Nirvana’s “Something In The Way” (yeah) is a streaming hit thanks to The Batman
The brooding Batman turns the Nirvana creeper into a certified hit
Aux News Nirvana
“Something In The Way” has always had something in the way—namely, 11 other tracks on Nirvana’s breakthrough album, Nevermind. Tucked away on the album’s B-side, behind hits like “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come As You Are,” and “In Bloom,” the atmospheric ballad was never bound for Billboard…or was it?
Thanks to Batman of all people, Cobain’s acoustic lament is finally getting some respect from the streaming charts. Per Billboard (via Consequence), within four days of The Batman’s release (March 4 through March 7), the song received “3.1 million on-demand official U.S. streams.” The number is “up from 372,000 on-demand official U.S. streams” from the four days prior.
The Nirvana deep-cut has benefited from its friends in Gotham since the first trailer was released last fall. Thanks to The Batman trailer, “Something In The Way” charted on Billboard for the first time, reaching No. 2 on Rock Digital Song Sales and No. 45 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales.
The Batman director Matt Reeves has long cited Nirvana as an influence on the film. The Riddler himself, Paul Dano, even said that “Something In The Way” gets name-checked in the script. According to an interview with Esquire, Reeves imagined Bruce Wayne as “a kind of drug addict,” whose “drug is his addiction to this drive for revenge.”
He explains:
Early on, when I was writing, I started listening to Nirvana, and there was something about “Something in the Way,” which is in the first trailer, which is part of the voice of that character. When I considered, ‘How do you do Bruce Wayne in a way that hasn’t been seen before?’ I started thinking, ‘What if some tragedy happened [ie: Wayne sees his parents murdered] and this guy becomes so reclusive, we don’t know what he’s doing? Is this guy some kind of wayward, reckless, drug addict?’ And the truth is that he is a kind of drug addict. His drug is his addiction to this drive for revenge. He’s like a Batman Kurt Cobain.”
To paraphrase Robert Palmer, “Might as well face it, The Batman’s addicted to revenge.”
49 Comments
When’s “Moist Vagina” going to hit the Billboard charts?
I think it already was but under the name “W.A.P”
The Kinja Name symmetry with your comment and the originator comment – is just *chef’s kiss* perfect!
That’s what I keep asking my wife
Hey Ben! How is Mrs. Shapiro these days? Still dry, huh?
It’s either in the Nevermind Classic Albums episode or the Sound City documentary, but in one of them they explain how Kurt’s vocals and acoustic guitar were recorded with him sitting in the studio control room, after a bunch of previous tries doing it in the actual studio didn’t work. It is super interesting.
it’s from ‘classics.’ what a great series! and that episode in particular was stellar.
I could watch Butch Vig just pan the different guitar tracks from that album all day. The way he used the two different distorted amps and blended them made that album sound so massive.
For those who want to hear the song.
Or not
That was just awful. How about a bouncy palate-cleanser from the Nicholas Brothers:
I haven’t seen the movie but based on all the quotes about Kurt Cobain being a huge influence on the movie, does Batman become really big only to feel guilty for selling out? Does he appear on the cover of a magazine with a “Superheroes Still Suck” t-shirt?
Gotta save something for the sequel. Think of the first movie as still being in “Bleach” mode. (But seriously, it’s more literal than you might expect. They could have called him Bruce Cobain and it would be accurate)
So the end of the Batman Trilogy will be a gritty, indie-like film created with the intention of alienating everyone who saw the first two movies? Or is BatFleck the In Utero of Batman’s?Will there also be a Robin who goes on to form his own group of superheroes and becomes one of the most beloved superheroes in superhero history?
Or is BatFleck the In Utero of Batman’s?
Will there also be a Robin who goes on to form his own group of superheroes and becomes one of the most beloved superheroes in superhero history?Hopefully with 100% less AIDS denialism.
Can you explain what you mean by AIDS denialism?
It’s a wild period in the band’s history that got tossed down the memory hole:https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2000/02/foo-fighters-hiv-deniers/https://medium.com/the-monthly/the-foo-fighters-aids-denialism-should-be-on-the-record-6e33666fdc3chttps://48hills.org/2021/05/opinion-aids-denialism-in-the-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame/
So technically HIV denialism, but I getcha.
And at the end of the third movie, Batman will kill himself and everyone will blame Catwoman.
I liked the choice of song. I was relieved that it wasn’t “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (a song I like, but hear too often), especially not the cover used in Black Widow. I’m not a big fan of slow, breathy cover songs.
I hope someone can write a Superman script while listening to Pearl Jam. Just to see where things go
In it, Superman decides he’s gotten too big and popular and wants to return to being a smaller, less well known superhero for fear of being seen as a sell out. This he accomplishes after a tumultuous defeat at the hands of the evil villain Ticketmaster.(Smashing Pumpkins’ Spider-Man is a Spider-Man who makes the rest of the Avengers quit because he’s a huge prick.He later starts a new Avengers with Tommy Lee from Motley Crue.)
So…
God what a trainwreck that fucking thing was right before New-52.
This is incredible
wasn’t that a star is born?
EXT Classroom DayTeacher: Jeremy Kent is there something you’d like to say to the whole class?
Superman writes “Pro-Choice” on his cape in black Sharpie.
Jimmy Olsen backs into Clark and knocks his glasses off.Lois :“I seem, to recognise your facehaunting familiar yet , I cant seem, to place it..”Clarke :”Oh shit, gotta go “He jumps out of window.Jimmy Olsen: ”“I don’t think I can handle thisA cloudy day in Metropolis
I think I’ll talk to my analyst
I got it so bad for this little jour..”Lois :“That was the Spin Doctors not Pearl Jam asshole , and I’ve told you before , I’m not into you.”
I mean they’re listening to R.E.M(or 60s band The Clique), they have this :If they like Canadian pop folk pleasantness , they have this :Actually there are a LOT of songs about or featuring/mentioning Superman, but the only vaguely Bats related song (not counting stuff from Batman movies) is this. Also from REM:
“Lounge Act”, under-rated track, though Nevermind is an album with all hits. All Hits. The album delivers, the whole thing. Whole album, boom! Fantastic. Infinitely listenable.
Lounge Act might be my fav track on th whole album. But it really is all good.
My personal “Nevermind” favorite has always been “Drain You” – but I agree – there’s not really a bad one on there.
I haven’t listened to Nevermind in well over 20 years, but I can replay the entire thing track for track in my head, that’s how often I heard it played in full. Part of it was the technology at the time, but I never really heard NM tracks on a mixtap; when people played Nirvana, they played the whole record top to bottom. It was just that kind of record.
That’s for the second movie when Catwoman starts fucking someone else.
Yes, the notion of a “deep cut” on fucking Nevermind is preposterous, laughable, and maybe I’m just too old to comprehend.
I mean “Endless, Nameless” maybe counts.(and theres no way Bats is listening to that while he mopes)
Just listened to SITW for the first time. They should publish Hotline phone numbers before playing these songs.
I mean its depressing but its no Exit Music From a Movie
Love the way the sunlight just slowly disappears.
Nice to see one of those under the radar songs getting a chance to shine. It was also an inspired choice for the trailer as it hits the mood nearly perfectly. Yes, I read/knew that part of Nirvana being an inspiration to the film, but this was just such a better choice than almost any of their more known songs.
Is Batman a pescatarian now?“Its ok to eat fish cos they dont have any feelings”I mean I guess it fits mopey Se7en Bats
Is this movie the beginning of a renaissance to that weird heroin chic trend from the 90s?
Jerry Maguire did it first.
Maybe being a teenager when Nevermind came out biases me, but IMO nothing on that record could be considered a “deep cut”. It’s liek describing anything on “Dark Side of the Moon” as a deep cut… some records were just so universally beloved and played to death that every track is a stone cold classic.
It was also on Unplugged, which helped it spread further.
It was perfectly used in the movie. Loved it. And I never listen to Nirvana, but respect their music. It’s just not for me. But this was a great song that I am sad I missed all those years ago.
Uh, not to be a pedant, but how can the closing track of one of the biggest, most important albums of all time be a “deep cut”?
Something In The Way is a “Nirvana deep cut”? Everyone knew that song in the early 90’s.