Nirvana - The Man Who Sold the World [Lyrics]
Recorded: 18 November 1993 Sony Music Studios, New York, NY, USA
Transmission: 16 December 1993 MTV Unplugged in NY
Lyrics
We passed upon the stair, we spoke in was and when
Although I wasn't there, he said I was his friend
Which came as a surprise,
I spoke into his eyes I thought you died alone, a long, long time ago
Oh no, not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
I laughed and shook his hand and made my way back home
I searched for further land, for years and years
I roamed
I gazed a gazeless stare with all the millions here
I must have died alone, a long, long time ago
Who knows? not me
I've never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
Who knows? not me
I've never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
Cobain - Thanks, that was a David Bowie song.
Grohl - What's next?
Cobain - I didn't screw it up did I?
Grohl - No.
Cobain - Ok, but here's another one I could screw up.
Grohl - What is it?
Cobain - Am I gonna do this... by myself?
Novoselic - Yeah, do it by yourself. Grohl - Do it by yourself.
Cobain - Ok, well, I think I'll try it in a different key, I'll try it in the normal key. Grohl - Yeah.
Cobain - If it sounds bad, these people are just going to have to wait.
Grohl - Do you have a smoke?
(The pitch was changed to avoid copyright issues)
Song Facts:
• This is a cover of a David Bowie song • This was the first Nirvana performance of the song, after it, this was played multiple times on 1994 including electric guitar versions
• In the wake of this cover, Bowie bemoaned the fact that when he performed the number himself he would encounter "kids that come up afterwards and say, 'It's cool you're doing a Nirvana song.' And I think, 'Fuck you, you little tosser!'"
• In his journals, Kurt ranked the album The Man Who Sold the World at number 45 in his top 50 favourite albums