Report an error / Discuss
 
You Know You're Right

Status
Nirvana Song


Song Author
Kurt Cobain


Writing Period


Recording Session(s)
January 28 - 30, 1994 - Bob Lang's Studio, Seattle, recorded by Adam Kasper


Notes
"In late January 1994, Cobain, Novoselic, and Grohl entered Bob Lang's studio in Seattle for their final recording session. Following a long jam, they captured this powerful tune in one take, including the gut-wrenching vocal -- a spooky, ambient intro of echoed harmonics and a fractured guitar solo."
Jim DeRogatis
Spin magazine, June 2002, page 72



"Lyrically, the verses were tightly crafted, with a haunting, tormented chorus of 'You know you're right.' The first verse was a list of declarations beginning with, 'I would never bother you / I would never promise to / If I say that word again / I would move away from here.' One couplet -- that could only come from Kurt Cobain -- went: 'I am walking in the piss / Always knew it would come to this.' The second verse shifts to statements about a woman -- 'She just wants to love herself' -- and closes with two lines that have to be sarcastic: 'Things have never been so swell / And I have never been so well.' The plaintive wail in the chorus couldn't be clearer: 'Pain,' he cried, stretching the word out for almost ten seconds, giving it four syllables, and leaving an impression of inescapable torment."
Charles R. Cross
Heavier Than Heaven, page 306



Hole performed this song during their Unplugged session.


News that mentions this song:


The studio version of the song was supposedly going to surface in May 2002. A fan in Europe claimed to have received it from a buddy, who was rumored to have obtained the song off of a CD with Probot material. (Probot is a Dave Grohl side project.) News of this traveled quickly and eventually the fan was contacted by Jim Barber, Courtney Love's manager and boyfriend.

On Saturday, September 21st, 2002 news that the song had leaked began to circulate on the Internet. A three minute and thirty-five second track suddenly sprang up on file trading programs around the world. On Monday, September 23rd, the song began to get airplay on radio stations around the world.

Charles Cross, author of Heavier Than Heaven has been quoted as saying that a superior version of "You Know You're Right" was played for him while writing his book. At this time there is speculation that a superior mix of the song has been made. Some fans also suspect the leak was planned in order to gain free publicity and the leaked version is missing a verse.


 
Availability


Alternate/Working Titles
None Documented


Common Mislabels
All Apologies
On The Mountain
I Know You're Right
Know Your Rights
You Got No Right
You've Got No Right


Mislabels in the Bootography
Autopilot
I'm A Mountain


Lyrics
1994 - Studio version (interpretation)

I will never bother you
I will never promise to
I will never follow you
I will never bother you

Never speak a word again
I will crawl away for good

I won't move away from here
You won't be afraid of fear
No thought was put into this
Always knew it would come to this

Things have never been so swell
I have never failed to fail

Pain - 3x
You know you're right - 3x

I'm so warm and calm inside
I no longer have to hide
There's talk about someone else
Sterling silver begins to melt

Nothing really bothers her
She just wants to love herself

I won't move away from here
You won't be afraid of fear
No thought was put into this
Always knew it would come to this

Things have never been so swell
I have never failed to fail

Pain - 5x
You know you're right - 17x

There is a faded vocal track towards the
end of the song where Kurt screams "Pain"
four times under the repeated
"You know you're right" outro vocals



1993.10.23 - Chicago, IL (interpretation 1, by DN member bambi)

I don't need to come again
I don't sigh or mope again
I don't need to love again
Somewhere I don't know
I don't really love her
I don't bare (bear?) to love her
Ain't gonna take to love again
somewhere I love it
Someway I like again
Kurt Cobain not again
Come on, come on, dancer
I don't bare to love again

You turned our monuments
I don't bare (bear?) to follow you
I don't ever promise you
since there died a lot of you
Look at how ?? it is
look away (and mope again?)
Pain
Pain
Pain
Pain
Pain
You know you're

You don't really follow him
Teach him that I like him
I will never promise you
I won't even bother to
I don't need this kiss
I don't think I want it now
I don't need to mope again
There's somewhere I don't like (that's something that I don't have)
Kiss him where I love him
kiss somewhere out of town (kiss him, well, I don't care)
Come on with your must have (moustache?)
I don't think I want
Pain
Pain
Pain
Pain
Pain
You know you're.



1993.10.23 - Chicago, IL (interpretation 2)

I don't need to love again
I won't sigh and mope again
I just don't need to love again
I just don't think it's worth it
I don't really love her
I don't think I want her
Ain't gonna take to love again
It's the way your love hurts
It's the way you're mad again
I don't think I'll love again
I won't ever promise her
I don't think I want her

This time no one else
I don't bear to follow you
I don't ever promise you
Sometimes I don't love you
Think I'm tired of loving her
I don't really want love

Pain (x5)
You know you're right

You told me to follow him
Teach him that I loved him
I won't ever promise you
I won't even bother to
You gave me my first kiss
I don't think I want it now
I don't ever want again
It's all that I had to have
It's all that I wanted
It's all that I had to
I don't think I'll miss her
I don't think I want her

Pain (x5)
You know you're right



From Hole's Unplugged

I would never bother you
I would never promise to
I would never bother you
I would never promise to
If I say that word again
I would move away from here
You won't be afraid of fear
You won't be afraid of fear
You won't be afraid of fear
I am walking in the piss
Always knew it would come to this
Things have never been so swell
And I have never felt so well
You know you're right
You know you're right
You know you're right

Whistle and I'll come inside
I no longer have to hide
Let's talk about someone else
She just wants to love herself
She moves away from here
She just wants to love herself
I won't move from here
You won't be afraid of fear
I won't move from here
You won't be afraid of fear
I am walking in the piss
Always knew it would come to this
Things have never been so swell
And I have never been so well
You know you're right
You know you're right
You know you're right
Maybe you're right...





Top of Page



DN Quick Links: Discography | Bootography | Happening | Session Guide | Song Guide | Video Guide | Forums