Picture this - Sturgill Simpson doing a Nirvana song. That sounds pretty wacky in itself. But in reality, it's not quite so far-fetched. Per Whiskey Riff, "He's been putting on epic three-hour live performances, and even dug up a classic cover for the set list again, singing Nirvana's 'In Bloom....'" Sturgill is no stranger to this particular song. In fact, he performed it nine years ago. The late Kurt Cobain-written track may have reflected his ardor for hoping to be a Johnny Cash type of songwriter and singer.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Cobain occupies a special place in the music stratosphere. He reportedly preferred that "In Bloom" be Nirvana's "first major label debut single." It turned out to be not the case, though. That honor went to another classic song, "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
Sturgill Simpson Reverently Tipped His Hat To Kurt Cobain With This Cover
When Simpson worked on his album A Sailor's Guide to Earth, he selected "In Bloom" as one of its tracks. Per the outlet via Rolling Stone, he shared, "I remember in seventh or eighth grade when that album dropped, it was like a bomb went off in my bedroom."
Simpson added, "For me, that song has always summed up what it means to be a teenager, and I think it tells a young boy that he can be sensitive and compassionate, he doesn't have to be tough or cold to be a man. I wanted to make a very beautiful and pure homage to Kurt."
The outlet raved about Simpson's iteration of the memorable tune. "...[I]t's rare for anyone to do Kurt Cobain justice, and it's just impeccable."
Cobain Was Supposedly Ambivalent About Being A Rock Star
The Nirvana frontman was a complex person. Per American Songwriter via Rolling Stone, the band;s bassist, Krist Novoselic, said, ""You could read into them [Cobain's lyrics] anything you want... Kurt — I would call him a windmill... He wanted to be a rock star — and he hated it."
We can only guess at Cobain's take on Simpson's version of "In Bloom." Per the outlet, "What would Cobain think of the country singer's adaptation of 'In Bloom?' It's too much to imagine what the world would be like if he was still with us, but Cobain would probably love the song."
