10 Rock Songs Written Completely By Accident

As much overplay as it received through the years, Smells Like Teen Spirit is one of those few iconic songs that hasn't lost its luster. When people think of classic songs like Blowin in the Wind or Stairway to Heaven, Kurt Cobain definitely earned his spot among the greats with the title alone. Although it might sound cool out loud, the original meaning behind it was a lot more demeaning than you might think.

Instead of poring over his guitar for hours, the phrase "smells like teen spirit" was written in graffiti on Kurt's apartment walls by Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill. So where did she come up with this phrase? Did she think that Kurt had the potential to be an icon of the adolescent generation? Well...no....it just comes down to deodorant.

Yeah, around the same time that Nirvana was cutting Nevermind, the popular deodorant Teen Spirit was also a high seller, and had a scent that was apparently similar to that of Cobain's. While it may have been meant as a joke, Cobain was deadly serious when he wrote the song, putting together bits and pieces of phrases to craft one of the most enraged song of apathy ever created. Because if there's anything that you should you remember about Nirvana's legacy, it's great music, a mountain of emotion, and the prevention of BO.