Hope I die before I turn into Pete Townshend. It would look ridiculous to do what we're doing now when I'm 40. That's why I want to destroy my career before it's too late.
Interpretation
The quote reflects a desire for authenticity and fear of losing one's artistic integrity.
Kurt Cobain expresses a strong aversion to the idea of conforming to societal expectations as one ages, particularly regarding artistic expression. He suggests that maintaining a sense of rebelliousness and authenticity is crucial, and he is willing to take drastic measures, like destroying his career, to avoid becoming a caricature of himself, as he perceives others have done. This highlights the tension between longevity in a career and maintaining true artistic identity.
In practice
During a panel on the challenges of staying true to one's art as time passes.
I don't blame the average seventeen-year-old punk-rock kid for calling me a sellout. I understand that. And maybe when they grow up a little bit, they'll realize there's more things to life than living out your rock & roll identity so righteously.
Rape is one of the most terrible crimes on earth and it happens every few minutes. The problem with groups who deal with rape is that they try to educate women about how to defend themselves. What really needs to be done is teaching men not to rape. Go to the source and start there.
Thank you for the tragedy. I need it for my art.
I get a thrill meeting kids who are into alternative music.
The future of rock belongs to women.
I don't need to be inspired any longer, just supported.
Starting in the middle of a musical sentence and moving in both directions at once.
Color contributes to beauty, but it is not beauty. Color should have a minor part in the consideration of beauty, because it is not color but the structure that constitutes its essence.
great writers are indecent people they live unfairly saving the best part for paper. good human beings save the world so that bastards like me can keep creating art, become immortal. if you read this after I am dead it means I made it.
I'd much rather wait till my material is up to par, in my opinion, than rush it just so I can stay in the limelight a little longer.
I write a song because I want to. I think the moment you start writing it to make money, you're starting to kill yourself artistically.
I've always had great satisfaction out of writing the plays. I've not always had great satisfaction out of seeing them produced-although often I've had satisfaction there. When things go well in production, on opening there's no nicer feeling in the world-what could be nicer than watching an audience respond? You can't that from a book. It's a fine feeling to walk into the theater and see living people respond to something you've done.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.