🎵 Book a Lesson with Beth email beth@bethroars.com 📖 Get your signed copy of my album Fable here: www.bethroars.com/shop ☀ Find me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/1W0He1MTuQoG0Yt2ccmhyL?si=b5qm82DmSRip8L4abe2-nw 🥁 Become a Patreon Supporter: www.patreon.com/bethroars

@krisfrederick5001

8 күн бұрын

I literally cried this time. It has been a long time

@vincentvancraig

6 күн бұрын

The most famous sigh in rock history right there...great reaction.

@LeeroyJenkins2987

2 күн бұрын

You need to watch the 1994 version in zenith de Paris, just search “where did you sleep last night 1994”

This performance is known for the scream but the sigh. The sigh breaks your heart. We still miss you Kurt.

@repluggedx3265

4 күн бұрын

And the eyes of a dead man...

@chrisb2942

4 күн бұрын

@@repluggedx3265 Yes, at this time it's only muscle memory. This guy was done, way beyond any feeling. Can't see what most like to hear in this concert.

@robert-michaeloneill186

3 күн бұрын

@@chrisb2942 Are you kidding me?? The feeling in this song is intense.

@timp8843

2 күн бұрын

@@chrisb2942you must be a sociopath. Seek help

The sigh just before the final line - the look in his eyes is so powerful. It's difficult to describe, but there is so much energy and emotion. Like we're seeing something that we're not prepared to see.

@dustinlinn8546

5 күн бұрын

That part is one of the most haunting short clips of any video (music/TV/radio) I have ever seen.

@DrMaiXiang

5 күн бұрын

It's like..'This is my final performance, i'm going to die soon'

@edwardmunoz7853

4 күн бұрын

😥😥😥​@@DrMaiXiang

@JapesJasper

4 күн бұрын

Glimpse into a soul, caught on camera

@jeremymullins1294

3 күн бұрын

He must've saw what Leadbelly saw

His literal cry for help at the end kills me every time even all these years later.

I was born and raised in Seattle and grew up in 50s,60s,70s rock n roll, precursor of grunge and all that came later. People don't often realize what the Seattle music scene was/is like. This was my daughter's era and it was such a traumatic shock to us all when Kurt left. Your reaction is masterful.

@AmerikiDork

8 күн бұрын

My favorite grunge precursors were those 50s grunge precursors

@Mytwocentsisallicanafford

7 күн бұрын

Grunge was the beginning of the end of the music industry in my opinion

@lindascott6902

6 күн бұрын

I still remember that day vividly, 30 years later… sitting at my desk overlooking SE Lake Union and the the Space Needle in the distance. It seemed like the world stopped for a moment, despite the sunshine outside

@matchu.j

6 күн бұрын

Patreon voter's won...classic performance

@johncarolina4950

5 күн бұрын

Seattle honestly hasn't been the same since he died. Still casts a pall.

The unplugged concert was their best work by far. I love all their music but the unplugged will always have a special spot in my heart

@settheory2219

6 күн бұрын

I disagree. It's (or at least should be) indisputable how great this entire show was, but my absolute favourite nirvana performance is Seattle Halloween 1991.

@andry4313

3 күн бұрын

@@settheory2219 SPOOOOKY!

@settheory2219

3 күн бұрын

@@andry4313 they sent their instruments to their graves.

Probably my favorite live performance ever, Kurt was on another level.. Nirvana MTV Unplugged in NY is so legendary, every song was performed perfectly!

@kacieallen5833

7 күн бұрын

The acoustic version of this gets me every time. I'm always in tears by the ends.

@S1ipperyJim

6 күн бұрын

It's actually far from a perfect performance (for instance the scuffed solo on the man who sold the world) but sometimes the imperfections are what makes it more human.

@Dropkickpunk76

4 күн бұрын

@@S1ipperyJim exactly. LIve music especially acoustic music leaves you vulneralble to mistakes. Everyone can hear it. That being said, the imperfections make the songs he covered his own rather than a carbon copy. Which is what all great artists do.

If you hadn't noticed, the set they're playing on looks like a wake/funeral with all the flowers and candles. That was deliberate. Kurt asked the set decorator for the candles and flowers and the decorator asked "Like a wake?" and Kurt replied "Exactly"

@rmorton8281

4 күн бұрын

It’s stories like that which debunk the whole “ Kurt was murdered “ rubbish. He was a heavy drug user, depressed and had a family history of suicide.

@caseyhart9916

3 күн бұрын

This album, and this song in particular, was like a requiem for the entire Grunge era.

@rmorton8281

3 күн бұрын

@@caseyhart9916 It’s an incredible album, best experienced watching the dvd of the performance. It’s so raw and beautiful 🙂

@ChurchNietzsche

3 күн бұрын

Nobody EVER said Kurt Cobain was suicidal ... ... Till Courtney Love started saying it ... AFTER HE DIED!!​

@caseyhart9916

3 күн бұрын

@@ChurchNietzsche Nobody ever said that about Robin Williams, either, but he did it all the same.

his voice is as emotional and rough as life can be ❤‍🔥...

Three heads brewery in Rochester NY got a bunch of members of local bands together to play this set. They had the whole 9, candles, lillies, everything. They played this last of course and about a third of the way through the song they just stopped singing. The whole crowd sang the song. Ot was very very emotional. Probably about 140-50 people.

@josephgibbs9071

2 күн бұрын

That’s an awesome idea!!!

After this song, and after signing autographs for the fans, the producers BEGGED Cobain to perform an encore. His response: "How can I possibly follow that?"

That final scream and look at the audience speaks volumes I'd imagine Kurt had made up his mind about how he was going to go out by then bc he died 3 months after this show So sad RIP KURT I HOPE YOU FOUND THE PEACE YOU WERE LOOKING FOR 🧐🤘✌️😎

@YerpDerp17

6 күн бұрын

This is a cool story, but a huge reach. lol People romanticize his death so much. A lot happened between this performance and his death. I do think he was depressed, but its a massive leap for me to think he knew in 4 months from him performing that song that he was going to take his own life in that moment. I would suggest watching or reading the behind the scenes of that performance, and also the weeks leading up to his death. It will make it more apparent that those two things were not linked. A lot of the time the reality of something isn't nearly as magnificent as the stories we create in our heads.

I said when I saw it when it was broadcast for the first time: It was like he breathed out his soul at the moment you picked up on, Beth. You could see it in his eyes. I've been chilled by that moment for almost 30 years now, every time I see it. I love it and am terrified for the poor guy both at the same time, every time. Such a shame he's not still with us.

Kurt’s vocals are hauntingly beautiful in this performance (and during this whole set) Like you said, that last pause he takes opens a window to his soul to show you how much he’s hurting (I fight back tears when I get to that part) This is by far one of my favorite songs to not only listen to but perform and I can only hope I do it the justice Kurt did

I saw Nirvana live a couple weeks before the Unplugged set was recorded. It was so tragic that Kurt was gone only a few months later. The album was released after his death and was a reminder to everyone of the great loss. This track might be their best live performance. So much pain in the delivery.

"It might be nice to eventually start playing acoustic guitars, and be thought of as a singer and a songwriter. Rather than a 'Grunge Rocker you know?' Then one day I may be able to take advantage of that when I'm older, and sit down in a chair, and play acoustic guitar like Johnny Cash or something you know? And it won't be thought of as a big joke" -Kurt Cobain 1993, you did and we loved it. He had plans for the future beyond Nirvana

@Beluga_Too

8 күн бұрын

except for the part where he was never thought of as a big joke. he's projecting his own stuff onto himself. as a pro in that regard, even at 42 years old, he never even gave himself the chance to outgrow his own self loathing. I didn't get a handle on that til I was way over 27. sorry if this a biting assessment, but this is the person who made me love music when I was 11 years old and for years after. the notion that he was a joke is completely of his own making and his own hatred for being famous. totally valid to hate that, but nobody ever thought he was shit. at least nobody whose opinion matters at all.

@krisfrederick5001

8 күн бұрын

I cried this time.

@krisfrederick5001

8 күн бұрын

@@Beluga_Too Kurt was his biggest own critic of himself. He was always self defeating but knew his talent. If you give him too much credit he could fail while being the underdog he could always succeed. Just my thought and probably right

@AMurder0fCrows

6 күн бұрын

@@krisfrederick5001 yeah man me too. didn't even do that when i went to his house for the 30th in april

@tully2

6 күн бұрын

​@@Beluga_Too he's not saying he's a joke or that people think he's a joke. He's saying if he did grunge most of his life then switched to acoustic and cash like people might think it was a joke. Could you image Beyonce doing a country album? He wanted to do different kinds of music and not be thought of as just one kind one genre. Who knows what weird or interesting things he'd be up to musically today. He was also just 27.

That Kurt took his own life just over four months later has contributed to this being seen as legendary but if he hadn’t, it would still be legendary. Greatest Unplugged made

@ndnd2023

7 күн бұрын

He wanted this show to look like a funeral. Hence the Stargazer lillies.

@mdog86

6 күн бұрын

It's probably my favorite one, but Alice in Chains unplugged was legendary as well. These two definitely share the top spots though for best unplugged sets.

@seedy80

6 күн бұрын

"Took his own life" -Courtney Love.

@Danathema

6 күн бұрын

@@seedy80 take your conspiracy drivel elsewhere

@whitetim8177

5 күн бұрын

@@mdog86 I go back and forth the only thing that I have Nirvana slightly above is that Nirvana was one take just 14 songs and that was it AIC did 3 or 4 takes of each song

I watch this specific video at least once a year, whenever I need a good cry, and also to wish that this amazing artist had had just a bit more love in his life when he needed it most.

I am so happy you saw the moment at the end. I saw it live on TV at the time and it's lived with me ever since. You are the only reaction video that has made note of it. The breath, his eyes, the pained look on his face, that moment.

I actually do think of yodeling with Cobain. That quick, deliberate voice-flip is one of my favorite things he does vocally. That and his amazing scream are his two most distinctive qualities as a singer.

Over 30 years since this aired, that moment when he opens his eyes and sighs is effing HAUNTING. Still gives me chills

The song drones while gradually building. You can hear the playing get a more percussive throughout, like a sledgehammer beating on concrete. The tension compounds before the dam finally breaks and the emotion spills out in an pained, mournful surge.

The last part of the song that where you mentioned Kurt being vulnerable also reminded me of the last part of "black", where Vedder starts screaming "we belong together" while shaking uncontrollably...very powerful and emotional song too. And also part of an "unplugged" set... Those shows really brought a deep and powerful connection between the bands and the crowd, I miss those times! Great review as always!

This recording has always been my favorite nirvana performances of all time.

It was my grandmother's favorite song as a child growing up in Holler in the 30's. I'm glad she lived long enough to hear this at the time. 😎💯

@mjy34222

6 күн бұрын

My Dad loved this song too.

9:57 One of the truest statements ever. When the emotion is so raw and you can feel it in your soul it doesn't matter if it's a bit out of key or pitchy. Nirvana didn't really play any of their hits in their MTV Performance. Also, 6 of the 14 songs they performed were covers from other artists including this one which was originally done by Lead Belly. They even brought out 1 of those artist to perform 3 of their songs. They also filmed the entire performance in a single take and left all their mistakes in. Kurt reportedly was going through withdrawals from heroin and was vomiting bile and blood during rehearsals. That sigh of relief that it's almost over and the way he looks at the camera still brings a tear to my eye no matter how many times I have watched this.

I've heard this song hundreds of times and it gives me chills every time.

In my early 40s, first heard this when it came out on MTV. Gave me chills then as a middle-school aged preteen, still gives me chills now. Best live performance ever. That sigh before the wail is magic.

I watched this live (and recorded it on a VHS tape) and when his eyes got big at that crescendo, I said to myself, "He's going to die"; I've met others that thought the same thing. This live set is his best performance and will always live in our hearts.

I was 12-13 when Nirvana hit the scene. I remember being acutely aware of the types of chords they used and how unique they were, but didn't yet have a musical understanding of why. But there was always something haunting about their music to me on a subconscious level. I think that was that effective empathy you were talking about. Even without the lyrics, if they were in another language, they would still have this effect on me. They seem to challenge the natural resolve of melody that we expect. And yeah...haunting, complicated, tortured eyes.

This was always such a haunting rendition. And he is pushing some of his vocal limits and comfort with the key they chose. Still love the wide eyed look at the end... It was the end of the performance and he had gotten through it.

This is the best reaction to this song and video that i have seen. When your emotions come out it is a truly beautiful thing. Thank you.

This…is…my… fave… Nirvana… song… EVER!

Many think that when he opened his eyes, he had caught a vision of his “pending doom.” I’m not sure if that is true of course, but I think of it each time I see this performance…and WOW…it’s super emotional.

was a freshman in college when Nirvana got huge. Was a junior when kurt died. His brilliance enlightened my college years & i will always be grateful.

I love when you reacted to unplugged singers🎉🎉❤

This still still gets me no matter how many times I watch it or listen to it ! I choke up every time !

That last section just releases the tension and then that last breath and it's all over. Forever. At least till you start the album again. This record is my go to when I'm feeling bad

You are the best Professional humanity reacting . ❤

Tears in my eyes all over again Such a _powerful_ performance Thank you for sharing your experience with this masterpiece

I’d do anything to have seen this live

OMG! This is a masterpiece!! 😢 Thank you dear Beth

@BethRoars

8 күн бұрын

Glad you like it!

His rawest performance - soul grabbing, soul wakening, insane performance and voice

This and Pearl Jam’s Black unplugged are on a different level❤

@AMurder0fCrows

6 күн бұрын

And Down in a Hole unplugged from AiC

@Anomondaris

6 күн бұрын

@@AMurder0fCrows I have trouble picking a favorite from that show😂

Kurt was a true artist and Unplugged removed all the varnished layers from the albums, showing everyone the simple and powerful beauty of the music he made.

In absolute bits by the end of this performance 😭 thank you Beth ❤

the most haertbreaking thing is the silence just after "the scream". its killing me everytime

Greetings from Scotland. Thank you so much for doing this. You and Kurt broke my heart again. So powerful and profound and tears have been shed.

@user-mw3dd6ys1u

19 сағат бұрын

Hey Scotland, greetings from Seattle.😊

Little fun fact: The original guitarist for Nirvana, Jason Everman, became special forces in the Army. He was guitar in Nirvana and later bass in Soundgarden. Then he joined the Army and passed Ranger selection, became a tabbed and scrolled Ranger. After that, he became a Green Beret. Dude is a legend in the military circles.

@tupac1971ever

7 күн бұрын

He was not Outshined one might say

@krisfrederick5001

7 күн бұрын

He wasn't "The original guitarist" For Nirvana. But he did pay for Bleach. And got fired and never paid back. He did become a bad ass in his own sense.

@flingonber

7 күн бұрын

He very briefly joined Nirvana as a second guitarist but he never played on any of their albums. He played with them on one tour but they fired him because he was a jerk. He also played bass for one tour for Soundgarden. He was with both bands for less than a year which is kind of a not a great sign for his ability to get along with people.

@tupac1971ever

7 күн бұрын

@@flingonber sounds like a soldier to me, ik a few irritable mfs from the Army, sometimes stuff happens & you get pissed.

@mjmartn

6 күн бұрын

@@krisfrederick5001actually he wasn’t even on bleach! He footed the bill to record it but he wasn’t actually featured on it. He did tour with them tho

I started watching Beth Roars for the music but I keep coming back for the gentle, loving life observations.❤

This performance was the best MTV Unplugged. I listened to that CD so much back when i was a teenager.. Have the album on a Spotify playlist and have been listening to it for years. That track was the best way to close the show. My personal favorite.

I'm so glad to see you cover this song!! The whole show is special. But this song.......gets me every time!! You can , feel the passion, the pain, the heart. BUT when he briefly opens his eyes at end of the song , BAM !!!! It's like a glimpse into his soul, and makes my hair stand on end EVERY TIME❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️

Thank You so much Beth I truly needed that cry today. I unknowingly go on day to day bottling most of my emotions, and once in awhile the floodgates just have to open up. When I saw that you posted this video, I knew to prepare myself. This song (which was the last song on the Unplugged album) always tugged at my feelers.

@6:50 "Oh, it's making me shiver." Me - "ohhhhh, you're not ready."

I watched this on Muchmusic in Canada when it happened. Little did I know that this was Curt's goodbye to the world. Easily one of my top 3 songs/performances of all time. Thanks for doing this one

There's a short list of songs that give me goosebumps every single time. This is on the list. Maybe the top.

Spot the three Foo Fighters in this reaction video

@steveszanto1581

8 күн бұрын

I noticed that too ;)

@SumBlink-lw3pg

7 күн бұрын

Dave, pat whos the other guy?

@seanmahoney7895

7 күн бұрын

@@SumBlink-lw3pg Taylor was playing drums in the Alanis clip she showed.

@rhiannonschaumburg564

7 күн бұрын

Right! It's so interesting that she happened to use that clip with Taylor!

My sister you do this all so much better than other vocal people on YT

As a music lover if I could time travel back to any concert/show of a band, it would be Nirvana Unplugged.

From all of these reactions that you've ever done, this one is certainly thee best one!!

I came across the song of Nirvana the other day, and I had never heard. It was on the MTV unplugged, called oh me, it's one of my favorites by them

@AMurder0fCrows

6 күн бұрын

That song was written by the Kirkwood brothers as the band "The Meat Puppets." They were guest artists for the Unplugged show. Nirvana covered 3 of their songs that made it on the album... Plateau, Oh Me, and Lake of Fire. The Meat Puppets most famous song is probably "Backwater".

@JCourts2k23

6 күн бұрын

@@AMurder0fCrows didn't know that, thanks for the info, Kurt did a great job on it

I always thought this song displayed his voice in a way that would lend itself to country music.

I remember seeing this on MTV. We had no idea it was the end.🖤

Wow I love this new level of analysis in your videos

@BethRoars

8 күн бұрын

Thanks so much!

I remember watching this as it first aired. Over 30 years later, I still shiver. My empathy was awaiting your reaction. Excellent and powerful stuff.

Kurt in all his glory ❤️ Nothing but raw talent 💯

I was gifted this album as a seventh grader and I never really appreciated it cuz I didn’t ask for it as a gift. My father gave it to me and I remember listening to it and not appreciating the gravity of it until much later in my adolescence and young adulthood. Watching this just makes me appreciate this performance more. Kurt’s death robbed us who were coming of age in the mid 90s what music could’ve been in the future, this combination of folk and grunge. And I fear that my own two kids won’t appreciate Nirvana and those 90s band for what they are/were cuz it’s “dad music”. I hope they do… thank you for this!

@mcuserton

5 күн бұрын

Fwiw, I'm a bit older than you: this came out when I was 19. My 19 year old daughter just concluded a job interview only hours ago. As a personal-interest question, they asked her favorite music. "Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails ..." Your taste in music is likely to rub off on your kids, is my point.

That look at the end. Haunting.

So sad to think of all the amazing artists I grew up listening to that were lost to drugs, suicide, and violence. RIP Kurt ❤😢

Brilliant analysis. This is more than a reaction. Raw. Truth.

Normally, you would think this was just a great performance, and his sigh and eyes opening were just for dramatic effect. But like you said, knowing what happens to him, we can surmise that it was absolutely genuine emotion and pain. So haunting. RIP Kurt. 😢

You should watch the whole show.. gets you in the feels

Your compassion and empathy is touching, thank you for sharing.

That song, musically, makes me feel... cold. The music feels like a late November wind...

Great analysis! Love your stuff so much!

Amazing reaction. Thanks for sharing your emotions. Made me tear up seeing your face blown away by especially the end vocals of this song.

I dare you to find another voice that can match that level of unforgiving honesty. Very nicely dissected!

Never forgotten, forever missed

Growing up with The Mighty KC as one of my primary music influences.... so fortunate.

pure emotions!😔great video!🙂

Very nice.

I don't know what demons were inside of him. I don't know where the torturous pain came from...but everytime I listen to him..my blood turns to ice. I just always felt so sorry for him to live with such internal pain. Love your blurp on Lead Belly..we boomers are old enough to remember still following the southern blues influences. NOLA, Chicago, NYC...such great 🎶...👍❤ 😊

I read somewhere that back then there was a poll to decide the definitive moments in the history of MTV Unplugged and the two winners were this song and REM's rendition of "Fall On Me" in 1991. Maybe you could give that a listen.

i'm so happy you caught The Look at the end. truly captivating

Kurt spoke about the pain his singing style could cause him. I feel like that last open eye moment before he sings that last line was as more about him preparing for the pain he was about to cause himself than it was the emotion of the lyrics, but I guess we’ll never know for sure. Such a talent lost so soon. 😢

Always like your view of favourites. Thank you so much :)

What an amazing performance.

Brilliant song from an epic band

the first time when i hear that song, i screamed to myself... HOW NOBODY DID NOTICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he is gonna do it!!! iykwim

The MTV unplugged concerts are the best thing to come from MTV. Its a gift to the world. And considering what MTV became, and how it just a waste of time now. Its good to remember they used to give the world things like this. These bands, and legends. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and so on. They where given this stage, where some of the most amazing band live recordings ever where made. All because of MTV, and what they used to be. They used to be the place where young people could connect with new people. Back when the internet was new, you still bought cd's and listened to music on tv channels. Also, this song is pretty cool. Because its actually not a Nirvana song, or anyone's song really. Its a old folk song. dating back to at least the 1800's. And then different people started recording it in the 1900's. Including Leadbelly. But it also put if not a different meaning, then at least a different context on the song. The lyrics where from a very different time. The song being about a man, who finds out his wife had been cheating on him, so he walks out into the cold night, and is found dead in the pines. About why or how he died, is up to how and what you take from the song as a listener. This was also the last song of the show, as he said. But MTV wanted Nirvana to go out and give one final number. But they where not sure, because they though they sucked, and it was awful. And that the people hated it, because people where so silent. Later, as the recording became legendary and all that, its clear people where not unhappy. They where just sucked in. And living in the moment with the music, no mobile phones recording or anything. Just them, the band and the music.

I always cry watchig this

Great reaction!

such a simple yet powerful song. Kurt was amazing

Finally. Thanks.

Amazing..

One of the best songs to react to

Soooou amazing

I love you’re videos ❤

@BethRoars

5 күн бұрын

Thank you!

Not only do you hear it in his voice also in the way he hit those strings at the end.

Great analysis. Ty for covering the history of the composition.

@BethRoars

8 күн бұрын

Thanks Brian!