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"Been a Son" is a song by the American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
, written by vocalist and guitarist
Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American musician who served as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona ...
. It was originally released on the ''
Blew "''Blew''" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the first song on the band's debut album ''Bleach'', released in June 1989 by Sub Pop. The song was re-released by the Tupelo record la ...
'' EP in November 1989, which charted at number 15 on the UK Indie Singles chart. A second studio version appears on the rarities compilation album '' Incesticide'', released in December 1992.


Origin and recording


Early history

Written in 1989, the earliest know version of "Been a Son" is a solo home demo, featuring Cobain on vocals, guitar and bass, that appeared on the compilation '' Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings'' in November 2015.


Blew EP

"Been a Son" was first recorded in the studio in September 1989 by
Steve Fisk Steve Fisk is an American, Washington-based audio engineer, record producer and musician. As a musician, he has been in bands such as the instrumental alternative/indie rock band Pell Mell and the electronic band Pigeonhed. He has long been as ...
at Music Source in
Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
. Of the five songs recorded, only two were officially released, with both "Been a Son" and "Stain" appearing on the ''Blew'' EP in December 1989. The session was Nirvana's first time recording on two inch, 24 track tape, and Fisk recalls that "when it was all over with, we played 'Been a Son' really loud on the big stupid speakers three times and stood up on the client tables in the back room and danced." Cobain would later dismiss this version of the song as "slower ndlamer" than the version later released on ''Incesticide''. However, American filmmaker, author and radio DJ Kurt St. Thomas called it the definitive take, saying it better displayed Nirvana's signature thrashing guitar sound and because of the more prominent
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
solo in the mix. In October 2002, it appeared on the band's first greatest hits album, ''
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
'', marking its first release since its appearance on ''Blew''.


Post-Blew EP

"Been a Son" was first performed live on October 8, 1989 at the Lif Ticket Lounge in
Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
, the show at which Nirvana also debuted the future ''
Nevermind ''Nevermind'' is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records. It was Nirvana's first release on a major label and the first to feature drummer Dave Grohl. Produced by Butch Vig, ''Neve ...
'' song, "
Breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...
", which was then called "Immodium". On September 25, 1990, Cobain performed a solo acoustic version of the song on the ''Boy Meets Girl'' show, hosted by Beat Happening vocalist and guitarist
Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson Jr., (born September 29, 1985) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Georgia Tech, where he twice ...
, on
KAOS (FM) KAOS (89.3 FM) is a hybrid college-community radio station licensed to The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. It broadcasts at a power of 1,250 watts and also streams via the Internet. The station offers radio broadcasting traini ...
in
Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County. It is southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region. European ...
. This version of the song was released on the posthumous Nirvana box set, ''
With the Lights Out ''With the Lights Out'' is a box set by the American rock band Nirvana released in November 2004. It contains three CDs and one DVD of previously rare or unreleased material, including B-sides, demos, and rehearsal and live recordings. The title ...
'', in November 2004. In July 1992, a live version of the song, recorded at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington on October 31, 1991, was released as a b-side on the third single from ''Nevermind'', for the song, "
Lithium Lithium (from el, λίθος, lithos, lit=stone) is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the least dense solid el ...
."


Incesticide

A second studio version of "Been a Son" was recorded for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
program ''The Evening Session'' by Miti Adhikari, at Maida Vale Studios in
London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...
on November 9, 1991. It was released on the rarities compilation ''Incesticide'' in December 1992.


Post-Incesticide

The final live performance of "Been a Son" was at the band's Bosnian Rape Victim Benefit show at the
Cow Palace The Cow Palace (originally the California State Livestock Pavilion) is an indoor arena located in Daly City, California, situated on the city's northern border with neighboring San Francisco. Because the border passes through the property, a por ...
in
Daly City Daly City () is the second most populous city in San Mateo County, California, United States, with population of 104,901 according to the 2020 census. Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, and immediately south of San Francisco (sharing its ...
, California, on April 9, 1993. The song was considered for the band's ''
MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
'' appearance in November 1993, but is not confirmed to have been rehearsed, and was not performed at the show.


Lyrics and composition

"Been a Son" represents one of Cobain's earliest commentaries on the issues of sex and gender. In his 1993 biography '' Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana'',
Michael Azerrad Michael Azerrad is an American author, music journalist, editor, and musician. A graduate of Columbia University, he has written for publications such as '' Spin'', ''Rolling Stone'', and ''The New York Times''. Azerrad's 1993 biography '' Come ...
described "the instantly catchy" song as being about "the plight of a girl whose parents would have preferred a boy." Jenn Pelly of ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' described it as "a comment on how patriarchy sees women as second-class citizens, on how it dictates what it thinks women should be."


Reception

"Been a Son" has been cited as one of the earliest examples of Nirvana's more melodic direction following the release of their 1989 debut album, ''
Bleach Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...
''. As author Chuck Crisafulli noted, Cobain suppressed his pop influences during the band's earliest years, but after the release of ''Bleach'', he became more outspoken and confident about professing his love of
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
and
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
during interviews. Fisk, who produced the first version of the song, said that the recording featured "Total Lennon harmonies, right out of ''
Rubber Soul ''Rubber Soul'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 3 December 1965 in the United Kingdom, on EMI's Parlophone label, accompanied by the non-album double A-side single "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work ...
''". Azerrad wrote that Cobain's vocals were "draped in most un-
Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...
-like harmonies", a reference to Nirvana's then-record label, best known for their heavier
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
sound that defined most of ''Bleach'', with the exception of " About a Girl". English musician Tim Arnold described the song as part of Nirvana's post-''Bleach'' "political thrust to the top of the charts." In his review of ''Incesticide'' for
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
cited "the terrific forgotten
indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...
tune 'Been a Son'" as one of the compilation's highlights. In 2015, ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' named "Been a Son" the 23rd best Nirvana song in their ''No Apologies: All 102 Nirvana Songs Ranked'' list. In 2019, ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' ranked it at number 11 on their list of ''Nirvana's 20 greatest songs''.


Certifications


Accolades


Other releases

*A live version, recorded at the
Pine Street Theatre La Luna (or LaLuna) was a rock-'n'-roll nightclub in Portland, Oregon, United States from 1992 to 1999. It played a central role in Portland's prominence during the emergence of grunge in that era, helping to propel bands from Portland and the sur ...
in
Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
on February 9, 1990, appeared on the 20th anniversary "Deluxe" edition of ''
Bleach Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...
'', which was released in November 2009 and featured the full Pine Street show as bonus material. *The full Paramount show, including "Been a Son," was released on DVD and Blu-Ray in November 2009 as '' Live at the Paramount''. *A live version, recorded at the Paradiso in
Amsterdam, the Netherlands Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
on November 25, 1991, appeared on the live compilation '' From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah'' in November 1996. Footage of this version was released on the bonus disc of the live video ''
Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! ''Nirvana: Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!'' is a live video by the American rock band Nirvana, directed by Kevin Kerslake, and released on November 15, 1994 on VHS and laserdisc. It was re-released on DVD on November 7, 2006. Background Conceived by ...
'' in November 2006, when it was first released on DVD. The full Paradiso show was released on CD and Blu-Ray in November 2021 on the 30th anniversary "Super Deluxe" version of ''Nevermind''. *The 30th anniversary "Super Deluxe" release of ''Nevermind'' also included the band's full show at the
Nakano Sunplaza , formerly Nakano Sun Plaza, is a hotel in Nakano, Tokyo. The hotel includes a concert hall, the Nakano Sunplaza Hall (formerly Nakano Sun Plaza Hall). Built in 1973,
in
Tokyo, Japan Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
on February 19, 1992, which featured a version of "Been a Son." *A live version, from the band's headlining set at the 1992
Reading Festival The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...
in
Reading, England Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, Southeast England, southeast England. Located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the rivers River Thames, Thames and River Kennet, Kennet, the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 mot ...
on August 30, 1992, appeared on the CD and DVD release ''
Live at Reading ''Live at Reading'' is a live CD/DVD by American rock music, rock band Nirvana (band), Nirvana, released on November 2, 2009. It features the band's headlining performance at the Reading and Leeds Festivals, Reading Festival in Reading, Berkshire ...
'' in November 2009.


References

{{authority control 1989 songs Nirvana (band) songs Songs written by Kurt Cobain Indie pop songs American pop punk songs