In a recent article for Far Out , writer Tyler Golsen Nirvana 's classic album , "Lithium".
Kurt Cobain , who briefly turned to religion during his adolescence as a way to alleviate the weight of the reality he was immersed in, became a skeptical adult who was not deeply involved with the subject, despite his band's name making direct reference to a spiritual state mentioned in some Indian religions.
Karl Marx 's famous quote that "religion is the opium of the masses," and relates the idea of searching for something greater as a way of dealing with grief and loss and trying to make sense of what has no explanation – a theme that is addressed in "Lithium."
In the song, the narrator created by Cobain goes through moments of intense loneliness that lead him to sarcasm and irony, as addressed in the excerpt "I'm so happy because today I found my friends / They're in my head." In moments of despair and mental collapse, the narrator tries to convince himself that he won't break (I'm not gonna crack) and seeks comfort in religion "I light my candles in a trance because I found God."
The song title also references a mood-stabilizing medication, lithium, drawing a parallel with what religion represents – the search for stability and numbing of the senses. In his article, Tyler Golsen recalls a quote Kurt quoted to writer Michael Azerrad : “I always thought some people should have religion in their lives… and that’s okay. If it’s going to save somebody, okay. And the person in [“Lithium”] needed that.” Read the full article in English.
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