Smells Like Nirvana music video featuring Al as Kurt Cobain.
Single Cover
Song: Smells Like Nirvana
Running Time: 3:43
Album: Off The Deep End, Al-In-The-Box, Smells Like Nirvana, Greatest Hits Vol. 2 The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic The Saga Begins The Best Of Yankovic
Year: 1992
Parody of: Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
Genre: Grunge
Guitar tuning: E flat
Lyrics: Lyrics
Video: See Visuals
Download/listen: None
Forum: Forum Discussion Page
Trivia[]
- Krist Novoselic of Nirvana said that the band felt they had "made it" after Yankovic recorded this song. Kurt Cobain called Yankovic an American pop rock genius in his private journal.
- Yankovic phoned the band while they were backstage at Saturday Night Live with the help of friend and then-cast member Victoria Jackson. Cobain quickly gave permission to parody "Smells Like Teen Spirit", as he and the rest of the band were fans of Yankovic. However, he then asked if the song was going to be about food, which at the time Yankovic was known for doing. Yankovic explained that it would be about how no one understood the lyrics: Cobain replied, "Oh, sure, of course, that’s funny."[1]
- The late Dick Van Patten makes a cameo in the music video on one of the bleachers. He also appears briefly on "Bedrock Anthem".
- The janitor that appears in the music video is the same one that appears in the clip for “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.
- The cheerleaders are also the same ones that appeared in the original song's video.
- Al says the name of the album the original song was on when he sings 'What were the words? Oh Nevermind'.
- Mannequins were used in some scenes either a person got thrown around, or in one somebody pulled a head off.
- The single cover is a parody of the cover for the album Nevermind, which is the album that Smells like Teen Spirit, the original of this parody, was on.
Awards[]
Spy Magazine
| Year | Award | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Video of the Year | Smells Like Nirvana |
Rolling Stones
| Year | Award | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| ???? | Top 100 Videos of All Time - #68 | Smells Like Nirvana |
Charts[]
Single
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Billboard Hot 100 | 35 |
| 1992 | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 35 |