Grunge is not always synonymous with love and romance, but that doesn’t mean it’s never been done. Here are four singles released in 1993, ranked from least romantic to most romantic. Some are subtle, others are contextual, and another uses unusual imagery to say “I love you.” Will you agree with this ranking? Or is it completely off the mark? Only one way to find out.
“Plush” by Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots released “Plush” as a single in August 1993 off their debut album, Core. On a list of interesting metaphors and source material, “Plush” would be ranked much higher. Regarding romance, however, it’s ranked last on this particular grunge singles list. While the song technically references a relationship, it has more to do with unhealthy expressions of lust and romance. Additionally, it was inspired by a legitimate crime in the early 90s, where a young woman was kidnapped and murdered.
According to Scott Weiland, he used the crime as a metaphor for obsession and meaningless sex. “When the dogs begin to smell her / Will she smell alone?” creates that double meaning. “Dogs” represents both the cadaver dogs searching for the dead woman and people who use others for sex, sniffing out their next lonely victim.
“All Apologies” by Nirvana
“All Apologies” was released in December 1993 as Nirvana’s final single, though it was originally written around 1990. In 1992, Kurt Cobain dedicated the song to his wife and daughter during the band’s Reading Festival set. Although he later admitted that not all the lyrics fit them. But, he said in Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana, the music did, as the overall tone was “peaceful, happy, comfort—just happy happiness.”
There’s some semblance of romance in “All Apologies”, but there’s more confusion about the expected trajectory of life. “Married / Buried” could reference those expectations: get married, have children, then die. But the core of the single seems to be a rejection of the trajectory, and an apology for it. “I wish I was like you / Easily amused / Find my nest of salt / Everything is my fault” draws those conclusions, with references to shame around those feelings. Not exactly romantic, but there’s still love between those lines, however unconventional.
“Down In A Hole” by Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains released “Down in a Hole” as a single in October 1993, and at first glance, it doesn’t seem like it would be romantic in the slightest. But Jerry Cantrell wrote it as a love song for his then-girlfriend and muse Courtney Clarke. The two allegedly had a passionate relationship for seven years, but they also had their share of struggles.
“Down in a Hole” is a love song that peels back the layers of romance and bares the reality. Cantrell described emotional struggles, outside pressure, expectations, and drug use as putting him “down in a hole, and I don’t know if I can be saved.” Essentially, the romance in this song is about context. Cantrell wrote it from the perspective that long-term relationships don’t often last with the way he lives his life. But the statement emerges when you learn that it was written for someone he had been with for five years at the time.
“Heart-Shaped Box” by Nirvana
“Heart-Shaped Box” was the lead single from In Utero, released in August 1993. It’s often said to be about Kurt Cobain’s relationship with Courtney Love. And of course, Love has stated that the titular “heart-shaped box” is her vagina. But more than that, it’s a love song in typical grunge style, with the convoluted imagery that comes along with that.
For example, “I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn black” creates an immediate, visceral image. But it’s really just a twisted-up way to say “I love you.” With all its talk of “magnet tar pit traps” and “meat eating orchids,” there’s a lot of romance in “Heart-Shaped Box”. Alternative teens in passionate love and maudlin poets looking for inspiration flock to this song for similar reasons, because it’s romantic in the same way that open heart surgery is romantic.
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