3 Grunge Songs That Might Need Rehab

When music scholars look back at the late ’80s and early ’90s to consider the sonic phenomenon that was grunge, a few things become instantly clear. The sound born in Seattle, Washington, took over the world thanks to its dark, sludgy rock sounds. The genre’s prominent frontmen were stars amongst stars. And drugs had an oversized influence.

Sadly, the result of all that depressive music and drug use was the passing of many of the most important people from the sound—namely, folks like Kurt Cobain, Andrew Wood, Layne Staley, and, later, Chris Cornell and Mark Lanegan. But because drug use was often at the core of grunge songs and bands, the stuff seeped its way into the songs’ subject matter, too.

Here, we wanted to examine three grunge songs that talk openly about drugs. A trio of tracks that are so steeped in the stuff that they should actually stop what they’re doing and go to rehab. Consider this a musical intervention.

“River of Deceit” by Mad Season from Above (1995)

In 1995, several of grunge’s biggest names got together to form a band. That group, called Mad Season, included Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin, and Alice in Chains lead singer Layne Staley. The collective only put out one album, Above, and the lead single from that LP was “River of Deceit.”

That track was a heart-on-his-sleeve offering from Staley about how his life is controlled by drug use, and any attempt to dismiss that would be a lie. Indeed, he opens the song with the lyric: My pain is self-chosen. In 2002, Staley died due to his drug use. When his body was found, he weighed 80 pounds.

“Dumb” by Nirvana from In Utero (1993)

Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain is known for many things. His electric, growling singing voice. His blonde hair and handsome features. His band that became a global draw. But none of this would have mattered if he didn’t write pitch-perfect, tight songs.

“Dumb” is no different. There is so much nuance on the track, so much pristine lyricism. In part of the song, he croons about huffing glue and getting wasted, offering,

My heart is broke
But I have some glue
Help me inhale
And mend it with you
We’ll float around
And hang out on clouds
Then we’ll come down

And have a hangover
Have a hangover
Have a hangover
Have a hangover

“Gonna See My Friend” by Pearl Jam from Backspacer (2009)

While this song was released in the 2000s, it was done so by the iconic grunge band Pearl Jam. And of the song, lead singer Eddie Vedder called it specifically a “drug song,” but added that it was one written about him seeing a friend to help him stay off drugs.

Addiction is obviously a very serious problem. Those afflicted by it can’t help themselves. So, sometimes they need others to assist. Thankfully, there are people like Vedder out there. He’s seen enough sadness come from drugs and doesn’t need to see any more.