View source for Dumb (Nirvana song)

{{short description|Nirvana song}}
{{Infobox song
| name          = Dumb
| type          = song
| artist        = [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]
| album         = [[In Utero]]
| released      = {{Start date|1993|09|21}}
| recorded      = February 13–26, 1993
| studio        = [[Pachyderm Studios|Pachyderm]] ([[Cannon Falls, Minnesota]])
| genre         = *[[Punk rock|Chamber punk]]<ref name="RS" />
| length        = {{Duration|m=2|s=29}}
| label         = [[DGC Records|DGC]]
| writer        = [[Kurt Cobain]]
| producer      = [[Steve Albini]]
| tracks        = {{In Utero tracks}}
| misc          = {{External music video
 | type        = song
 | {{YouTube|4YFu4dvMHHY|"Dumb"}}
}}
}}

"'''Dumb'''" is a song by the American [[Rock music|rock]] band, [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], written by vocalist and guitarist, [[Kurt Cobain]]. It is the sixth song on the band's third and final studio album, ''[[In Utero (album)|In Utero]]'', released in September 1993.

In a 1993 ''[[Melody Maker]]'' interview, Cobain explained that the song was about people who lacked the intelligence to be unhappy, which he admitted he was "at times" envious of.<ref>{{cite interview |via=Live Nirvana |interviewer=The Stud Brothers |title=Dark Side of the Womb: Part 1 |url=https://www.livenirvana.com/interviews/9307tsb/index.php#Transcript1 |access-date=21 July 2024 |work=Melody Maker |issue=21 August 1993}}</ref>

The ''In Utero'' version features a [[cello]] part, written and performed by Chicago musician Kera Schaley, a friend of the album's producer, [[Steve Albini]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Evan H. |last=Levine |title=Interview: Kera Anne Schaley (Diaper, Martyr & Pistol) |url=https://swanfungus.com/2010/03/interview-kera-anne-schaley-diaper-martyr-pistol/ |access-date=29 October 2022 |work=Swan Fungus |date=22 March 2010}}</ref> Schaley never toured with the band, but all live versions of the song during the ''In Utero'' tour featured cello, performed by [[Lori Goldston]] during the American leg of the tour, and [[Melora Creager]] during the European leg.

Despite never being released as a single, "Dumb" reached number 37 on the US Alternative National Airplay chart, which was published by ''[[Radio & Records]]''.<ref name="Radio&Records" /> In October 2023, an animated [[music video]] for the song by RuffMercy was released on Nirvana's official [[YouTube]] channel, to promote the 30th anniversary of ''In Utero''.

==Early history==

[[File:Maida Vale Studios site.jpg|thumb|Nirvana recorded a version of "Dumb" for the [[BBC]] at [[Maida Vale Studios]], England, in September 1991, two years before the song's official release on ''In Utero''.]]

"Dumb" was written by Cobain in the summer of 1990, as the band began to move away from the heavier [[grunge]] sound of their debut album, ''[[Bleach (Nirvana album)|Bleach]]'', towards more openly melodic, [[Pop music|pop]]-influenced material.<ref name="Crisafulli. pp. 93">Crisafulli (1996). p. 93.</ref> Two lyrics sheets for the song were published posthumously in ''[[Journals (Cobain)|Journals]]'' in November 2002, one under the working title of "I Think I'm Dumb," with a note that the lyrics were "Not Finished," and the titles of two songs by [[Scotland|Scottish]] rock band [[the Vaselines]], "[[Molly's Lips]]" and "Slushy," written under the title with no explanation.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cobain |first1=Kurt |title=Journals |date=2002 |publisher=Riverhead Books |location=USA |isbn=978-1-57322-232-7 |pages= 109, 193}}</ref> In a 2023 interview, [[Courtney Love]] stated that Cobain had written the song in just 20 minutes, during a trip to Amsterdam.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Love |first1=Courtney |title=Spotify 60 Songs That Explain The '90s |url=https://open.spotify.com/episode/0cAeGCNMyBt17DbZFe8KgD |website=Spotify |access-date=23 February 2024}}</ref>

"Dumb" was debuted live on September 25, 1990, when Cobain performed a solo [[Acoustic music|acoustic]] version on the ''Boy Meets Girl'' show, hosted by [[Calvin Johnson (musician)|Calvin Johnson]] of the American rock band [[Beat Happening]], on [[KAOS (FM)]] in [[Olympia, Washington]].<ref name="Crisafulli. pp. 93" /><ref>St. Thomas (2004). p. 66.</ref><ref name="rt">Gillian G. Gaar (2009).</ref> The first live version featuring the full band was at the Off Ramp Café in [[Seattle, Washington]] on November 25, 1990.<ref name="rt" />

On September 3, 1991, the band recorded a version of the song, already featuring finished lyrics, during their second [[John Peel]] session for the [[BBC]] at [[Maida Vale Studios]] in [[London]].<ref>St. Thomas (2004). p. 107.</ref> The full session, which also featured versions of "[[Drain You]]" and "[[Endless, Nameless (song)|Endless Nameless]]" from their then-latest release, ''[[Nevermind]]'', was produced by [[Dale Griffin]], and first broadcast on November 3, 1991.<ref name="rt"/> "Dumb" and "Endless, Nameless" from this session were posthumously released on the Nirvana rarities box set, ''[[With the Lights Out]]'', in November 2004.

Three studio versions of "Dumb" were recorded by [[Jack Endino]] on October 26, 1992, at [[Reciprocal Recording|Word of Mouth]] in [[Seattle, Washington]], but all were instrumental, as were all the other songs recorded during this session, except for one take of the eventual ''In Utero'' single, "[[Rape Me]]".<ref>Gaar (2006). pp.17, 18, 19, 20.</ref> One of these instrumental takes was released on the 20th anniversary "Deluxe" and "Super Deluxe" editions of ''In Utero'' in September 2013.

==''In Utero''==

The final studio version of "Dumb" was recorded by [[Steve Albini]] at [[Pachyderm Studios]] in [[Cannon Falls, Minnesota]] in February 1993, during the recording sessions for ''In Utero''. The song's guitar, bass and drums were recorded on February 15, the third day of the sessions.<ref>Gaar, p. 59.</ref> All vocals for the album were recorded by Cobain during a single session the following day.<ref>Gaar, p. 61.</ref> 

In a 2013 interview for the audio series ''Spotify Landmark'', Albini recalled replacing drummer [[Dave Grohl|Dave Grohl's]] bass drum on "Dumb" and "[[Pennyroyal Tea]]" with a small one "with a full-front head on it, so that it had a very sort of bouncy, jazzy sound, as opposed to the sort of more percussive, more hard rock sound on the rest of the record."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Albini |first1=Steve |title=Spotify Landmark: Nirvana's In Utero |url=https://open.spotify.com/album/62Eg7rm61rMiZWjjZ98UER |website=Spotify |access-date=3 February 2022}}</ref>

===Cello===

The ''In Utero'' recording of "Dumb" features [[cello]] by Kera Schaley, a friend of Albini's who also played on the album's second single and closing track, "[[All Apologies]]," as well as an unreleased take of the eventual b-side, "[[Marigold (Dave Grohl song)|Marigold]]." As Schaley recalled in a 2010 interview with ''Swan Fungus'', "I went to the studio...and Steve played the song 'Dumb' for me. I wrote a part for it and then Kurt came in and listened, told me what to leave out and what to keep. Then he asked me to play around with 'All Apologies.'"<ref>{{cite news |last1=evanhlevine |title=Interview: Kera Anne Schaley (Diaper, Martyr & Pistol) |url=https://swanfungus.com/2010/03/interview-kera-anne-schaley-diaper-martyr-pistol/ |access-date=29 October 2022 |work=Swan Fungus |issue=22 March 2010}}</ref> In 2023, she shared her recollection of hearing the song for the first time, telling ''[[Rolling Stone|Rolling Stone's]]'' Brian Hiatt, "I remember I heard 'Dumb' and then when Kurt came in, I looked at him and I said, 'This is a really beautiful song.' And I think he might’ve thought that was funny, but he was like, 'Thank you.'" According to Schaley, the final cello line for the song was recorded in about three takes.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Hiatt |first1=Brian |title=She Played on 'In Utero' — and Never Talked About It. Until Now |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/in-utero-30th-anniversary-cello-kurt-cobain-1234829449/ |access-date=22 September 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=21 September 2023}}</ref>

==Post-''In Utero''==

[[File:Lori Goldston 01.jpg|thumb|200px|Lori Goldston, pictured in 2024, played cello on live versions of "Dumb" during the American leg of Nirvana's 1993 ''In Utero'' tour, including at their ''MTV Unplugged'' performance.]]

Nirvana performed an acoustic version of the song during their ''[[MTV Unplugged]]'' performance on November 18, 1993 at [[Sony Music Studios]] in [[New York City]]. This version featured [[Pat Smear]] on second guitar and [[Lori Goldston]] on cello.

It was performed, alongside the ''In Utero'' song, "[[Serve the Servants]]," at Nirvana's final television appearance, on February 23, 1994 in [[Rome, Italy]] for the ''[[RAI]]'' television show, ''Tunnel''. This version of the song featured Melora Creager on cello. 

"Dumb" was performed for the final time live at Nirvana's last concert, at Terminal Einz in [[Munich, Germany]] on March 1, 1994.

==Composition and lyrics==

===Music===
Journalist Gillian G. Gaar noted that "Dumb" was one of the few Nirvana songs to remain "low-key from beginning to end," comparing it to the ''[[Bleach (Nirvana album)|Bleach]]'' song, "[[About a Girl (Nirvana song)|About a Girl]]."<ref>Gaar (2006). p. 18.</ref> Like "About a Girl,"<ref>{{cite news |last1=Barker |first1=Emily |title=Nirvana – the story of every album track |url=https://www.nme.com/photos/nirvana-the-secret-story-of-every-album-track-explained-1418077 |access-date=18 April 2020 |work=[[NME]] |date=27 July 2018}}</ref> the song has been described as "[[The Beatles|Beatlesesque]]."<ref name="Azerrad.321">{{cite book |last1=Azerrad |first1=Michael |author-link=Michael Azerrad |title=Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana |date=1994 |publisher=[[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]] |isbn=0-385-47199-8 |page=321}}</ref> Nirvana bassist [[Krist Novoselic]] called it "a beautiful song. That's a really good one. I like the [[BBC]] version of the song. It's real raw, but still the beauty is strong. A sweet pop song."<ref>Gaar (2006). p. 59.</ref>

Describing the ''In Utero'' version, John Mulvey of the ''[[NME]]'' wrote that the song "broods and circles, with the aid of a cello, like a [[baroque music|baroque]] parody of '[[Lithium (Nirvana song)|Lithium]]'. Again and again it builds up and up, primed to explode into a moshing sweatfest of a chorus, and again and again it ducks away from that commercially lucrative macho bonding rite."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mulvey |first1=John |title=Nirvana : In Utero – 04/09/93 |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-nirvana-7373-305610 |access-date=4 December 2020 |work=NME |issue=4 September 1993}}</ref> Likewise, Jim Bevigilia of ''[[American Songwriter]]'' wrote that "the recording of the song on ''In Utero'' is all coiled tension. Even though you expect Cobain’s guitar to come crashing through to break it, it never quite does. Instead, a cello runs counterpoint to the steady rhythm section of Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl and to the protagonist’s insistence that maybe he’s happy after all."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beviglia |first1=Jim |title=Behind The Song: Nirvana, "Dumb" |url=https://americansongwriter.com/lyric-week-nirvana-dumb/ |access-date=4 December 2020 |work=American Songwriter}}</ref>

===Lyrics===

In a 1993 interview with ''[[Melody Maker]]'', Cobain explained that the song was "just about people who're easily amused, people who not only aren't capable of progressing their intelligence but are totally happy watching 10 hours of television and really enjoy it. I've met a lot of dumb people. They have a shitty job, they may be totally lonely, they don't have a girlfriend, they don't have much of a social life, and yet, for some reason, they're happy."<ref name="rollingstone.com">{{cite magazine|title=No Apologies: All 102 Nirvana Songs Ranked|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/no-apologies-all-102-nirvana-songs-ranked-20150408/dumb-20150408|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=8 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Barker|first=Emily|title=Nirvana - the story of every album track|url=http://www.nme.com/photos/nirvana-the-secret-story-of-every-album-track-explained-1418077|publisher=NME|access-date=25 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The 50 Best Nirvana Songs|url=http://pigeonsandplanes.com/in-depth/2012/02/the-50-best-nirvana-songs|website=Pigeons and Planes|access-date=25 January 2018}}</ref>

Though written before Cobain's addiction to [[heroin]],<ref name="Azerrad.321"/> "Dumb" is also one of the few Nirvana songs to directly reference drug use, specifically [[inhalant]]s.<ref name="rt"/> In Cobain's unused liner notes for the song, he blamed "all that supposedly unaddictive, harmless" [[marijuana]] for harming his nerves and damaging his memory, saying it "wasn't ever strong enough" which led him to "climb the ladder" to heroin.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cross|first=Charles R |author-link=Charles R. Cross|title=Heavier Than Heaven|date=15 August 2001|publisher=[[Hyperion (publisher)|Hyperion]]|location=United States|isbn=0-7868-6505-9|page=270}}</ref>

In 2015, Kurt's daughter, [[Frances Bean Cobain]], offered her own interpretation of the song in an interview with ''Rolling Stone'', saying, "I cry every time I hear that song. It's a stripped-down version of Kurt's perception of himself – of himself on drugs, off drugs, feeling inadequate to be titled the voice of a generation."<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Fricke|first1=David|author-link=David Fricke|title=Frances Bean Cobain on Life After Kurt's Death: Exclusive|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/frances-bean-life-after-kurt-cobain-death-exclusive-interview-20150408|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=17 September 2017}}</ref>

==Release and reception==

Though never released as a single, "Dumb" has become a popular song on American [[alternative rock]] radio,<ref>{{cite book|title=Nirvana FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Most Important Band of the 1990s|last=Luerssen|first=John D.|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|year=2014|page=343|isbn=978-1-61713-588-0}}</ref> and was played on European radio.<ref>{{cite book | date=9 October 1993 |title=Music & Media – Station Reports |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-10-09.pdf|publisher=[[Music & Media]]|page=16 |access-date=29 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | date=16 October 1993 |title=Music & Media – Station Reports|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-10-16.pdf|publisher=[[Music & Media]]|page=26 |access-date=29 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | date=19 November 1994 |title=Music & Media – Station Reports |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-11-19.pdf|publisher=[[Music & Media]]|page=28 |access-date=29 July 2018}}</ref>
It was ranked at number 39 on [[WHFS (historic)|WHFS's]] top 100 played songs of 1994,<ref>[http://www.rocklists.com/whfs-1994.html WHFS Top 100 of 1994] rocklists.com. Retrieved 29 June 2013.</ref> number 41 on [[KROQ-FM]]’s top 100 played songs of 1994,<ref>[http://www.rocklists.com/kroq-1994.html KROQ’s Top 100 of 1994] rocklists.com. Retrieved 29 June 2013.</ref> number 56 on [[Q101 (internet radio)|Q101]]'s top 100 played songs of 1994,<ref>[http://www.rocklists.com/q101-1994.html Q101's Top 100 of 1994] rocklists.com. Retrieved 29 June 2013.</ref> and number 82 on [[XETRA-FM|91X]]'s top 100 played songs of 1994.<ref>[http://www.rocklists.com/91x-1994.html 91X's Top 100 of 1994] rocklists.com. Retrieved 29 June 2013.</ref> "Dumb" was also ranked at number 381 on [[KITS|Live 105]]'s Top 500 songs in 1994,<ref>[http://www.rocklists.com/alltime17.html Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (1994)] rocklists.com. Retrieved 2 May 2016.</ref> as well as at number 266 on Live 105's Top 300 Revolutionary songs in 1995,<ref>[http://www.rocklists.com/alltime76.html Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (1995)] rocklists.com. Retrieved 2 May 2016.</ref> and also at number 220 on WHFS's Top 500 songs of the 90s in 1999.<ref>[http://www.rocklists.com/alltime11.html WHFS Top 500 of the 90s (1999)] rocklists.com. Retrieved 2 May 2016.</ref> The combined airplay in 1994 allowed the song to chart at number 37 on the US Alternative National Airplay chart which was published by ''[[Radio & Records]]''.<ref name="Radio&Records" />

In a 1993 ''Rolling Stone'' interview, Cobain told journalist [[David Fricke]] that he wished he had put more songs like "Dumb" and "All Apologies" on previous Nirvana albums, saying that Nirvana had so far "failed in showing the lighter, more dynamic side of our band."<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Fricke|first1=David|author-link=David Fricke|title=Kurt Cobain, The Rolling Stone Interview: Success Doesn't Suck|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kurt-cobain-the-rolling-stone-interview-19940127|access-date=13 November 2017|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=27 January 1994}}</ref>

===Critical reception===

In his review of ''In Utero'' for ''Rolling Stone'', Fricke cited "Dumb," along with "[[Heart-Shaped Box]]," as evidence that if [[Generation X]] "is ever going to have its own [[John Lennon|Lennon]] — someone who genuinely believes in rock & roll salvation but doesn't confuse mere catharsis with true deliverance — Cobain is damn near it."<ref name="RS">{{cite magazine |last=Fricke |first=David |author-link=David Fricke |title=In Utero |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/in-utero-248756/ |access-date=6 November 2018 |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=16 September 1993}}</ref> Reviewing the album for ''[[Kerrang!]]'', Phil Alexander wrote that "Kurt kickstarts Rape Me with a familiar and doubtlessly intended [[Smells Like Teen Spirit|...Teen Spirit]] shuffle, while Dumb has an infectious [[Come As You Are (Nirvana song)|Come As You Are]] feel. Both ripple with Kurt's poignant observations, allowing fleeting glimpses at his anger and frustration without ever resorting to the trite and obvious."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Alexander |first1=Phil |title="This is the sound of absolution": Our original 1993 review of Nirvana's In Utero |url=https://www.kerrang.com/this-is-the-sound-of-absolution-nirvana-in-utero-original-kerrang-review-1993 |access-date=17 January 2023 |work=Kerrang! |date=September 1993}}</ref>

===Legacy===

Reviewing the band's first greatest hits album, ''[[Nirvana (Nirvana album)|Nirvana]]'', in 2002, Will Bryant of ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' wrote that "Dumb" was "one of Cobain's most underrated efforts, a populist revision of "Lithium" that replaces ''[[Nevermind (album)|Nevermind's]]'' misanthropy with earnest self-deprecation." Bryant praised Kera Schaley's cello playing as the song's "secret weapon," and the bridge as "hands down, Cobain's best."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bryant|first1=Will|title=Nirvana - Nirvana|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/5810-nirvana/|website=Pitchforkmedia|access-date=31 October 2017}}</ref>

In 2004, "Dumb" was ranked number seven in ''[[Q (magazine)|Q's]]'' list of the "10 Greatest Nirvana Songs Ever".<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/q150lists.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718180112/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/q150lists.htm |title=123: High Spirits - 10 Greatest Nirvana Songs Ever |work=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|date=2004|archive-date=18 July 2011|url-status=usurped|access-date=12 October 2012}}</ref> In 2011, ''[[NME]]'' ranked it sixth on their list of the Nirvana's "10 Best Tracks".<ref name="auto1">{{cite news|last1=Elan|first1=Priya|title=Nirvana – Their 10 Best Tracks|url=http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/nirvana-their-10-best-tracks-7517|access-date=13 November 2017|publisher=NME|date=7 September 2011}}</ref> In 2015, it was listed at number 20 on ''[[Rolling Stone|Rolling Stone's]]'' ranking of 102 Nirvana songs.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Powell |first1=Mike |title=No Apologies: All 102 Nirvana Songs Ranked |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/no-apologies-all-102-nirvana-songs-ranked-175683/dumb-35025/ |access-date=28 June 2019 |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=8 April 2015}}</ref> In 2019, ''[[The Guardian]]'' ranked it ninth on their list of "Nirvana's 20 greatest songs".<ref name="auto2">{{cite news |last1=Petridis |first1=Alexis |title=Nirvana's 20 greatest songs - ranked! |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jun/20/nirvanas-20-greatest-songs-ranked |access-date=23 June 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=20 June 2019}}</ref> In 2023, [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] ranked it the 24th best Nirvana song on ''[[the A.V. Club|the A.V. Club's]]'' "Essential Nirvana: Their 30 greatest songs, ranked" list.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thomas Erlewine |first1=Stephen |title=Essential Nirvana: Their 30 greatest songs, ranked |url=https://www.avclub.com/essential-nirvana-best-songs-ranked-1850854298/slides/8 |access-date=22 September 2023 |work=The A.V. Club |date=21 September 2023}}</ref>

"Dumb" was re-released on the band's second greatest hits collection, ''[[Icon (Nirvana album)|Icon]]'', in August 2010.

In 2017, to mark what would have been Cobain's 50th birthday, the [[Phonographic Performance Limited]] released a list of the top 20 most played Nirvana songs on the TV and radio in the [[United Kingdom]], in which "Dumb" was ranked at number 19.<ref>[http://www.planetrock.com/news/rock-news/20-most-played-nirvana-songs-revealed-to-mark-kurt-cobains-50th-birthday/ 20 most-played Nirvana songs revealed to mark Kurt Cobain’s 50th birthday] planetrock.com. Retrieved 3 March 2017.</ref>

==Music video==

On October 13, 2023, an animated music video for "Dumb" was released on Nirvana's official [[YouTube]] channel. The video was directed by RuffMercy, and created using hand-painted [[Super 8 film]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Peacock |first=Tim |title=Nirvana Shares New Hand-Painted Psychedelic Visual For 'Dumb' |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/nirvana-hand-painted-visual-dumb/ |access-date=13 October 2023 |work=[[uDiscoverMusic]] |date=13 October 2023}}</ref>

The video was nominated for a 2024 [[Webby Award]] for Art & Experimental Videos.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Peacock |first1=Tim |title=Nirvana's 'Dumb' Video Nominated For Webby Award |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/nirvana-dumb-video-webby-award/ |access-date=24 June 2024 |work=UDiscover Music |date=8 April 2024}}</ref>

==Charts==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (1993–1994)
!Peak<br />position
|-
| UK Airplay Top 100 ([[Hit Music]])<ref>{{cite magazine |date=October 9, 1993 |journal=[[Hit Music]] |title=Radio Activity |url=https://imgur.com/A3ndvVw |publisher=Hit Music |quote=The official UK airplay chart |access-date=February 2, 2020}}</ref><br /><small>''In Utero'' version</small><ref>"Dumb" peaked on the UK Airplay chart in October 1993 which was before Nirvana's ''MTV Unplugged'' concert took place in November 1993 and so it can only be the studio version from ''In Utero'' that was on the UK Airplay chart.</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|92
|-
| US Alternative National Airplay ([[Radio & Records]])<ref name="Radio&Records">{{cite magazine |title=Alternative National Airplay |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/90s/94/RR-1994-06-17-OCR-Page-0070.pdf |magazine=[[Radio & Records]] |publisher=Radio & Records |date=17 June 1994 |page=70 |access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref><br /><small>''In Utero'' version</small><ref>
*{{cite magazine |title=AOR Albums National Airplay |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/90s/94/RR-1994-03-11-OCR-Page-0064.pdf|magazine=[[Radio & Records]] |publisher=Radio & Records |date=11 March 1994 |page=64 |access-date=July 17, 2021}}
*{{cite magazine |title=Rock Albums National Airplay |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/90s/94/RR-1994-05-06-OCR-Page-0065.pdf|magazine=[[Radio & Records]] |publisher=Radio & Records |date=6 May 1994 |page=65 |access-date=July 17, 2021}}
*{{cite magazine |title=Rock Albums National Airplay |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/90s/94/RR-1994-05-20-OCR-Page-0068.pdf|magazine=[[Radio & Records]] |publisher=Radio & Records |date=20 May 1994 |page=68 |access-date=July 17, 2021}}
*{{cite magazine |title=Rock Albums National Airplay |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/90s/94/RR-1994-05-27-OCR-Page-0071.pdf|magazine=[[Radio & Records]] |publisher=Radio & Records |date=27 May 1994 |page=71 |access-date=July 17, 2021}}
*{{cite magazine |title=Rock Albums National Airplay |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/90s/94/RR-1994-06-03-OCR-Page-0068.pdf|magazine=[[Radio & Records]] |publisher=Radio & Records |date=3 June 1994 |page=68 |access-date=July 17, 2021}}
*{{cite magazine |title=Rock Albums National Airplay |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/90s/94/RR-1994-06-10-OCR-Page-0068.pdf|magazine=[[Radio & Records]] |publisher=Radio & Records |date=10 June 1994 |page=68 |access-date=July 17, 2021}}
*{{cite magazine |title=Rock Albums National Airplay |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/90s/94/RR-1994-06-17-OCR-Page-0077.pdf|magazine=[[Radio & Records]] |publisher=Radio & Records |date=17 June 1994 |page=77 |access-date=July 17, 2021}}
*{{cite magazine |title=Rock Albums National Airplay |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/90s/94/RR-1994-06-24-OCR-Page-0085.pdf|magazine=[[Radio & Records]] |publisher=Radio & Records |date=24 June 1994 |page=85 |access-date=July 17, 2021}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|37
|}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=1993|certyear=2024|access-date=May 21, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Nirvana|title=Dumb|award=Gold|certyear=2023|relyear=1993|access-date=December 18, 2024|source=radioscope}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Nirvana|title=Dumb|award=Silver|relyear=2004|certyear=2023|id=19423-602-1|access-date=November 3, 2023|note=Sales since 2004}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|award=Gold|type=single|artist=Nirvana|title=Dumb|certyear=2024|access-date=December 9, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

==Accolades==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:left;"
|-
! scope="col"| Year
! scope="col" style="width:6em;"| Publication
! scope="col" style="width:10em;"| Country
! scope="col"| Accolade
! scope="col"| Rank
|-
! scope="row"| 2004
| ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3"| United Kingdom
| ''High Spirits: 10 Greatest Nirvana Songs Ever''<ref name="auto" />
| style="text-align:center;"| 7
|-
! scope="row"| 2011
| ''[[NME]]''
| ''Nirvana: Their 10 Best Tracks''<ref name="auto1" />
| style="text-align:center;"| 6
|-
! scope="row"| 2019
| ''[[The Guardian]]''
| ''Nirvana's 20 greatest songs - ranked!''<ref name="auto2" />
| style="text-align:center;"| 9
|-
! scope="row"| 2023
| ''[[The A.V. Club]]''
| style="text-align:center"| United States
| ''Essential Nirvana: Their 30 greatest songs, ranked''<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thomas Erlewine |first1=Stephen |title=Essential Nirvana: Their 30 greatest songs, ranked |url=https://www.avclub.com/essential-nirvana-best-songs-ranked-1850854298/slides/8 |access-date=22 September 2023 |work=The A.V. Club |date=21 September 2023}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 24
|-
|}

==Personnel==
'''Nirvana'''
* [[Kurt Cobain]] – vocals, guitars
* [[Krist Novoselic]] – bass 
* [[Dave Grohl]] – drums

'''Additional personnel'''
* Kera Schaley – cello

==Other releases==

*A live version, recorded at the 1992 [[Reading and Leeds Festivals|Reading Festival]] on October 30, 1992, appeared on ''[[Live at Reading]]'', released on CD and DVD in November 2009.

*A remix of the ''In Utero'' version, done by Albini in 2013, appeared on the 20th anniversary "Deluxe" and "Super Deluxe" versions of ''In Utero.''

*A brief clip of the song, from the band's performance at the [[MassMutual Center|Springfield Civic Center]] in [[Springfield, Massachusetts]] on November 10, 1993, appeared on side four of the vinyl version of the live compilation, ''[[From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah]]'', released in November 1996. The clip featured Cobain stopping the song after accidentally repeating the second verse, apologizing to the audience, and then starting again.

*Two live versions of the song, from the band's concerts at the [[Great Western Forum]] in [[Inglewood, California]] on December 30, 1993, and at the [[Mercer Arena|Seattle Center Arena]] in Seattle on January 7, 1994, appeared on the 30th anniversary "Super Deluxe" reissue of ''In Utero'', released in October 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Monroe |first1=Jazz |title=Nirvana Reissuing In Utero With 2 Unreleased Live Albums for 30th Anniversary |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/nirvana-reissuing-in-utero-with-unreleased-tracks-for-30th-anniversary/ |access-date=8 September 2023 |work=Pitchfork |issue=5 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Deaux |first=John |date=September 5, 2023 |url=https://allabouttherock.co.uk/nirvana-in-utero-30th-anniversary-multi-format-reissues-arrive-october-27-2023/ |title=Nirvana In Utero: 30th anniversary multi-format reissues arrive October 27, 2023 |work=allabouttherock.co.uk |access-date=September 8, 2023}}</ref>

===Unreleased versions===

*The solo acoustic version recorded on the ''Boy Meets Girl'' show in Olympia on September 25, 1990 was leaked on the internet in 2016, but remains unreleased. 

*The live version recorded for ''Tunnel'' in Rome on February 23, 1994 also remains officially unreleased. However, it was released on the [[Nirvana bootleg recordings|bootleg]] ''Live at Tunnel Rome Italy 23 Feb 1994'' which reached number 93 on the [[UK Physical Singles Chart]] in May 2025.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/physical-singles-chart/20250523/1/ |title=Official Physical Singles Chart |date=May 23, 2025 |website=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=June 14, 2025}}</ref>

==Cover versions==
In 2016, [[Best Coast]] covered the song for ''Summer Is Forever 2''.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |last=Azerrad |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Azerrad |year=1993 |title=Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana |publisher=[[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]] |isbn=0-385-47199-8}}
*{{cite book |last=Crisafulli |first=Chuck |year=1996 |title=Nirvana: The Stories Behind the Songs |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] |isbn=0-7119-5809-2}}
*{{cite book |last=Gaar |first=Gillian G |year=2006 |title=In Utero |publisher=[[Continuum Publishing]] |isbn=0-8264-1776-0}}
*{{cite book |last=Gaar, Gillian G |year=2009 |title=The Rough Guide to Nirvana |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |isbn=978-1-85828-945-8}}
*{{cite book |last1=St. Thomas |first1=Kurt |author-link1=Kurt St. Thomas |last2=Smith |first2=Troy |year=2004 |title=Nirvana: The Chosen Rejects |publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]] |isbn=0-312-20663-1}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|In Utero (album)}}
* {{YouTube|IEXDVf4AET4|Live in MTV Unplugged in New York}}

{{Nirvana}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:1993 songs]]
[[Category:Nirvana (band) songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Kurt Cobain]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Steve Albini]]
[[Category:Songs about drugs]]