Nirvana “Heart-Shaped Box” released

Heart-Shaped Box Nirvana

Writer(s): Kurt Cobain (see lyrics here) Released: August 30, 1993 First Charted: September 11, 1993 Peak: 4 AR, 13 MR, 5 UK, 17 CN, 21 AU, 3 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.6 UK, 0.65 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 306.82 video, 687.75 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Nirvana’s second album, 1991’s Nevermind, sent them into the stratosphere. It was a #1 album that has sold more than 30 million copies, fueled by the highest-ranked song of the 1990s, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” It not only cemented the band’s legacy as the quintessential grunge band, but one of the most important bands of the ‘90s. It also made singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain into the reluctant voice of a generation. That’s a helluva lot of expectations to heap on a follow-up album, but In Utero didn’t disappoint. It wasn’t Nevermind – there was no way it could be – but it was still a successful, widely-acclaimed effort. While the lead single, “Heart-Shaped Box,” didn’t even dent the Billboard Hot 100, it was actually more successful than “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on the album rock and alternative rock charts. Cobain claimed the song was “inspired by a television report of children suffering from cancer.” SF It can also be interpreted as a reference to a uterus since “the lyrics talk about…an aborted fetus from the first-person viewpoint.” SF However, it was widely assumed it was about his volatile relationship with his wife, Courtney Love. She sent him a heart-shaped box after their second meeting and lyrics in the song reference an unstable romantic relationship. SF Writer Toby Creswell says, “There’s not doubt that he loved her and that she gave him something he needed. But it’s also clear that he regarded the volatile relationship as a co-dependency.” TC The song expresses a “feeling of entrapment” TC and Cobain definitely felt trapped by “addiction, his fame, his desire for fame, and his marriage.” TC Resources: TC Toby Creswell (2005). 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time. Thunder’s Mouth Press: New York, NY. Pages 144-5. SF Songfacts Related Links: First posted 2/19/2024; last updated 4/14/2024.