The Omnibus

Issue date: 4/15/04 Section: The Forum

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This month marks the 10th anniversary of the suicide of "anti-rock star" Kurt Cobain.  This rememberance is being followed by the media as one of the year's most notable events. Many music lovers mourn the loss of Cobain because of the incredible potential he had as a songwriter and leader of youth culture, potential that was wasted with his untimely death. I, on the other hand, mourn his loss because it symbolizes a somewhat neglected portion of America's culture that sorely needs to hear some good news.

This month marks the tenth anniversary of the death Kurt Cobain, the enigmatic lead singer and guitarist of the popular grunge band Nirvana.

Leader of the rock band Nirvana, Cobain, along with Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl helped revitalize and revolutionize rock 'n' roll at a time when quality was faltering in the market. In 1991 the American music scene looked a lot like it had in the mid-seventies before the Sex Pistols and the Ramones shocked it back to life with (a then new form of music) punk-rock.

Like the Sex Pistols and the Ramones, Nirvana's music focused on many of the same themes: rebellion, teen romance and sniffing glue. Cobain's lyrics, however, held a poetic quality not seen before.  These poems were not just representative of the songwriter, they acted as mirrors held up to the face of America's youth.  Cobain seemed to be writing straight from their journals.

For many Christians, the content of Nirvana's music may seem hard to swallow. Admittedly, songs like "I Hate Myself and Want to Die" and "Rape Me" may not be songs to sing in Sunday School, but the explicit language in some of these songs should not stop Christians from being knowledgeable about.

The punk subculture is a very open-minded group. Sure, much of the music is bleak and offensive, but this soul-baring quality of music allows people to share their feelings with each other in an intimate and honest way. Through the music of Nirvana and other secular groups, musicians and music-lovers alike are conveying to us what they do not like about themselves and Christianity.  Their music can be used as a great forum of discussion.  Let us use this unique opportunity to shed some light on their lives and possibly change them forever.

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