Piece Information and Instrumentation
“Aneurysm” is a famous song by Nirvana, an American rock band. Composed in 1991 and officially released in 1992, the song became part of the Insecticide album (Nirvana, 2019; Song Facts Staff, n.d.). The live performance recorded 1991 is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIr_IXXLZ8Q(Nirvana, 2019). In terms of instrumentation, as is evident from the performing band’s composition, the piece was intended for two electric guitars, drums, and one vocalist.
Piece Form
The song features a range of characteristics peculiar to the form of the sound. It does not borrow motives from other music pieces and is composed in B minor (Song Facts Staff, n.d.). Additionally, it reflects the peculiarities of the grunge style, such as intense vocals and guitar riffs sounding sludgy or distorted (Nirvana, 2019; Song Facts Staff, n.d.). The song lasts over four minutes and has a fast tempo that slows down occasionally, a changing rhythm, and an aggressive mood (Nirvana, 2019).
Between 0:00 and 0:06, a guitar riff to form the basis of the song appears, with the following seconds featuring the beginning of the drums part (Nirvana, 2019). The riff is repeated between 0:07 and 0:40, and the next 20 seconds demonstrate the melody’s further development and a gradual reduction in tempo (Nirvana, 2019). Between 1:00 and 1:21, the tempo increases again, and the first verse begins, with each line concluding with a loud guitar riff, and the rest of the song follows the pattern above (Nirvana, 2019). The bass guitar’s sound becomes permanent during the chorus, adding more aggressiveness and emphasis to the key message.
Text
The piece’s textual elements are rather simplistic linguistically yet convey the singer’s strong negative emotions. The lyrics reflect Kurt Cobain’s reactions to Toby Vail’s rejection after their brief yet tricky romantic relationship, including anger, mania, and painful attachment (Song Facts Staff, n.d.). The text features constant repetitions of some key lines featuring madness and even the rejected lover’s masochism, with the vocalist asking his partner to “beat me out of me” (Nirvana, 2019, 2:00).
Personal Impressions
Although the song does not convey positive and productive moods, I enjoyed listening to it due to its unusual, “dirty” sound. Furthermore, I believe that it can be perceived as a love song of a new format in which feelings, including unbearable pain, are reduced and simplified.
References
Nirvana. (2019). Nirvana – Aneurysm (live at the Paramount, Seattle/1991) [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Song Facts Staff. (n.d.). Aneurysm by Nirvana. Song Facts. Web.
Loading...
