Grunge music was born in Seattle, Washington. Officially, the genre started some time in the 1980s and rose to become perhaps the most dominant art form in the world for at least a few years. With superstars like Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder, and others, it was easy for the music to seep into the headphones and radio speakers of music fans.
Here, though, we wanted to explore three songs from the genre that pay (some sort of) homage to the region where the sound originated, that highlight the city of Seattle and the people and things from the area. These are three grunge songs that reference real people and things from the Emerald City.
“Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle” – Nirvana from In Utero (1993)
This song from Nirvana’s final studio LP, In Utero, is about the Seattle actress from the early 20th century, Frances Farmer. Kurt Cobain and his wife, Courtney Love, were fascinated by the stunning artist, who they felt was beaten and bruised by the media. She was also said to have suffered from mental health issues brought on by a domineering mother. All this led to stints of involuntary commitment where Farmer was put in an institution, which only further harmed her psyche. And on the 1993 track, Cobain highlights and sings about Farmer.
“Sub Pop Rock City” – Soundgarden from Sub Pop 200 (1988)
This song is about partying in Seattle and about doing it the Sub Pop way. Sub Pop, of course, is the record label that helped bring the grunge sound to the world, releasing some of the genre’s early hits and early standout bands, including Soundgarden. This song from that band was released on the 1988 compilation album, Sup Pop 200, which celebrated the many songs the label released up until that time. Today, Sub Pop continues to be an important label in Seattle and beyond.
“New Way Home” – Foo Fighters from The Colour and the Shape (1997)
The Dave Grohl-fronted band Foo Fighters shared this buzzy rock track, which wears its heart on its sleeve, at the tail end of the grunge movement. Along with a heartfelt tone, the tune references the former baseball stadium known by many Mariners fans in Seattle. Indeed, before it imploded, the Kingdome was an important landmark in the city. And here Grohl sings about it, identifying it as a central part of his home. Sometimes things just scream Welcome back! And for Grohl, that was the ol’ stadium.
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