Kurt Cobain died at the ripe age of 27 in 1994. Despite his short run in the human realm, he’s left a lasting impression on American culture and music. Cobain was raised in a devout born-again catholic home but would later reject his faith and become a non-denominational agnostic. During his teen years he briefly developed an interest in Jainism and Buddhist philosophy but never became a full fledged Jains or Buddhist. His vague spiritual beliefs have left many fans asking “Why did Kurt Cobain name his band Nirvana?”
A (very) Brief history on Nirvana
Nirvana was formed in Seattle with original members Krist Novoselic and Aaron Burckhard in 1987. For the next few years the group went though a revolving door of members including: Chad Channing, Jason Everman and Dave Grohl to name just a few. The members of the band weren’t the only thing that went though constant Anicca or “change”. The band had several early name changes including: “skid row”, “fecal matter” and “Ted Ed Fred” before Cobain settled on “Nirvana” in 1987.
Why Kurt Cobain Named His Band “Nirvana”
Cobain has gone on record saying he wanted a name that felt peaceful and pure. He was aiming for a juxtaposition to the loud, messy grunge music they were making. He wanted their music to bring people to a better place. In an excerpt from an interview below, Cobain expanded on his decision. Stating that the Webster’s Dictionary definition of the word “Nirvana” was what punk meant to him. “Freedom from pain and suffering in the external world”.
Cobain was known to hate giving interviews. Legendary Foo Fighters front man and Nirvana drummer, Dave Grohl, often described his former bandmate as “shy”, so his blasé attitude in the interview below shouldn’t be taken as a disinterest in talking about the origins of the name of the band, but as a disinterest in the interview itself. If you’re still wondering “why did Kurt Cobain name his band Nirvana?” There’s no one better to tell explain it than Cobain himself:
Cobain isn’t the only modern rocker to be inspired by the Eastern Religion. We have an entire article on modern musicians that have been inspired by Buddhism here. As well as a deep dive on Jimmy Yu, former hardcore punk rocker and bassist for “Judge” turned Buddhist scholar and monk here.