“About a Girl” is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by the band’s frontman, Kurt Cobain. It is one of the standout tracks from their debut album, “Bleach,” released in 1989. The song later gained even more recognition with its inclusion on the band’s 1994 MTV Unplugged in New York album, released after Cobain’s death.
Kurt Cobain wrote “About a Girl” after spending an entire day listening to Meet The Beatles! The song stands out on “Bleach” for its relatively pop-oriented melody, contrasting with the heavier grunge sound that characterizes much of the album. According to Cobain, the song was about his then-girlfriend, Tracy Marander, who had complained that he never wrote songs about her.
The lyrics of “About a Girl” are relatively straightforward compared to Cobain’s later, more cryptic writing style. The song deals with themes of romantic frustration and ambivalence. The lines “I can’t see you every night, free” reflect Cobain’s feelings about the pressures and complexities of his relationship with Marander. Musically, “About a Girl” features a simple yet catchy chord progression and melody. The song’s structure and sound show Cobain’s ability to blend punk rock energy with pop sensibility. The original “Bleach” version is raw and unpolished, while the acoustic version from the MTV Unplugged performance highlights the song’s melodic strengths.
While not initially released as a single, “About a Girl” A live, acoustic version, recorded during Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged appearance in November 1993, was released as a single in October 1994, to promote the album MTV Unplugged in New York. It was the first single released since Cobain’s death in April 1994, reaching number one on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart.