On this day in 1994, Kurt Cobain took his own life at his Seattle home. He was only 27.
The song here, “Pennyroyal Tea”, taken from MTV Unplugged in New York, recorded in November 1993 at Sony Music Studios. “Pennyroyal Tea” refers to a traditional herbal that has been used for various medicinal purposes, including inducing menstruation and, historically, as an abortifacient. Cobain’s choice of this title reflects his interest in controversial and taboo subjects. It has also been interpreted as a metaphor for Cobain’s desire to rid himself of the burdens and discomfort he felt, both physically due to chronic stomach pain and emotionally. The line “I’m so tired I can’t sleep” epitomises the sense of weariness and alienation Cobain felt amidst his fame and personal challenges.
Cobain killed himself with a 20-gauge shotgun on 5 April 1994, just a few months after the MTV Unplugged session. Cobain left behind a note, writing at the end: “Please keep going Courtney for Francis,” referring to their daughter, Frances Bean, who was 2 at the time. “For her life will be so much happier without me. I love you. I love you.”
Give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld
So I can sigh eternally
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Featured image via RTE.
