View source for On a Plain

{{Short description|1991 promotional single by Nirvana}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = On a Plain
| cover      = File:On a Plain CD-removebg-preview.png
| alt        =
| caption    = Promo CD from [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]'s ''[[Nevermind]]'' album
| type       = promo
| artist     = [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]
| album      = [[Nevermind]]
| released   = {{start date|1991}}
| recorded   = May 1991
| studio     = [[Sound City Studios|Sound City]] ([[Van Nuys]], California)
| venue      =
| genre      = *[[Grunge]]
*[[pop-punk]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peacock |first=Tim |date=February 20, 2025 |title=Best Nirvana Songs: 20 Essential Tracks That Blaze With Teen Spirit |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/best-nirvana-songs/ |access-date=June 13, 2025 |website=[[uDiscover Music]] }}</ref>
| length     = 3:16
| label      = [[DGC Records|DGC]]
| writer     = [[Kurt Cobain]]{{efn|On the original release of [[Nevermind]], the lyrics were credited to Cobain while the music was credited to the whole band.<ref name=linernotes>{{Cite AV media notes |title=Nevermind |others=[[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] |year=1991 |type=CD liner notes |publisher=[[DGC Records|DGC]]}}</ref> Later releases  credit this song solely to Cobain.<ref>{{Cite AV media notes |title=Nevermind |others=[[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] |date=2021 |publisher=[[Geffen Records]] |type=30th Anniversary reissue liner notes}}</ref>}}
| producer   = {{hlist|[[Butch Vig]]|Nirvana<ref name=linernotes />}}
| prev_title = [[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]
| prev_year  = 1991
| next_title = [[Come as You Are (Nirvana song)|Come as You Are]]
| next_year  = 1992
| misc       = {{Extra track listing
 | album      = [[Nevermind]]
 | type       = studio
 | tracks     = {{Nevermind tracks}}
}}
}}

"'''On a Plain'''" is a song by American [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], written by vocalist and guitarist, [[Kurt Cobain]]. It is the 11th track on their second album, ''[[Nevermind]]'', released in September 1991.

The song was released as a [[promotional single]] in 1992, peaking at number 25 on [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']] Alternative Songs chart.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Nirvana (Chart History) Alternative Songs |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/nirvana/chart-history/mrt/}}</ref>

==Early history==
Written in 1990, "On a Plain" was first recorded in the studio on January 1, 1991, at Music Source Studios in [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], by the band's audio engineer, Craig Montgomery. The private session, the band's first with drummer [[Dave Grohl]], led to the versions of "Even in His Youth" and "[[Aneurysm (song)|Aneurysm]]" that were released as B-sides on the "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]" single in September 1991. However, the other five songs recorded during the session all featured unfinished lyrics and scratch vocals, such as "On a Plain," or were instrumental.

==''Nevermind''==
The song was re-recorded for the band's second album, ''Nevermind'', by [[Butch Vig]] in May 1991 at [[Sound City Studios]] in [[Van Nuys]], [[California]]. Vig later called it "a great pop song," remembering it as "a really new one" that "took a few takes" to complete.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Jovanovic|first1=Rob|title=Nirvana" The Recording Sessions|date=September 2004|publisher=S A F Pub Ltd|isbn=978-0946719600}}</ref> The final lyrics were written at Sound City shortly before the vocals were recorded, which led to the line, "What the hell am I trying to say?"

The recording features wordless backing vocals by Grohl. Vig had wanted to end the recording with Grohl's harmonies repeated four times [[a capella]], and originally mixed the song that way, but upon hearing the mix, Cobain decided the song should end after only one pass of the harmonies.<ref name="Cross1">{{cite book|last1=Cross|first1=Charles|author-link1=Charles R. Cross|last2=Berkenstadt|first2=Jim|author-link2=Jim Berkenstadt|title=Classic Rock Albums: Nirvana - Nevermind|date=February 22, 2012|publisher=[[Schirmer Trade Books]]|isbn=9780857127686}}</ref> Cobain's lead vocals were done in one take.<ref name="Cross1"/>

"On a Plain" was debuted live on May 29, 1991, at [[Jabberjaw (Los Angeles)|Jabberjaw]] in [[Los Angeles, California]], the show at which Nirvana also debuted the future ''Nevermind'' single, "[[Come As You Are (Nirvana song)|Come As You Are]]", before "an astonished audience," according to author [[Charles R. Cross]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Cross|first1=Charles R|author-link=Charles R. Cross|title=Heavier Than Heaven|date=August 15, 2001|publisher=[[Hyperion (publisher)|Hyperion]]|location=United States|isbn=0-7868-6505-9|page=178}}</ref> The show was Nirvana's first since completing work on ''Nevermind.''

Cobain ultimately expressed dissatisfaction with the ''Nevermind'' recording, telling ''[[Flipside (fanzine)|Flipside]]'', "That song came out way too clean. I'm not happy with the way that came out at all. It should have been a lot rawer; we play it a lot better live I think."<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>

"On a Plain" was released as a [[Promotional recording|promo single]] in the summer of 1992, and became a moderate hit.

==Post-''Nevermind''==
"On a Plain" was performed during Nirvana's ''[[MTV Unplugged]]'' appearance at [[Sony Music Studios]] in [[New York City]] on November 18, 1993. This version featured [[Pat Smear]] on second guitar and [[Lori Goldston]] on cello.

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

==Composition and lyrics==
===Music===
"On a Plain" was recorded in the key of [[D major]], with Cobain's guitar tuned to [[drop D]]. The song starts with a noise intro played by Cobain, with an audible handclap. After a short pause the main riff comes in with the power chords D5-G5-F5-E5-F5-E5-D5 played twice then followed by the power chords D5-C5-B5-A5 followed by the first progression again. The chord progressions are played twice for all verses followed by the power chords D5-Gsus2-Bbsus2 for all choruses. After the second chorus a bridge is played with the power chords F5-E5-A5-G5. The song then goes onto the third verse followed by a final chorus which is treated as the outro with the words, "''I'm on a plain/I can't complain''" being repeated multiple times until all instruments and main vocals start fading out until the last thing that's heard is the repeating, wordless vocal harmony from the chorus.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.e-chords.com/chords/nirvana/on-a-plain |title=On a Plain Chords |website=e-chords.com |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.guitaretab.com/n/nirvana/309541.html?no_takeover |title=Nirvana – On A Plain chords ver. 2 |website=guitaretab.com |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref>
{{Listen|pos = right
|filename=On A Plain.ogg
|title="On A Plain"
|description=A 15-second sample of Cobain singing the song's third verse. Described as his "most [[Metaphysics|meta]] moment," the song was written about writing a song and touches on [[writer's block]].<ref name="Barker"/>
&nbsp;| type = music
}}

===Lyrics===
In a July 1993 interview in New York City, Cobain told English journalist [[Jon Savage]] that "On a Plain" was about "classic alienation, I guess," although he then noted he had to change his explanation every time he was asked about the meaning to his songs, saying that his lyrics were largely taken from "pieces of poetry thrown together," and that his poetry was "not usually thematic at all."<ref name="Cross1"/>

The lyric "Don't quote me on that" was a reference to a recurring joke at Sound City around the time it was written. As Grohl explained to biographer [[Michael Azerrad]], "Someone would say something like, 'Where's the mayonnaise?' And someone else would answer, 'It's in the fridge, but don't quote me on that.{{'"}}<ref>{{cite book|last1=Azerrad|first1=Michael|author-link=Michael Azerrad|title=Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana|date=October 1993|publisher=[[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]]|location=U.S.|isbn=0-385-47199-8|page=176}}</ref>

In his 1993 book ''[[Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana]]'', Azerrad wrote that the lyric "My mother died every night" was a reference to an abusive relationship Cobain's mother was in while Cobain was a teenager.<ref name="Azerrad.220">{{cite book|last1=Azerrad|first1=Michael|author-link=Michael Azerrad|title=Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana|date=October 1993|publisher=[[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]]|location=U.S.|isbn=0-385-47199-8|page=220}}</ref> Azerrad also suggested that the "[[black sheep]]" in the song was a reference to Cobain himself.<ref name="Barker">{{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=23 January 2019 |work=[[NME]] |date=27 July 2018}}</ref>

The lyric "One more special message to go" referred to the fact that "On a Plain" was the last song on ''Nevermind'' that Cobain had to complete lyrics for.<ref name="Azerrad.220"/>

Emily Parker of ''[[NME]]'' described "On a Plain" as "Kurt's most [[Metaphysics|meta]] moment: a song written about writing a song."<ref name="Barker"/>

==Reception==
In her review of ''Nevermind'' for ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'', Lauren Spencer cited the "beautifully harmonic" "On a Plain" as one of the songs "you be humming...for the rest of your life."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Spencer |first1=Lauren |title=Classic Reviews: Nirvana, Nevermind |url=https://www.spin.com/2016/09/nirvana-nevermind-1991-review/ |access-date=23 January 2019 |work=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |date=December 1991}}</ref>

===Legacy===
"On a Plain" was listed at number 26 on ''[[Rolling Stone|Rolling Stone's]]'' 2015 ranking of 102 Nirvana songs.<ref>{{cite news |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/on-a-plain-37008/ |access-date=8 October 2018 |work=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=April 9, 2015}}</ref>

In 2017, to mark what would have been Kurt 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 "On a Plain" was ranked at number 10.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 20, 2017 |url=http://www.planetrock.com/news/rock-news/20-most-played-nirvana-songs-revealed-to-mark-kurt-cobains-50th-birthday/ |title=20 most-played Nirvana songs revealed to mark Kurt Cobain's 50th birthday |publisher=[[PlanetRock.com]] |access-date=March 3, 2017}}</ref>

==Live promotional versions==
===Nakano Sunplaza version===
A live version, recorded at the [[Nakano Sunplaza]] in [[Tokyo]], Japan on February 19, 1992, was released as a streaming single in November 2021, to promote the release of the 30th anniversary reissue of ''Nevermind''. The full Nakano Sunplaza performance appeared on the "Super Deluxe" versions of this release.

===Reading 1992 version===
Another live version, recorded during the band's headlining appearance at the 1992 [[Reading and Leeds Festivals|Reading Festival]] in [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]], England on August 30, 1992, was released as a promotional single in 2009, to promote the release of the live CD and DVD ''[[Live at Reading]]'', released in November 2009. The single was released in the United Kingdom on CD-R.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nirvana – On A Plain (Live at Reading) |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/6820311-Nirvana-On-A-Plain-Live-at-Reading |website=Discogs |access-date=16 December 2021}}</ref>

== Personnel ==
Personnel adapted from ''Nevermind'' liner notes<ref name=linernotes>{{Cite AV media notes |title=Nevermind |others=[[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] |year=1991 |type=CD liner notes |publisher=[[DGC Records|DGC]]}}</ref>
* [[Kurt Cobain]] – guitar, vocals 
* [[Dave Grohl]] – drums, backing vocals
* [[Krist Novoselic]] – bass

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Chart (1992)
! Peak<br />position
|-
{{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|25|artist=Nirvana|rowheader=true|access-date=November 27, 2016}}
|}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Sales certifications for "On a Plain"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1991|certyear=2024|access-date=May 21, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

==Other releases==
*A boombox-recorded, full-band demo version, recorded in the spring of 1991 at a barn in [[Tacoma, Washington]] the band had converted to a rehearsal space, appeared on disc two of the 20th anniversary "Deluxe" and "Super Deluxe" versions of ''Nevermind'', released in September 2011.
*Video of another full-band demo version, recorded during the same period and at the same location, was released as after-credits bonus material on the DVD release of ''[[Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!]]'' in November 2006.
*An early "Devonshire" mix of the ''Nevermind'' version was released on the 20th anniversary "Super Deluxe" version of the album.
*A live version, recorded at the [[Paramount Theatre (Seattle, Washington)|Paramount Theatre]] in Seattle on October 31, 1991, appeared on the live video, ''[[Live at the Paramount (video)|Live at the Paramount]]'', released on DVD and Blu-ray in September 2011.
*Another live version, recorded at the [[Paradiso (Amsterdam)|Paradiso]] in [[Amsterdam]], the Netherlands on November 25, 1991, appeared on the bonus disc included with the DVD release of ''Live! Tonight!! Sold Out!!'' The full concert was released on CD and Blu-ray on the 30th anniversary "Deluxe" and "Super Deluxe" versions of ''Nevermind'' in November 2021.
*The 30th anniversary "Super Deluxe" version of ''Nevermind'' also featured the band's full performance at [[The Palace (entertainment complex)|The Palace]] in [[Melbourne]], Australia on February 2, 1992, which featured a version of "On a Plain".
*A live version, from the band's appearance at the [[Roskilde Festival]] in [[Roskilde]], Denmark on June 26, 1992, appeared on ''Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!'', released in November 1994.
*The ''MTV Unplugged'' version of the song appeared on the live album ''[[MTV Unplugged in New York]]'', which featured the full show, in November 1994. The performance was released on DVD in November 2007, which featured both an unedited version of the performance and the original MTV broadcast, which was first broadcast in December 1993.
*Two live versions of "On a Plain," 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, appear on the 30th anniversary "Super Deluxe" reissue of Nirvana's final studio album, ''[[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 studio version recorded at Music Source in Seattle on January 1, 1991, remains unreleased.

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|Nevermind}}

{{Nirvana (band)}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1990 songs]]
[[Category:Nirvana (band) songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Kurt Cobain]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Butch Vig]]