Before the advent of the grunge movement, The Beatles supplied the ideal primer. They provided the basis for artists like Nirvana to flourish on a violent blend of punk and rock ‘n’ roll. “I would say the biggest influence I’ve ever had would be The Beatles,” Cobain once said in an interview with Mimmo Caccamo, outlining a lifelong love affair that began when he was five years old.
Cobain created Nirvana’s sound by combining his passion for the Beatles with the stronger aspects of punk and metal. This emphasized both the power of simple melodies and more profound, thought-provoking musical compositions. As a result, he perfected the balance between soft rock ballads and quicker, energetic grunge sounds. This created a sonic experience that would live on for years after he passed away.
Cobain, like many Beatles fans, had a deep respect for the band’s music. He once spent a full day listening to the US CD Meet the Beatles! from 1964. According to former bandmate Dave Grohl, Cobain’s admiration for The Beatles’ simplicity shaped much of their early sound. However, it wasn’t always simple to replicate. “They sound easy to play, but they’re fucking hard,” he remarked, alluding to the widespread belief that their chords and melodies are beginner-level.
After listening to Meet the Beatles! on repeat, Cobain created ‘About A Girl‘, a sleeper smash that initially appeared on Bleach. Beginning with a simple acoustic chord progression, it’s easy to discern the Beatles’ influence in ‘About A Girl’, especially in the version that appeared later on MTV Unplugged in New York.
Despite their different subject matter, songs on the album, such as ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand,’ begin with a similar straight-forward chord progression. This scrapes the surface of darker elements, creating an engaging sound that evokes a range of emotions. ‘About A Girl’ addresses Cobain’s complicated relationship with his then-girlfriend, whereas ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ demonstrates simplistic pining, but it’s difficult to ignore the similarities in the lyrical structure of the verses, along with lines like “I’ll tell you somethin’ I think you’ll understand” and “I do think you fit this shoe, but you have a clue.”
What’s more telling is that Cobain arrived at the studio the day after repeatedly listening to Meet the Beatles! with no title for his new song. Essentially, what would eventually become ‘About A Girl‘ arose as a result of Cobain’s fascination with the record. He experimented with numerous chords, melodies, and lyrics that matched his current thinking.
Although the sound that Cobain created to epitomize the grunge movement may appear to be a far cry from the lighter, more upbeat sounds of The Beatles, a closer look reveals the intersectional influence of the 1960s rock band on the Nirvana frontman, with songs like ‘About A Girl’ representing just one example of his fixation. Nirvana continues to be linked with creativity and innovation. It also displays Cobain’s ability to reinterpret older, recognizable sounds and make something raw and brutally honest.
