10 Rock Songs Written About Real People
4. Polly - Nirvana
Kurt Cobain was not one to wax poetic throughout any of Nirvana's hits. While some Nirvana songs dealt with difficult subjects, Cobain always maintained that the melody was always the focus, with the lyrics almost being an afterthought. When approaching the acoustic cut "Polly," things slowly started to turn a page.
The lyrics of this song come from a news article Cobain had read about a woman who was sexually assaulted and tortured at a rock show in Washington. In an attempt to break free, she decided to pretend to have chemistry with her attacker, which led to him letting his guard down and her escaping.
Cobain was really taken aback by the story and wrote "Polly" around the tale, with Cobain himself taking the point of view of the torturer. With its barebones structure, this song is one of the most haunting tracks the band would ever deliver.
Beyond this single track, "Polly" was artistically significant in showing Nirvana's strong advocacy for women's rights. Cobain even went on to put in the liner notes of the B-sides compilation Incesticide that he looks with disdain on any Nirvana fan showing any form of bigotry. From this one song, Nirvana broke down the barriers of hard rock machismo and called for alt-rock equality.