The Man Who Sold the World
Nirvana * Track #4 On MTV Unplugged in New York
Download "The Man Who Sold the World"
Album MTV Unplugged in New York
- #1
About a Girl (MTV Unplugged)Nirvana
- #2Come as You Are (MTV Unplugged)
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- #3Jesus Doesn’t Want Me for a Sunbeam
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- #4The Man Who Sold the World
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- #5Pennyroyal Tea (MTV Unplugged)
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- #6Dumb (MTV Unplugged)
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- #7Polly (MTV Unplugged)
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- #8On a Plain (MTV Unplugged)
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- #9Something in the Way (MTV Unplugged)
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- #10Plateau
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- #11Oh, Me
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- #12Lake of Fire
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- #13
All Apologies (MTV Unplugged)Nirvana
- #14Where Did You Sleep Last Night?
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The Man Who Sold the World by Nirvana
Release Date
Performed by
NirvanaProduced by
Alex Coletti & Scott LittWrited by
David BowieAbout
A song originally by David Bowie that Kurt Cobain and Nirvana played at their famous MTV Unplugged show. The song’s main character, a man who felt like he had sold his soul and personality (aka, his “world”) really seemed to fit Cobain’s feelings at the time he played this song.
The Man Who Sold the World Lyrics
[Verse 1]
We passed upon the stairs
We spoke of was and when
Although I wasn't there
He said I was his friend
Which came as a surprise
I spoke into his eyes
I thought you died alone
A long, long time ago
[Chorus]
Oh no, not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
[Verse 2]
I laughed and shook his hand
And made my way back home
I searched for form and land
For years and years, I roamed
I gazed a gazeless stare
We walked a million hills
I must have died alone
A long, long time ago
[Chorus]
Who knows? Not me
I never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
Who knows? Not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
[Guitar Solo]
[Spoken]
Thanks, that was a David Bowie song
What's next?
[?]
I didn't screw it up, did I?
No
Okay, but here's another one I could screw up
What is it?
Am I gonna do this... by myself?
Yeah, you should do it by yourself
Do it by yourself
Okay, well, I think I'll try in a different key, I'll try in a normal key
Yeah
If it sounds bad... these people are just gonna have to wait
The Man Who Sold the World Q&A
Who wrote The Man Who Sold the World's ?
The Man Who Sold the World was written by David Bowie.
Who produced The Man Who Sold the World's ?
The Man Who Sold the World was produced by Alex Coletti & Scott Litt.
When did Nirvana release The Man Who Sold the World?
Nirvana released The Man Who Sold the World on Tue Nov 01 1994.
What did Nirvana say about "The Man Who Sold the World"?
I was simply blown away when I found out that Kurt Cobain liked my work, and I always wanted to talk to him about his reasons for covering ‘Man Who Sold The World.’ It was a good straightforward rendition and sounded somehow very honest. It would have been nice to have worked with him, but just talk...
What has Bowie said about Nirvana's covering his song before Cobain's death?
In an interview broadcast in 1996 on Dutch TV, Bowie said,
It’s a very sad rendition, of course, because it’s so tied up in life and death. So, it takes on all these different shades for me. Because I also remember, fairly clearly, my state of mind when I was actually writing it, which was, I gue...