Cobain’s lyrics poke fun at the people outside of the underground music scene that began showing up at Nirvana shows after the release of the group’s debut album, Bleach.

Nirvana biographer Michael Azerrad wrote, “But remarkably, [the song’s lyrics] translated even better to the mass popularity the band enjoyed.” Regarding the song’s chorus, Azerrad commented, “The brilliant irony is that the tune is so catchy that millions of people actually do sing along to it.”