Nirvana was and still is one of the greatest bands ever. It is said that you have reached a maximum level of popularity and recognition is other artists are trying to parody your work. Well, this is what happened to Nirvana, in 1992, when the controversial artist ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic released Smells Like Nirvana. The parody Smells Like Nirvana turned out to be great for Yankovic’s career, as he soon gained worldwide recognition. Smells Like Nirvana reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, so it turned out that the parody was the most successful single of the artist.

Further on, Yankovic released a CD single with the same title, Smells Like Nirvana. Besides the parody Smells Like Nirvana, the CD also had the track Waffle King, and Trigger Happy was added on a following version. The grossing was amazing, and everyone loved the new version of Smells Like Teen Spirit, the original song performed by Nirvana. However, Yankovic stated that he asked for permission from Kurt Cobain to record Smells Like Nirvana. So here are the lyrics of Smells Like Nirvana:

What is this song all about?
Can’t figure any lyrics out
How do the words to it go?
I wish you’d tell me, I don’t know
Don’t know, don’t know, don’t know, ooh no
Don’t know, don’t know, don’t know…

Now I’m mumblin’ and I’m screamin’
And I don’t know what I’m singin’
Crank the volume, ears are bleedin’
I still don’t know what I’m singin’
We’re so loud and incoherent
Boy, this oughta bug your parents
Yeah!

It’s unintelligible
I just can’t get it through my skull
It’s hard to bargle nawdle zouss
with all these marbles in my mouth
Don’t know, don’t know, don’t know, ooh no
Don’t know, don’t know, don’t know…

Well, we don’t sound like Madonna
Here we are now, we’re Nirvana
Sing distinctly? We don’t wanna
Buy our album, we’re Nirvana
A garage band from Seattle
Well it sure beats grazing cattle
Yeah!

And I forgot the next verse
Oh well, I guess it pays to rehearse
The lyric sheet’s so hard to find
What are the words, oh never mind
Don’t know, don’t know, don’t know, ooh no
Don’t know, don’t know, don’t know…

Well, I’m yellin’ and we’re playin’
But I don’t know what I’m sayin’
What’s the message I’m conveyin’?
Can you tell me what I’m sayin’?
So have you got some idea?
Didn’t think so
Well, I’ll see ya
Sayonara, sayonawa
Ayonawa, hodinawa
Odinaya, yodinaya
Yaddayadda, yaaahyaaah
Ayiyaaaaaah!

While Smells Like Nirvana was a hit, there is no doubt that the parody can never top the original. Smells Like Teen Spirit became even more popular after the tragic death of Kurt Cobain, and soon everyone forget about Smells Like Nirvana. Nevertheless, Smells Like Nirvana is a fun song, but it does not begin to compare to Nirvana’s international hit.