Courtney Love Says the '90s Grunge Hits Are All About Her

Photo: Jason Schreurs

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Aug 26, 2016

Whether it's "Violet" or "Miss World," Courtney Love can lay claim to having written some of the '90s greatest rock songs. But did you ever stop to consider how many grunge-era anthems might be about her too? A new interview with the Hole singer/guitarist has her explaining that many of the songs you'll hear on classic alt-rock radio were penned with her in mind.

Though which exact songs Love is talking about remain a bit of a mystery, an appearance on a recent episode of actor Anna Faris's podcast, Anna Faris Is Unqualified [via NME], had the musician explaining that her onetime relationship with Billy Corgan served as the inspiration for several Smashing Pumpkins songs. She also suggests that Gavin Rossdale wrote a Bush song about her. It should be a given that this list includes her former husband, Nirvana founder Kurt Cobain.

"I listen to 'Lithium,' which is like all of the '90s songs and a lot of them are actually about me, which is interesting," she told Faris. "There's so many Smashing Pumpkins songs about me, there's a Bush song about me."

Love continued: "I remember I used to date this movie star in the '90s, and we were listening to KROQ, and there were like six songs in a row, and give of them were about me. I told him that and he was like, 'No they aren't!' I was like, 'Yeah they are! I dated every one of those guys, dude!' He was like, 'You're such a slut!'"

In addition to the cryptic reveal, Love discussed a recent tour with Lana Del Rey. That trek had them playing smaller rooms than Love would have liked, which apparently didn't let her tap into her "messianic complex."

"I didn't really like them," she said of the venue selection on the Del Rey tour. "They're not as fun as 10-20,000 seaters. You get a bigger vibe, if you have a messianic complex. I think I'm the messiah, and I want you to drink my Kool-Aid when I'm on stage. A shot of tequila, and I think I'm Jesusette."

You can hear Love's full conversation with Faris down below.

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