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.
In my writing, I want to be laid bare as a human being.
I personally made a decision many years ago that I wanted to crawl into portraiture because it had a lot of latitude.
I've always written songs the same way. You learn different tricks - you learn craft, you learn structure, all that - as you go.
I sure lost my musical direction in Hollywood. My songs were the same conveyer belt mass production, just like most of my movies were.
I tend to jot down moments, lines, interactions that don't really make any sense. I try and explain these scattered notes to my close friends, and they become more and more logical. I see screenwriting as a bit like a math equation which I have to solve.
One very important aspect of art is that it makes people aware of what they know and don’t know they know... Once the breakthrough is made, there is a permanent expansion of awareness. But there is always a reaction of rage, of outrage, at the first breakthrough... So the artist, then, expands awareness. And once the breakthrough is made, this becomes part of the general awareness.
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