Meaning of "Rape Me" - Music - Forums : Best Ever Albums

revolver94
professional dilettante

Gender: Male
Age: 29
Location: DC suburb

My mom just heard me playing "Rape Me" by Nirvana and totally chewed me out. I need to prove to her that it's not some horribly offensive song. Does anyone know what Kurt Cobain meant by the lyrics? Thanks so much.

dp39

Location: Hell

Tell your mother "Mom you're just jealous it's the Beastie Boys!"

Well there is no "right" answer... I believe it is meant to be about depression and the media swamping him all the time, hence leading to his eventual suicide.
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Wombi

Apparently it is quite literally an anti-rape song.

revolver94
professional dilettante

Gender: Male
Age: 29
Location: DC suburb

I just found this quote

Quote:

“Basically, I was trying to write a song that supported women and dealt with the issue of rape. Over the last few years, people have had such a hard time understanding what our message is, what we’re trying to convey, that I just decided to be as bold as possible. How hard should I stamp this point? How big should I make the letters? It’s not a pretty image. But a woman who is being raped, who is infuriated with the situation…it’s like “Go ahead, rape me, just go for it, because you’re gonna get it.” I’m a firm believer in karma, and that motherfucker is going to get what he deserves, eventually. That man will be caught, he’ll go to jail, and he’ll be raped. “So rape me, do it, get it over with. Because you’re gonna get it worse.”

fellow

revolver94 wrote:

I just found this quote

Quote:

“Basically, I was trying to write a song that supported women and dealt with the issue of rape. Over the last few years, people have had such a hard time understanding what our message is, what we’re trying to convey, that I just decided to be as bold as possible. How hard should I stamp this point? How big should I make the letters? It’s not a pretty image. But a woman who is being raped, who is infuriated with the situation…it’s like “Go ahead, rape me, just go for it, because you’re gonna get it.” I’m a firm believer in karma, and that motherfucker is going to get what he deserves, eventually. That man will be caught, he’ll go to jail, and he’ll be raped. “So rape me, do it, get it over with. Because you’re gonna get it worse.”

Excellent quote. There are also a number of youtube clips of Kurdt explaining it in no uncertain terms. If you would like the musician to explain it to her face to face, "an anti-rape song. I repeat, an ANTI-rape song".
Also you could discuss with her his feminist views. There are plenty of examples in the book "Journals".
Good luck!

Happy

Gender: Male
Age: 29
Location: New Jersey

He said the songs on In Utero were mostly impersonal, and that they only sounded that way because he said a few lines relating to his personal life in a song. He said he didn't write Rape Me about the media, and he wrote it before they started going after him, but it can be interpreted that way.

Hayden

I'm sorry. your MOM chewed you out? d'oh!

Has she listened to the radio in the last 5 years? Much of that music has more offensive content than that song.
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revolver94
professional dilettante

Gender: Male
Age: 29
Location: DC suburb

Hayden wrote:

I'm sorry. your MOM chewed you out? d'oh!

Has she listened to the radio in the last 5 years? Much of that music has more offensive content than that song.

Wow thanks for that imagery... Confused

And no, she really hasn't. She's actually insane when it comes to lyrics, like if she thinks something is mildly objectionable she refuses to listen to it. Sometimes I'll play a song and ask if she likes it; a lot of the time she'll say "I don't know, I'd have to listen to the lyrics first." She also hates anything mildly heavy... She likes some good stuff, but I think it's on accident. She only likes it because it's so accessible and happy sounding, like Elton John or the Beach Boys.

Oh, this happened yesterday. We were driving in the car and I put Wilco on, specifically "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart." When she heard that line, she made me change it. Yeah, the line "I am trying to break your heart" is too offensive to her. What the actual fuck.

Thank god for college in two months...

Hayden

revolver94 wrote:

Wow thanks for that imagery... Confused

And no, she really hasn't. She's actually insane when it comes to lyrics, like if she thinks something is mildly objectionable she refuses to listen to it. Sometimes I'll play a song and ask if she likes it; a lot of the time she'll say "I don't know, I'd have to listen to the lyrics first." She also hates anything mildly heavy... She likes some good stuff, but I think it's on accident. She only likes it because it's so accessible and happy sounding, like Elton John or the Beach Boys.

Oh, this happened yesterday. We were driving in the car and I put Wilco on, specifically "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart." When she heard that line, she made me change it. Yeah, the line "I am trying to break your heart" is too offensive to her. What the actual fuck.

Thank god for college in two months...

REALLY??

I would go crazy. What does she think about Wu-Tang or OFWGKTA? Does she just think they don't exist or something?

I actually think that there's a lot of music on the radio that's inappropriate, and really shouldn't be played now that the main audience is 7-12 year olds. Nicki Minaj comes to mind.
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Necharsian
Best Ever User

Gender: Male

Kanye West sings about partying/sex = masterpiece

Nicki Minaj sings about partying/sex = shouldn't be allowed to be played on the radio

Excuse me while I eye roll Rolling Eyes