Serve the Servants

Last updated
"Serve the Servants"
Nirvana - Serve the Servants cover art.jpg
Single cover art by Kurt Cobain [1]
Song by Nirvana
from the album In Utero
ReleasedSeptember 21, 1993 (1993-09-21)
RecordedFebruary 13–26, 1993
Studio Pachyderm, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
Genre Grunge [2]
Length3:36
Label DGC
Songwriter(s) Kurt Cobain
Producer(s) Steve Albini
In Utero track listing
12 tracks
  1. "Serve the Servants"
  2. "Scentless Apprentice"
  3. "Heart-Shaped Box"
  4. "Rape Me"
  5. "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle"
  6. "Dumb"
  7. "Very Ape"
  8. "Milk It"
  9. "Pennyroyal Tea"
  10. "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter"
  11. "tourette's"
  12. "All Apologies"

"Serve the Servants" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. It is the first track on their third and final studio album In Utero , released in September 1993.

Contents

The song has frequently been cited for its autobiographical lyrics, which address the band's fame following the release of their 1991 album, Nevermind , the divorce of Cobain's parents, and perceived media attacks against Cobain's wife, American rock musician, Courtney Love.

Early history

"Serve the Servants" was written in 1992. The earliest known version is a home demo, featuring Cobain on vocals and acoustic guitar, recorded on a boombox in 1992. This version was released on the posthumous Nirvana box set, With the Lights Out , in November 2004.

In Utero

"Serve the Servants" was the only In Utero song that had never been recorded as a demo by the full band prior to being recorded for the album. As Nirvana's bassist Krist Novoselic remembers, it was brought to the studio "pretty much done" by Cobain. [3] The album was recorded in February 1993 by Steve Albini at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.

In a September 2013 interview with the NPR program All Songs Considered , Novoselic recalled that "Serve the Servants" was the first song the band recorded during the sessions with Albini. "And so we play that song 'Serve the Servants,'" he explained, "...And so we finish the song, and Kurt and Dave and I look at each other and we're like, 'Yeah, that felt pretty good. How was it, Steve?' He's like, 'Sounds good.' And we're like, 'All right! We're going to do another song,' like in one take. We won Steve over after that." [4]

Post-In Utero

The first live performance of "Serve the Servants" was on April 9, 1993, at the Bosnian Rape Victim Benefit show at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California.

It was performed, along with "Dumb," at Nirvana's final television appearance, on February 23, 1994 in Rome, Italy for the RAI television show, Tunnel.

The final live performance of "Serve the Servants" was at Nirvana's last concert, on March 1, 1994 at Terminal 1 in Munich, Germany.

Composition and lyrics

Music

Journalist Gillian G. Gaar described "Serve the Servants" as "a straight-ahead rock song, arguably the most straightforward song on In Utero," and noted that its steady volume was a departure from the frequently-used "soft/loud Nirvana dynamic." [3] John Mulvey of the NME called it "an addictive pop song" that was "set to a jerky, cranking riff that gleefully degenerates into a squiggly anti-solo." [5] Jim DeRogatis of Chicago Sun-Times described it as being "propelled by fat, hummable guitar riffs and memorable singalong choruses." [6] Author Chuck Crisafulli called it one of the most "rock n' roll" tracks the band ever recorded that provided an energizing and satisfying opener to In Utero, which immediately dispelled rumors that the album would be excessively abrasive and unlistenable. [7]

Lyrics

The song's autobiographical lyrics address both Cobain's struggles with fame and his family life. [3] The opening lyrics, "Teenage angst has paid off well, now I'm bored and old," were a commentary on Cobain's public image, and his life as a celebrity since the unexpected success of Nirvana's second album, Nevermind , released in September 1991. [3] [8] The lyric, "If she floats then she is not a witch like we had thought", was an attack on the media for its perceived misrepresentation of Cobain's wife Courtney Love, vocalist and guitarist of the American rock band Hole, comparing her treatment to a witchhunt and the practice of subjecting women accused of witchcraft to a public ordeal by water. [7]

In his 1993 biography Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana , Michael Azerrad stated that Cobain sent a personal and direct message to his father with the lines, "I tried hard to have a father, but instead I had a dad/ I just want you to know that I don't hate you anymore/There is nothing I could say that I haven't thought before". [9] However, Cobain stated that the lines were included at the last minute and that "they just happen to fit really well". [9] Author Charles R. Cross, in his 2001 Cobain biography, Heavier Than Heaven , also described these lines as bitter lyrics aimed at Cobain's father. [10] The last line of the chorus. "that legendary divorce is such a bore", refers to Cobain being tired of his childhood being plumbed for deep meaning. [7]

Reception

The song's opening lyrics attracted the attention of numerous critics in contemporary reviews of the album. John Mulvey of the NME wrote that "any album that kicks off with a song as beautifully bludgeoned as ‘Serve The Servants’, and a line as tellingly funny as 'Teenage angst has paid off well/ Now I’m bored and old', must have something going for it. Self-referential and self-pitying, for sure, but here at least Nirvana metaphorically wipe their arses on old Nevermind sleeves with a little wit to leaven the whingeing bitterness." [5] David Fricke of Rolling Stone wrote that the opening lines of the album's "petulant, bludgeoning opener" were "sung in an irritated, marble-mouthed snarl that immediately derails any lingering expectations for a son of “Smells Like Teen Spirit." [11] Predicting the first lines as "soon-to-be-famous," Los Angeles Times writer Chris Willman wrote, "If you’d guess from that opening that Cobain is going to spend a lot of the record commenting sarcastically on the success and attention he’s enjoyed (not) in the last couple of years, you’d be positively prescient." [12] Tom Howard, from the same publication, wrote that "‘Serve The Servants’ features the best opening line to any album ever ... Kurt was self-aware to a fault, and this is a prime example. It’s an added bonus that the track is an admirably obnoxious hard rock banger." [13]

In his September 1993 review of the album for Time , Christopher John Farley wrote that compared to "Heart-Shaped Box" and "All Apologies," the two songs later remixed by Scott Litt at the band's request, "many of the Albini pieces sound ravaged, almost ruined; but as with buried treasures, there are rewards for persistence and exploration. If you listen repeatedly to such sonically explosive songs as Serve the Servants and Pennyroyal Tea, the structure of each gradually becomes clear, and melodies surface." [14] David Cavanagh compared the song to "Rid Of Me," the title track of the second studio album by English rock musician PJ Harvey, released in May 1993 and also produced by Albini." [15] Stuart Berman for Pitchfork remarked, "The scowling verses of “Serve the Servants” are countered by the chorus’ soothing incantation of the song’s title, as if Cobain had to anesthetize himself in order to answer his audience’s populist demands." [16]

Legacy

Reviewing the 20th anniversary reissue of In Utero in September 2013, Christopher John Farley of Time wrote that "compared to songs on Nevermind, 'Serve the Servants' and 'tourette’s' sound unmixed and unfinished, but not as a detriment. These songs and others on In Utero sound completely fresh and unaffected, and end up creating a much rougher and stripped-down result. [17]

In August 2014, Paste ranked "Serve the Servants" at number 37 on their "50 Best Grunge Songs" list, with Michael Danaher writing, “The verse’s warbling surfer-esque riff and the chorus’s raw, coarse hook was a masterwork that furthered Cobain’s knack for bruised and brooding songwriting." [18] In April 2015, Rolling Stone  ranked “Serve the Servants” at number 14 on their list of the top 102 Nirvana songs, with writer Douglas Wolk remarking, “The dissonant blast that opened In Utero's first seconds answered anyone who wondered if Nirvana was going to soften up after conquering the world." [19]   The A.V. Club ranked it at number 17 on their list of the band's "30 greatest songs" in 2023. [20]

In 2017, Love cited "Serve the Servants" as one of her favorite Nirvana songs, also mentioning the In Utero songs "Heart-Shaped Box" and "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle", and the Nevermind songs "In Bloom" and "On a Plain." [21]

According to the April 2000 edition of Spin , at one point during Cobain's memorial vigil in April 1994, the song was being "blasted" from the loudspeakers while "an estimated 5,000 kids poured over the fountain, plugging up the spigots, lifting their middle fingers to the skies and howling with gleeful rage." [22]

The song's title is referenced by Nirvana's manager Danny Goldberg in the title of his book Serving The Servant: Remembering Kurt Cobain , released in 2019. [23]

Personnel

Accolades

YearPublicationCountryAccoladeRank
2023 The A.V. Club United StatesEssential Nirvana: Their 30 greatest songs, ranked [24] 17

Other releases

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nirvana (band)</span> American rock band (1987–1994)

Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Founded by lead singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic, the band went through a succession of drummers, most notably Chad Channing, before recruiting Dave Grohl in 1990. Nirvana's success popularized alternative rock, and they were often referenced as the figurehead band of Generation X. Despite a short mainstream career spanning only three years, their music maintains a popular following and continues to influence modern rock culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krist Novoselic</span> American rock musician (born 1965)

Krist Anthony Novoselic is an American musician and activist. Novoselic co-founded and played bass for the rock band Nirvana.

<i>From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah</i> 1996 live album by Nirvana

From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah is a live album by American rock band Nirvana, released on October 1, 1996 by DGC Records. It features live performances recorded from 1989 to 1994.

<i>In Utero</i> 1993 studio album by Nirvana

In Utero is the third and final studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 21, 1993, by DGC Records. After breaking into the mainstream with their second album, Nevermind (1991), Nirvana hired Steve Albini to record In Utero, seeking a more complex, abrasive sound that was reminiscent of their work prior to Nevermind. Although the singer and primary songwriter Kurt Cobain claimed that the album was "very impersonal", many of its songs contain heavy allusions to his personal life and struggles, expressing feelings of angst that were common on the band's previous album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart-Shaped Box</span> 1993 song by Nirvana

"Heart-Shaped Box" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the third track on the band's third and final studio album, In Utero, released by DGC Records in September 1993. It was one of two songs on In Utero remixed by Scott Litt prior to the album's release, due to the band's dissatisfaction with the original mixing by producer Steve Albini. The Litt remix also featured additional vocal harmonies and guitar by Cobain, which were the only elements on the album's 12 main tracks not recorded during the original sessions with Albini in February 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In Bloom</span> 1992 single by Nirvana

"In Bloom" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the second track on the band's second album, Nevermind, released by DGC Records in September 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rape Me</span> 1993 song by Nirvana

"Rape Me" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the fourth song on the band's third and final studio album, In Utero, released in September 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithium (Nirvana song)</span> 1992 single by Nirvana

"Lithium" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the fifth track on the band's second album, Nevermind, released by DGC Records in September 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennyroyal Tea</span> 1993 song by Nirvana

"Pennyroyal Tea" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the ninth track on the band's third and final studio album, In Utero, released in September 1993.

<i>Blew</i> 1989 EP by Nirvana

"Blew" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the first song on the band's debut album Bleach, released in June 1989 by Sub Pop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">On a Plain</span> 1991 promotional single by Nirvana

"On a Plain" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. It is the 11th track on their second album, Nevermind, released in September 1991.

"Dumb" is a song by the American rock band, Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. It is the sixth song on the band's third and final studio album, In Utero, released in September 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Apologies</span> Song by Nirvana

"All Apologies" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the final track on the band's third and final studio album, In Utero, released by DGC Records in September 1993. The song closes the American version of the album, while non-US versions of In Utero feature an additional song, "Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip", which begins after approximately 20 minutes of silence on the same track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">About a Girl (Nirvana song)</span> 1989 song by Nirvana

"About a Girl" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the third song on their debut album, Bleach, released in June 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polly (Nirvana song)</span> 1991 song by Nirvana

"Polly" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the sixth song on their second album Nevermind, released by DGC Records in September 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endless, Nameless (song)</span> 1991 song by Nirvana

"Endless, Nameless" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic, and drummer Dave Grohl. It is the 13th and final song on the band's second studio album, Nevermind, released in September 1991.

"Sappy" is a song by the American rock band, Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. It was first released as a hidden track on the AIDS-benefit compilation album, No Alternative, in October 1993.

"Scentless Apprentice" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain, drummer Dave Grohl, and bassist Krist Novoselic. It is the second track on their third and final studio album In Utero, released in September 1993.

"Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the fifth song on their third and final studio album, In Utero, released in September 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Hate Myself and Want to Die</span> Nirvana song

"I Hate Myself and Want to Die" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It was first released in November 1993 as the first track on The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience compilation album which peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200.

References

  1. ↑ Nirvana (2013). In Utero - Super Deluxe - liner notes
  2. ↑ Danaher, Michael (August 4, 2014). "The 50 Best Grunge Songs". Paste .
  3. 1 2 3 4 Gaar, Gillian G. (2006). In Utero. United States: Continuum. p. 58. ISBN   0-8264-1776-0.
  4. ↑ "Dave Grohl And Krist Novoselic Share Memories, Unreleased Tracks From 'In Utero'". All Songs Considered. 10 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  5. 1 2 Mulvey, John (September 4, 1993). "Nirvana : In Utero". NME . London. Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
  6. ↑ DeRogatis, Jim (August 29, 1993). "Here They Are Now . . . Nirvana". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 Crisafulli, Chuck (1996). Teen Spirit: The Stories Behind Every Nirvana Song. London: Omnibus Press. pp.  82-83. ISBN   0711958092.
  8. ↑ Crawford, Anwen (2014). Hole's Live Through This. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. (no page numbers). ISBN   9781623565695 . Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  9. 1 2 Azerrad, Michael (1993). Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Crown/Archetype. p. 326. ISBN   9780307833730 . Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  10. ↑ Cross, Charles. R (2012). Heavier Than Heaven. Hachette UK. p. (no page numbers). ISBN   9781401304515 . Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  11. ↑ Fricke, David (September 16, 1993). "In Utero". Rolling Stone . New York. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  12. ↑ Willman, Chris (September 19, 1993). "Nirvana's Brash Punk With Spunk". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  13. ↑ Howard, Tom (April 5, 2019). "Every Nirvana song ranked in order of greatness". NME . Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  14. ↑ Farley, Christopher John. "To The End of Grunge." Time. September 20, 1993. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
  15. ↑ Cavanagh, David (October 1993). "The Hell-Shaped Womb". Select (40). London: 86–87.
  16. 1 2 Berman, Stuart (September 24, 2013). "In Utero: 20th Anniversary Edition". Pitchfork .
  17. ↑ Gerber, Justin (September 29, 2013). "Yes, Nirvana's Final Studio Album Just Turned 20". Time .
  18. ↑ Danaher, Michael (August 4, 2014). "The 50 Best Grunge Songs". Paste .
  19. ↑ "No Apologies: All 102 Nirvana Songs Ranked". Rolling Stone . 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  20. ↑ Thomas Erlewine, Stephen (21 September 2023). "Essential Nirvana: Their 30 greatest songs, ranked". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  21. ↑ Moore, Sam (May 8, 2017). "Courtney Love reveals her favourite Nirvana songs". nme.com. NME . Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  22. ↑ Weisbard, Eric (April 2000). "Spin magazine - Nirvana". Spin . 16 (4). SPIN Media LLC. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  23. ↑ Cowdery, Katherine (August 14, 2018). "Former manager pens Kurt Cobain biography for Trapeze". thebookseller.com. The Bookseller . Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  24. ↑ Thomas Erlewine, Stephen (21 September 2023). "Essential Nirvana: Their 30 greatest songs, ranked". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  25. ↑ Monroe, Jazz. "Nirvana Reissuing In Utero With 2 Unreleased Live Albums for 30th Anniversary". Pitchfork. No. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  26. ↑ Deaux, John (September 5, 2023). "Nirvana In Utero: 30th anniversary multi-format reissues arrive October 27, 2023". allabouttherock.co.uk. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.