Jeff0015, I have a problem with your view of Cobain and I say this as a diehard fan of Cobain and Nirvana.
A little about me- I'm a few years younger than Cobain and grew up in Seattle. I was definitely part of the 'grunge' scene (we called it Punk or Waver, no one called themselves grunge but the media called us that). I saw him perform 3 or 4 times, along with a ton of other unknown bands.
I've always been intrigued by him, almost obsessed (in a good way), learning everything about his life, his inspiration, talents, etc. His music touched me a way most couldn't, as I too suffer from manic depression and had a bad childhood (mom abusive and dad a drug addict). I too was kicked out of the house by my manic mother and slept on the streets, fending off men that wanted to "take you home to a warm house". So in a way, I WAS just like Kurt.
Like him, I also play a few instruments and write. In my travels, though, I've found there are people just like him (and myself) all over the place, they're just not famous. When you call him a "Rock God" or put him up on a pedestal of idolatry, it just makes his suicide more clear. He couldn't handle it because of people like you. Putting so much pressure and expectations on a human being who was just banging out his feelings on a guitar.
He's been compared to Lennon, who also was a flawed human but put on a pedestal (ironically, worshiped because his life was also taken too early). If Paul McCartney had been killed, he'd be up there with Elvis. I thought about Marilyn Monroe and how she's on all these t-shirts, iconized in posters, movies, etc. If she were here as an 89 year old woman, would she be on all these popular media pieces? I don't believe so. Humans are romantic by nature and like to idolize other humans. If they die, we immortalize them as something higher to attain to or on such a high pedestal, they no longer are human.
Kurt had great ideas but so do many others. He raged against government, evils of corruption, etc but so many do this. He had a poet's heart but millions do too. It makes me think of an old man who mentored me as a young adult, he had a bluesy voice, wrote tender lyrics and had a deep well of wisdom about life. The only thing was he wasn't a drug addict, tortured soul or famous.
Please don't suggest there aren't "any like him". They're just trying to keep their head above water, working two jobs, paying for their house and keeping food in the fridge. It's not glamorous, so they'll never make the front page.
I can go on and on...But I'm kinda drunk and typing is kinda complicating right now,
reply
share