had wanted the band to play "Smells Like Teen Spirit", but the band wanted to play the then-new "Rape Me". MTV was appalled at the idea of a song called "Rape Me", and eventually agreed that the band could play "Lithium" instead. When the band began their performance, Kurt strummed the first few bars of "Rape Me", giving the MTV execs a solid shock before jumping into "Lithium," the band's latest hit at the time.

Related Topics:
MTV Video Music Awards - MTV - Smells Like Teen Spirit - Lithium

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Two other versions of Rape Me, one acoustic and one electric with Kurts baby daughter crying in the background appear on the 2004 BoxSet With the Lights Out.

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The 1993 US SNL TV show performance of Rape Me appears on the compliation album 'Saturday Night Live: The Musical Performances,Volume 2.

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In Kerrang! magazine "Rape Me" was ranked #90 in the "100 Greatest Tracks Ever" in 1999.

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The song has since been recorded by Richard Cheese and his band in their typical Vegas lounge-style instrumentation, tonality and arrangement.

Related Topics:
Richard Cheese - Vegas

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