Heart shaped box music video- Nirvana

Heart shaped box is one of Nirvana's most popular songs but as good as the song is the music video is very, very controversial, the song was released in 1993 onto Nirvana's 3rd and final studio album, less than a year before Kurt Cobain died, 'In Utero' As controversial as the song is it still won several awards. It wasn't released until 1992 as first single to the album, Kurt forgot about the song for a while but then he began to work on it again when he and his wife Courtney Love moved in together in Hollywood hills,the song was originally called Heart shaped coffin, the band had a lot of difficulty completing the song, Kurt tried to have the rest of the band just jam over the melody, they didn't recognise the song as a good song until it had been completely finished.
 
In January 1993 the band recorded the first demo for heart shaped box under the supervision of Craig Montgomery in Rio De Janiero, it was the first song recorded off the in utero Album, the album version was recorded in February of the same year, Kurt Cobain and bass player Krist Novesellic were both unhappy with the original mix of the song.



The song did well in the charts in America, it entered the Billboard modern rock charts at number 5, it then eventually peaked at number 1 in the charts becoming the 3rd Nirvana song to do so after Smells like teen spirit and come as you are. In the U.K the song peaked at number 5 in 1999 the song was voted number 10 in kerangs top 100 rock songs of all time.




For the director of the music video Nirvana originally wanted one of their previous directors Kevin Kerskale who directed come as you are, silver, in bloom and lithium but due to the band and Kevin not being able to arrange a date they decided to choose a dutch photographer and video director Anton Corbijn however he was unsure about doing the video because Kurt Cobain had his mind set on such a fixed idea of exactly what he wanted whereas Corbijn liked to create his own videos and ideas and kurt has his idea so detailed. The video begins with the band surrouding a man in a hospital bed, however the majority of the video is filmed in an outside surreal, bizzare type setting in the style of the film the wizard of oz, within the first verse of the song the old man from the hospital bed climbs up a crucifix with a crow at the top, it then introduces a young girl in a kkk outfit skipping through fields and reaching for human fetus' in trees. After the video was released Kevin Kerskale sued Nirvana alleging copywright infringement, the case was settled out of court. The video was MTVs number 1 most played video in the US the video also won two mtv music awards in 1994 for the best alternative video and best art direction. The video was also number 1 in NME's best music vidoes of the past 15 years in 2005, calling beautiful and terrible.

I chosen this video because Nirvana are one of my favourite bands, and this is my favourite Nirvana song, I was also very intrigued by the video when I first seen it, I thought it was abstract and bizarre I was sort of drawn to that weirdness and thought it was really unique and different, I really liked the end of the video where Kurt Cobain is swinging in a rocking chair screaming at the camera and whenever his face gets close to the camera it blurs. I also thought it would be a really interesting video to explore and research as to why is their a little girl in a KKK outfit,why is Jesus on the cross with a Christmas hat on? Its a really weird video and I really like the video and the song.




Here are the lyrics for Heart shaped box i think the video and the song itself are completely different but oh well....


There are some good shots in this video for example this one above the main focus is on Kurt whilst Krist and Dave are behind him, this is the last thing that happens in the music video as the last roar of 'your advice!' is shouted, Kurt falls off his chair. There are also some extremely close up zooms of Kurt throughout the chorus with his face looking blurry like this

She eyes me like a Pisces when I am weak
I've been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks
I've been drawn into your magnetar pit trap trap
I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn black

Hey!
Wait!
I've got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey!
Wait!
I've got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey!
Wait!
I've got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice, your advice

Meat-eating orchids forgive no one just yet
Cut myself on angel hair and baby's breath
Broken hymen of your Highness, I'm left back
Throw down your umbilical noose so I can climb right back

Hey!
Wait!
I've got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey!
Wait!
I've got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey!
Wait!
I've got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice, your advice

She eyes me like a Pisces when I am weak
I've been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks
I've been drawn into your magnetar pit trap trap
I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn black

Hey!
Wait!
I've got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey!
Wait!
I've got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice
Hey!
Wait!
I've got a new complaint
Forever in debt to your priceless advice, your advice, your advice, your advice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6P0SitRwy8