Drain You

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Lore & Background

The song's origins trace back to San Francisco in the spring of 1991, where Cobain and Dave Grohl visited Dale Crover. There, they formed the temporary band "the Retards" with Debbi Shane, recording several songs on a four-track. During this session, the instrumental interlude took shape, shifting the song's character from metal to a "more Sonic Youth noise thing." By May 1991, the band brought the fully structured track to Sound City Studios for the Nevermind sessions. Producer Butch Vig noted that "Drain You" featured more guitar overdubs than any other album track: one clean and five distorted tracks using Mesa Boogie and Fender Bassman amps, including a specific "super grunge" pedal track. Cobain recorded three vocal takes, all of which were used. The distinctive sounds in the interlude were created by Cobain using squeaky mouse and rubber duck toys, to which engineer Andy Wallace added delay.

In Their Own Story

Lyrically, the song depicts a relationship between two "brat kids" in the same hospital bed, representing lovers reduced to perfect innocence. Michael Azerrad described it as a love song where the imagery predicted the medical themes of Nirvana's later album, In Utero. Charles Cross noted that Cobain wrote this following his November 1990 breakup with Tobi Vail; the line "It is now my duty to completely drain you" served as both an acknowledgement of her power over him and an indictment. The song follows a specific chord progression: A5–C#5–F#5–B5 in verses, alternating between D5 and B5 in the refrain. In a 1993 Rolling Stone interview, Cobain admitted he loved the lyrics and never got tired of playing it, musing, "Maybe if it was as big as 'Teen Spirit', I wouldn't like it as much." The track runs for three minutes and forty-three seconds at 134 beats per minute in A major.

Reader's Guide

Fans have tracked multiple live versions beyond the studio recording. A version recorded on December 28, 1991, at Del Mar Fairgrounds was released as a promotional single from From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah in 1996, peaking at number 44 on the Radio & Records US Alternative Top 50 chart. This specific performance remains absent from visual archives; no known footage exists of it. Conversely, a music video aired on MTV2 in November 1996 featured a Live and Loud performance from December 13, 1993, which differed from the album version. Other notable recordings include a John Peel session from September 3, 1991 (released on the 20th anniversary Nevermind editions), a live b-side for "Come as You Are" recorded at Seattle's Paramount Theatre on October 31, 1991, and a Paris TV appearance on February 4, 1994, where Cobain threw his guitar during an interlude cutout. The final performance occurred on March 1, 1994, in Munich.

Did You Know?

• The song was originally titled "Formula" before being recorded with Dale Crover under the band name the Retards.
• Cobain created the interlude sounds using squeaky mouse and rubber duck toys, which engineer Andy Wallace processed with delay.
• No known footage exists of the December 28, 1991 Del Mar Fairgrounds performance that appears on From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah.
• During a February 4, 1994 TV performance in Paris, Cobain's guitar cut out completely, leading him to throw it and finish the song on vocals only.
• In 2020, Post Malone performed "Drain You" during a livestreamed Nirvana tribute concert that raised over $4 million for COVID-19 relief.