Rape Me

This article is about the Nirvana song. For the French novel and film, see Baise-moi.
"Rape Me"
Single by Nirvana
from the album In Utero
A-side"All Apologies" (double A-side)
B-side"Moist Vagina"
ReleasedDecember 6, 1993 (1993-12-06)
RecordedFebruary 1993
StudioPachyderm (Cannon Falls, Minnesota)
GenreGrunge
Length2:49
LabelDGC
Songwriter(s)Kurt Cobain
Producer(s)Steve Albini
Nirvana singles chronology
"Heart-Shaped Box"
(1993) 		"All Apologies" / "Rape Me"
(1993) 		"All Apologies (unplugged)"
(1994)
In Utero track listing
12 tracks
  1. "Serve the Servants"
  2. "Scentless Apprentice"
  3. "Heart-Shaped Box"
  4. "Rape Me"
  5. "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle"
  6. "Dumb"
  7. "Very Ape"
  8. "Milk It"
  9. "Pennyroyal Tea"
  10. "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter"
  11. "tourette's"
  12. "All Apologies"
German CD single
The German CD single came with this large covering sticker on the box

"Rape Me" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the fourth song on the band's third and final studio album, In Utero, released in September 1993.

Often interpreted as a commentary on fame, "Rape Me" was written shortly before the release of the band's breakthrough album Nevermind, and was intended to be a lyrically literal anti-rape song.[1] However, the song's bridge was written several months later, and does contain lyrics that reference the struggles Cobain and his wife, Courtney Love, faced with the media following Nirvana's mainstream success.[2] The song's title and lyrics led to MTV blocking Nirvana from performing it at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards,[3] before it had been released, and also contributed to In Utero initially not being sold by American big-box stores Walmart and K-Mart.[4]

"Rape Me" was released as the album's second single in December 1993, packaged as a double A-side with "All Apologies". It reached number 32 on the UK Singles Chart, and was the band's final single before Cobain's suicide in April 1994.

  1. ^ Steinke, Darcey. "Smashing Their Heads On That Punk Rock". Spin. October 1993.
  2. ^ Gaar, Gillian G. (2009). The Rough Guide to Nirvana. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-4053-8119-2.
  3. ^ Azerrad, Michael (1994). Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday. p. 277. ISBN 0-385-47199-8.
  4. ^ Gordinier, Jeff (8 April 1994). "Discount stores refuse to shelve Nirvana's latest". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 10 February 2023.