Nirvana: Lithium Meaning

Tagged: Drugs | Mental Illness [suggest]

Song Released: 1992

Lithium Lyrics

I'm so happy. Cause today I found my friends.
They're in my head. I'm so ugly. But that's ok.
'Cause so are you. We've broke our mirrors.
Sunday morning. Is everyday for all I care.
And I'm not scared. Light my candles. In a daze cause I've...

Write your interpretation

Notify me of new interps

1TOP RATED

#1 top rated interpretation:
anonymous
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
Jul 30th 2006 !⃝
There was some comment about the first entry being 'copied and pasted' from another site and so for that reason dismissed it. However, I think it is correct when it references the notion of religion as the 'opiate of the masses'. Religion is the drug!

The title 'lithium' is used in a somewhat generic way. Perhaps chosen at random to represent the drug that religion is. But more likely as a very clever metaphor because lithium is a drug that would tend to nuetralize the ups and downs of a persons bi-ploar condition. Similarly, there are people that use religion as a way to feel better about (or nuetralize) the ups and downs of everyday life knowing that everything will be good in the afterlife. Meanwhile, they live their life 'in a daze'.

The lines "i'm so ugly, but that's okay, cause so are you" refer to the notion that everyone is with sin (ugly).

The lines "i'm so excited, I can't wait to meet you there" obvously refer to the afterlife...Heaven, I suppose.

The lines "i'm so horny, but that's okay, my will is good" refer to the general limitations placed on sex by religion.

I could go on with other lines and how I feel they fit the notion of relgion as the 'opiate of the masses'. But I'm sure my ramblings are getting tiresome already. So I'll cut it off here.
2TOP RATED

#2 top rated interpretation:
anonymous
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
Jan 3rd 2006 !⃝
The song "Lithium" describes bi-polar disorder, also known as manic depression. Bi-polar disorder is characterized by episodes of frantic highs (mania) and catastophic lows (depression). There is some debate about whether Kurt Cobain suffered from bi polar disorder, but there is no doubt that the lyrics describe a number of the condition's most common symptoms:

"friends ... In my head" - hallucinations (both manic and depressiev)
"I'm so ugly .. So are you" and "I'm so lonely..." and "I'm to blame..." and "Sunday morning ..."- in depression, feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, dissociation and distrust of others
".. I found God" and "my will is good" - bi-polar disorder can lead people to re-examine their beliefs and their faiths. On a less healthy note, sufferers who experience psychotic episodes sometimes come to believe they have been chosen by God or that they have tapped into a spiritual truth that others cannot perceive. Delusions of grandeur / an exaggerated belief in one's power or influence is relatively common in severe mania.
"I'm so excited..." and "I'm so horny.." - both an elevated mood/energy and increased sexual drive are very common symptoms of mania.
The chorus of "I like it.... etc" reflects the frenzy, desperation and intensity of a bi polar condition. Some sufferers are aware they are bi polar but choose not to medicate as they do not wish to lose the manic highs. The progression of "I like it, I miss you, I love you, I kill you" reflects trying unsuccessfully to ride out a manic episode, an being determined not to crack.
The structure of the song itself is reminscent of bi polar disorder and its irrational thought patterns and short attention spans, jumping rapidly from image to image with little or no connection.

Lithium itself is the most common treatment of bi polar disorder, and is also used in treatment of schizophrenia. However, it carries its own horrors. It is relatively toxic and it is common to experience tremors, nausea, diarrhea, lethargy and dehyrdation. It can cuase damage to kidneys and thyroid. It can also leave the sufferer feeling tired, dull, empty and lost.

People interested in songs about bi polar disorder should check out Macy Gray's "Relating to a Psychopath". I also like "Girl Anachronism" by the Dresden Dolls.
3TOP RATED

#3 top rated interpretation:
illumanati76
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
Oct 31st 2005 !⃝
The first interpreter got that little description from the Nirvana website, and probably doesn't understand the terminology outside of "Copy & Paste."

The song is a contradiction, the high & lows of being bi-polar. (Doesn't necessarily mean he was, just because he spoke about it) It's a contradictory, 1st person narrative mixed with a dark, yet radiant humor, which made the song sound borderline insane and interesting. Truly craftsmanship at its finest.

And whats this shit about making explosives with Lithium? Perhaps some people should rest assure their uncertainities about sanity, quiet as kept.
anonymous
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
Aug 6th 2021 !⃝
"Light my candles"
-:a ritual, much like the ritual of getting high or injecting drugs.

"In a daze cause I found God"
-: literally him saying being high is god, being high is heaven,going to stay in a daze and out of this world.

"I'm so ugly, that's okay cause so are you"
-:him and his friends don't care about looks, popularity, anything materialistic that's meant to cause conflict between people. They are cool with each other and nothing else matters.

" I'm so horny"
-: probably mocking sex. Most heroin users say that they would rather do heroin than have sex. He is probably making fun of people who brag about being whores or sluts because they don't like it when he brags about loving drugs more than anything. Also, he just really wants to " get off" all the time...

Friends in his head are people that allow him or enable him to do drugs, because those people treat him how he likes and he would call them a friend.

Like, if you never did hard drugs, most of this guy's intelligence and ability is going over your head. Yes he was smart, but he was a smart drug user and proud of it. He constantly makes little jabs at how things are and how they should be to the rest of society and that nothing matters to him because he already found what makes him feel complete.
anonymous
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
May 26th 2016 !⃝
A heavy and bittersweet song about a tormented individual who was at one time a very lively soul ''spiritually searching'' for Love and friendship, raised unfortunately in a society influenced mostly by secular thinking that became addicted to drugs to the point that his earlier Christian beliefs clashed in a mental collapse that needed to be treated in Rehab and settled to balance the moods with ''Lithium''. Now he is imagining and expressing how someone did and may have felt on it. Along with the religion he's turned on again to be saved that can bring on a ''transcendence expierience'' of ecstacy if it is believed and thaught by the right individual, without being addicted to lithium or any other drug for that matter, otherwise it can be very dangerous mentally if the person wasn't raised by a religious upbringing on a regular bases, then all of the sudden mixes the two together, meaning ''religion and drugs[lithium]'' to be saved and healed, where it's possible he can become even more disillusioned and depressed, but also very happy with finding his friends that are in his head now that distanced himself mentally from their bad habits that might have influenced him the on the outside.
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
burayan
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
Mar 20th 2015 !⃝
This song is about Kurt Cobain travelling to an alternate spiritual dimension. You notice this not from the lyrics but from the nuances all through the track. For instance, the tempo of the song. He intentionally chose a slow tempo in the intro to signify his longing for transcedental elation. It was a plea to the powers that be to let him in; sort of humbling himself so that he could be transformed. Next, notice the prolonged periods in which he sang, "yeeeeeeeahhhhhh". Kurt is undoubtedly the greatest lyricist that has ever walked the face of the earth and yet he chose this mediocre (to say the least) word as a hook. If you look closely, you will realise that it was a reverence to meditation. In most religions, meditation involves putting your soul into a state of nothingness in order to align yourself with the forces of the universe (some call it god). Therefore, by repeating the same word for a long time, Cobain affirming to his meditative tendencies. As for other nuances, I will not explain them in this post but you get the gist. Look for them yourself. You are welcome.
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
anonymous
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
Sep 9th 2014 !⃝
Lithium is actually a naturally occurring salt rather than a drug. Everyone has it in there body in minute amounts. It competes with sodium in the body. I take it for mild bipolar works really well. Most people with bipolar are not either aggressive or behave in a unusual way infact you probably wouldn't know the difference just as like any other person
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
anonymous
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
Jun 3rd 2013 !⃝
This song is about~ Being Christian. not being able to follow it. Denying yourself, feeling like shit and alienated because of it, then accepting it, even though it doesn't make you happy. " Im not gonna crack" Im just gonna keep on feeling all this bull shit thats not really there. * Nailed it*

Hornbuckle
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
christian.beltran.54540
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
Oct 21st 2012 !⃝
Personally I think that the song is a story about a man whose girlfriend dies from an STD and becomes a Christian "as a last resort to keep himself alive. To keep him from suicide" -Kurt Cobain

"Sunday morning is everyday for all I care.
And I'm not scared. Light my candles. In a daze cause I've found God" = the protagonist becoming religious

"I'm so excited. I can't wait to meet you there." = The protagonist being excited to meet her at Heaven or at her house for sex.

"And just maybe I'm to blame for all I've heard. And I'm not sure/I killed you. I'm not gonna crack" = The girlfriend died from an STD that he gave her

"I'm so horny. But that's ok. My will is good." Ironic because his will gave in. :)
anonymous
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
Aug 11th 2012 !⃝
I believe this song is about someone who has lost a loved who, and becomes depressed because he feels it was his fault, or he could have done more, as many of us feel when we lose a loved one. However, this man becomes so depressed, that he has no other choice, but to become religious, mainly christian .
"I'm so happy. Cause today I found my friends."
He is happy because he has found his "friends", since they are in his head, this is, in my mind, a reference to God.

"Sunday morning. Is everyday for all I care."

Sunday is an important day in the Christian faith.

"And I'm not scared. Light my candles. In a daze cause I've found god."

He is not scared to die, and in fact he wants to(see later) because now he has "found God" which is his "friend in his head."

"and just maybe
I'm to blame for all I've heard. And I'm not sure."

The person feels he is the one to blame for his loved ones death, but he is not so very sure. I think he is unsure, because he is high. We can see many drug references as well such as:

" I'm so ugly. But that's ok.
'Cause so are you. We've broke our mirrors."

Drugs are self-deprecating, and breaking mirrors might refer to a way to snort cocaine.

"I'm so excited. I can't wait to meet you there."

He can't wait to go to Heaven to see his loved one.

"I like it. I'm not gonna crack.
I miss you. I'm not gonna crack.
I love you.I'm not gonna crack.
I killed you. I'm not gonna crack. (x2)"

This is the part where I really feel the separation from a religious sort of song, from a drug son comes into play. I think possibly he is using God as a way to make sure he doesn't commit suicide! But he can't wait to see him(last verse), yet committing suicide is a sin, thus he wouldn't get to see his loved one.

Just my thoughts...
ViaMonstrosity16
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
Jun 27th 2012 !⃝
Ok, for the person who said Kurt Cobain was murdered....

You're completely WRONG!
He killed himself in 1994 in his house.
He shot himself in the face.

He even left his goodbye note.

My mother was a teenager during that time, and she said he was shot, it even was said on the news.

No, he wasn't murdered. He didn't have a drug overdose.

He was so overwhelmed with his depression he just couldn't take it anymore, so he took his own life.

It all started when his parents divorced. I feel terrible because he wouldn't say anything to anyone.

But...

Like i said..

He committed suicide.. He wasn't murdered.
How do I know? I have a book about him of his whole life. His family was interviewed, and that's how it came to be. And I also have a mother who is a huge Nirvana fan xD lol!

Oh and this song is about having manic depression, known as bi-polar disorder :P but you guys knew that already :D

Ok, bye now! <3
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
anonymous
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
May 4th 2012 !⃝
Speaking to the first "interpretation" and all those that follow that focus on the way the song seems to refer to the highs and lows experienced by people who have bi-polar disorder: OK, just wrong. (and, BTW, hallucinations are NOT a symptom of bi-polar, but belong to schizoid illnesses.) As someone with experience in all these things, but wasn't when the album came out: the lyrics speak to the thoughts and emotions that one still has while ON lithium, but doesn't have the energy or care to do anything about. He's not gonna crack 'cause he's too medicated to get upset enough to crack (and here I really know what I'm talking about). This is the side of mental illness that can drive some people, esp. perhaps the creative among us who need the intensity to be productive, to suicide: I can live, but I won't feel anything. That's what (the experience of being on) Lithium is about: here are all these things happening, things I'm noticing, and they're just floating by, not touching me.
anonymous
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
Mar 8th 2012 !⃝
Hey Guys. When Kurt was growing up he lived with a short time with a friend who was christian. Kurt got saved and was christian for a little while. This song is about his experiance during that time.
anonymous
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
Nov 26th 2011 !⃝
kurt had depression based on the contrast that he had between, how he used to say, "his own world" in his head and the real world.
he used to fantasy a lot, creat a total different world on his own head. it's clear when he said that even on his childhood he used to pretend that he was kind of alian's son.
"I'm so happy /'Cause today I've found my friends/They're in my head" on this part is "his world" on his head
"I'm so ugly but that's okay,'Cause so are you, we broke our mirrors" on this part shows he's insecure and he ignoring that
anonymous
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
Sep 24th 2011 !⃝
This song is about a man dealing with depression from the death of his girl friend. In the song he finds god and this prevent him from commitong suicide. This info was derived from an interview with his producer i heard on NPR.
anonymous
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
Jul 20th 2011 !⃝
i think this song is about how he had confused emotions. He was diagnosed bipolar, and lithium is used to treat bipolar disorder. i also interpret the part how he says " Sunday morning, is every day for all i care," he is not a christian or it means nothing to him, since Sunday is sabbath day and christians go to church on Sunday"light my candles, in a glaze cause i found god" he is refering to how religion can cause people to become blind to worldly problems and are to focused on their religion and closed minded. Mainly through out the song he is mixing his emotions to happiness, sadness, anger, and sexual, and he is confused which is what bipolar people experience.
sunnybrook
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
May 30th 2011 !⃝
Lithium is drug that balances your mood. it keeps your from being manic or depressed.
anonymous
1

2

3

4

5

click a star to vote
May 28th 2011 !⃝
i dont know what the lyrics means but i think it talks about kurts life as a child because he lived with a religious family in one point of his life so he says (Sunday morning is everyday for all I care ) because they used to prey every day and not just on sundays and then he talks about his sins so and at the chorus he doesnt want to crack and give him self away to depression although he carries alot of emotions that goes between happiness and sadness (i like you.... happiness , i kill you ... sadness that carries alot of hate .
but am just 16 so i cant tell what he really meant but still nirvana rules :D:D
signed by :: reem :D

‹ prev 12345 next ›

More Nirvana songs »

Latest Articles

Submit Your Interpretation

Nirvana Songs

Blog posts mentioning Nirvana

Yet Another List of Bad Song Covers

Buy the Soundtrack, Skip the Movie : Singles (1992)

My Music Story: Alice in Chains

This is Some Quality Garbage

The Wonderful World of WFMU Radio

Return of the Unique One-Hit Wonder Stories

Kurt Cobain’s Love-Hate Relationship With Punk Rock

The Rise and Fall of Glam Rock

The (Hidden) Impact of MTV Unplugged

Fads Inspired By Music Artists

The Lifecycle of Your Favourite Band

Night of the Zombie Genres: They should be dead, so why aren't they?

Dictionary Dartboard - Songs with deliberately meaningless lyrics.

Just Posted

Amnesia	anonymous
Your Smiling Face	anonymous
You Should Be Dancing	anonymous
Washing Machine Heart	anonymous
Souvenirs	anonymous
Art Deco	anonymous
Let It Go	anonymous
The Greatest Show	anonymous
Vampire	anonymous
Vampire	anonymous
Sippy Cup	anonymous
A Place For My Head	anonymous
I Hope You Dance	anonymous
Metaphor	anonymous
Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)	anonymous