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Nirvana - Lithium
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Here is some background information on "Lithium" from songfacts.com :

"Lithium," viewed by many, is about a man on the brink of killing himself - dysfunctional, random, and all of that. It is very important, however, not to read too much into Kurt Cobain's lyrics. Listening to live shows, many songs contain altered lyrics that just sound like other words, which was one of the more unique things about Nirvana.

Lithium is a drug used by doctors and psychiatrists to treat patients with Manic-Depressive Disorder, also known as Bipolar Depression. This is a very volatile mental condition, and Lithium often helps regulate the mood of the patient. Mike Tyson is a famous Lithium patient.

The CD single had a sonogram photo of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love's unborn child, Frances Bean.

The album was produced by Butch Vig. He also produced the Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream and is the drummer for the band Garbage.

Kurt Cobain collaborated with Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan in an informal blues band during 1990. One of the names they considered for the group was Lithium.

There was a group called Nirvana that was around from 1967-1972 and had modest success in Europe. That band got back together and sued Kurt Cobain's Nirvana in the early 1990s for taking their name. The suit was amiably resolved, and the other Nirvana released their version of "Lithium" on their 1996 album Orange And Blue.

Cobain spent a period of his life moving between the homes of various relatives and friends. One of these friends came from a family of reformed Christians, and in this song Cobain compares living in this house to having bi-polar depression.

Living Color guitarist Vernon Reid told Rolling Stone magazine: "My favorite song on Nevermind was 'Lithium.' Kurt Cobain tapped into something in the culture that nobody had given a voice to before: passionate ambivalence: 'I'm so ugly, but that's OK 'cause so are you.' He captured the idea of having incredibly powerful feelings about not having feelings."

Bruce Lash recorded a mellow lounge version that was used in the 2008 movie Marley & Me. Lash explains: "I recorded the song as part of an album I did called Prozak For Lovers II, in 2004. I did the first Prozak For Lovers in 1998. I was looking for songs that were hard or angry or alienated to make sort of loungy Bossa Novas out of. Calm them down. Make them soothing. 'Lithium' has such a beautiful melody, and I never realized how great the lyrics were until I started working on the Prozak version of it. it was a natural!
The thing about this kind of song treatment is that the lyrics really come to the front, and I find the result is especially pleasing when the lyrics are as good as they are in this song.

How did it get into Marley? The film's editor, Mark Livolsi, told me that he had put it in the cut fairly early on, and its placement was never questioned. I have no idea how he came across my recording of the song. I did, however, send him a fruit basket, as a thank you. :)" (Prozak For Lovers II is available at CD Baby and on iTunes.)

(C) Geffen / UMG Recordings

Category
Rock Showtunes & Musical Theater
Tags
Nirvana, Lithium, Greatest
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