Dark Side of the Womb: Kurt Cobain’s Melody Maker Interview
I’ll reformat this 1993 Melody Maker interview with Kurt Cobain while preserving the content and highlighting key themes through section headings and pull quotes.
The Unexpected Encounter with Courtney
The interview begins with an unexpected appearance by Courtney Love in the hotel foyer, twenty minutes before the scheduled meeting with Kurt. She immediately launches into conversations about drug dealers, media intrusion, and her frustrations with Nirvana’s unofficial biographers, Britt Collins and Victoria Clark.
“We suggest she sues. No point, says Courtney.”
The authors note Courtney’s contradictory relationship with media – criticizing journalists while simultaneously engaging with them extensively. She discusses “Shadowland,” William Arnold’s biography of Frances Farmer, the Hollywood actress after whom Kurt and Courtney named their daughter.
Frances Farmer: Inspiration and Warning
When the interview with Kurt begins, he explains his fascination with Frances Farmer, the subject of one of the most powerful songs on “In Utero” – “Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle.”
“I mean, from being this glamorous, talented, well-respected movie star, she ended up being given a lobotomy and working in a Four Seasons restaurant.”
Kurt reveals that he sees parallels between Farmer’s public humiliation and what Courtney was experiencing:
“Courtney especially could relate to Frances Farmer. I made the comparison between the two. When I was reading the book, I realized that this could very well happen to Courtney if things kept going on. There’s only so much a person can take, you know?”
The interviewers question whether Kurt risks glamorizing Farmer’s troubled life, to which he responds:
“I’d feel bad about that. I just simply wanted to remind people of tragedies like that. It’s very real and it can happen.”
On Suffering and Media Scrutiny
When asked if suffering ennobles people, Kurt offers:
“It can, it can. I think a small amount of suffering is healthy. It makes your character stronger.”
Kurt explains that while he has suffered on a “large scale,” the attacks have primarily targeted Courtney, which affects him deeply. He describes how they read negative press partly as protection and partly to learn from criticism.
“I’ve suffered on a large scale but most of the attacks haven’t been on me, they’ve been on someone I’m totally in love with, my best fucking friend is being completely fucking crucified every two months.”
Media Responsibility and Public Figures
The conversation shifts to whether Kurt and Courtney have contributed to their media coverage. Kurt acknowledges they’ve both said “unnecessary things” while learning to navigate fame.
“Yes, I think both Courtney and I have said too many things at times, or said some unnecessary things. We’re just learning like everyone else.”
The interviewers challenge Kurt on the notion that public figures become public property, a concept Kurt rejects entirely:
“Absolutely not. I draw the line at the record store or the gig. People can like our record or hate it, throw it away or trade it in for something else. And that’s where it ends.”
Drug Use and Responsibility to Fans
Kurt addresses his responsibility as a musician, particularly regarding his drug use:
“I never went out of my way to say anything about my drug use. I tried to hide it as long as I could. The main reason was that I didn’t want some 15-year-old kid who likes our band to think it’s cool to do heroin, you know?”
His convictions are strong on this matter:
“I think people who glamorize drugs are fucking assholes and, if there’s a hell, they’ll go there. It’s really bad karma.”
Positive vs. Negative Influence
When questioned about whether Nirvana is a positive or negative band, Kurt defends their stance:
“We’re not The Staple Singers but I could never see myself singing about Satan or glamorizing drug use or anything like that. I just couldn’t do it.”
He rejects the notion that they’re a negative band:
“I think the only reason we ever had a reputation for being a negative band was because of the articles written about us, addressing the drug use and stuff.”
The Burden of Mythology
The interviewers conclude that the media and public are attempting to mythologize Nirvana, making them more “exciting and newsworthy” than they might otherwise be:
“For the two billion of us who aren’t in Nirvana, it’s a rollercoaster ride with a brilliant, brilliant soundtrack. For Nirvana, it’s different. For Kurt, it’s very different. For Courtney, it’s the fucking Twilight Zone.”
The article ends with a poignant observation:
“It’s not easy being a living legend. And living legends seldom learn to live with it.”
This 1993 interview provides fascinating insight into Kurt Cobain’s mindset shortly before the release of “In Utero,” highlighting his concerns about media intrusion, his compassion for Frances Farmer, and his complex relationship with fame.