Nirvana - Drain You
(3:44)235,604 listeners : 1,009,949 plays
Listening now: Xinco
Videos for this track
See more
About this track
“Drain You” is a song by American rock band Nirvana, and the eighth track from the band’s 1991 breakthrough album Nevermind.
According to Nevermind producer Butch Vig on the Classic Albums: Nevermind DVD, “Drain You” had more guitar overdubs than any other song on the album: one clean track and five distorted tracks. Cobain tended to dislike heavily overdubbed songs, and so Vig had to tell Cobain lies, such as that tracks did not record right or were out of tune, in order to get him to do so many takes. Some of the strange noises during the middle section of the song are caused by children’s toys Cobain brought into the studio. In his biography of Kurt Cobain Heavier than Heaven, biographer Charles Cross wrote, “When Kurt was questioned about the song he said he had made a lot of it up on the spot but that the first line…was particularly important to the interpretation of the song…”
On the Nevermind version, Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic tuned their instruments a whole step down. In concert, however, “Drain You” was generally played in whatever tuning the band was using throughout the rest of the concert — generally standard tuning in earlier concerts (prior to the 1992 Pacific Rim tour in support of Nevermind) and half-step-down in later concerts. The song’s verse is based around a conventional chord progression of four power chords B, D#, G#, C#, the riff (F#)- E -C# for the choruses, and a chorus ending of B, A, G#.
According to Nevermind producer Butch Vig on the Classic Albums: Nevermind DVD, “Drain You” had more guitar overdubs than any other song on the album: one clean track and five distorted tracks. Cobain tended to dislike heavily overdubbed songs, and so Vig had to tell Cobain lies, such as that tracks did not record right or were out of tune, in order to get him to do so many takes. Some of the strange noises during the middle section of the song are caused by children’s toys Cobain brought into the studio. In his biography of Kurt Cobain Heavier than Heaven, biographer Charles Cross wrote, “When Kurt was questioned about the song he said he had made a lot of it up on the spot but that the first line…was particularly important to the interpretation of the song…”
On the Nevermind version, Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic tuned their instruments a whole step down. In concert, however, “Drain You” was generally played in whatever tuning the band was using throughout the rest of the concert — generally standard tuning in earlier concerts (prior to the 1992 Pacific Rim tour in support of Nevermind) and half-step-down in later concerts. The song’s verse is based around a conventional chord progression of four power chords B, D#, G#, C#, the riff (F#)- E -C# for the choruses, and a chorus ending of B, A, G#.
Albums featuring this track
Similar Tracks
| Track | Duration | Listeners | |||
 |
Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun full track | 5:19 | 188,587 | ||
|
|
Pearl Jam - Alive full track | 5:39 | 197,810 | ||
|
|
Pearl Jam - Jeremy full track | 5:18 | 179,120 | ||
|
|
The Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet With Butterfly Wings | 4:16 | 226,662 | ||
|
|
Alice in Chains - Rooster | 6:39 | 122,667 | ||
|
|
The Smashing Pumpkins - Zero | 2:40 | 213,149 |
Shouts
-
homestar2525 wrote:
youuuu
-
LuisKxD wrote:
awsome
-
vclarav wrote:
ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my... I love this song... so many memories from the 90s...
-
veryangrybunny wrote:
Chew your meat for you. Pass it back and forth. In a passionate kiss. From my mouth to yours. I like you. --- Great lyrics!
-
andi___ wrote:
kick ass song my nirvana favourite
-
giorgiopolato wrote:
Long Live Nirvana!
-
MarshallStaxx wrote:
The middle section is the 'Bohemian Rhapsody' of Nevermind. It's true, Dave Grohl told me.
-
adam-454 wrote:
Love the start.
-
Dawnaic wrote:
Alyways my favorite Nirvana song.
-
mattmacneil wrote:
I think over the years I've been listening to Nirvana, the songs grow old and tired, but this one always seemed to stay fresh.
-
bgmont wrote:
I totally agree with you!absolutely right,2coolqueenie!!
-
2coolqueenie wrote:
no matter how mainstream nirvana turned into. those songs are still so powerful. damn it.
-
DracoSlain wrote:
R.I.P. Kurt Cobain his spirit shall live on forever through his music.
-
misschristina85 wrote:
teenage daydream.
-
marcozzz2008 wrote:
NIRVANA!!! ke recuerdos, llevaba mucho tiempo sin oirlos
-
edfrancis15 wrote:
Nirvana never bested this one. Except maybe for Serve The Servants...
-
karmarmalade wrote:
this song makes me smile...nirvana has that sort of effect on me
-
Nightswimmerr wrote:
three fine young men from seatle..
-
dr_abstractor wrote:
mine too!
-
rock4ever264 wrote:
I love Nirvana. SOmetimes I feel like I was born in the wrong time era. Everyone at my school hates everything besides rap so you no one likes me. ROCK FOR EVER!!!
Listeners
-
Xinco
Listening now
-
bensnape
Listening now
-
Allerschlurfste
Listening now
-
PetraFardigs
Top Listener
-
sixhours
Top Listener
-
Gatts
Top Listener
Recent Activity
- manka_099 loved Drain You. 18 minutes ago
- rafaellbc loved Drain You. 6 hours ago
- god_zeus69 loved Drain You. 7 hours ago
- Gamespot added Drain You to Gamespot’s library. 10 hours ago
- jakque loved Drain You. 11 hours ago
- balloonpablo added Drain You to the playlist top songs. 12 hours ago
- evilangela tagged Drain You with ‘rock band’. yesterday evening
- flathead111 added Drain You to flathead111’s library. yesterday evening
- delphaber loved Drain You. yesterday evening
- Murxelse added Drain You to the playlist Murxelses Playlist. yesterday evening
Related Journals
-
Post-Op Playlist
by elchinolatino |
11 Jul 2008 | 
1 comment
-
Game:lyrics shuffle PART 2
by MelliL91 |
10 May 2008 | 19 comments
-
Big 10-Nirvana Songs
by DanceHallJihad |
22 Mar 2008 | 7 comments
