The Seattle Kraken’s season is in bloom and they opened Climate Pledge Arena with Vince Dunn scored the first home goal in Kraken history, firing the puck past Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko with that oh-so-satisfying ping! on its way to the back of the net. The crowd absolutely exploded.
One of the big questions was: what will the goal song be? The Kraken went with Nirvana’s “Lithium” off their 1991 transcendent album Nevermind.
Nirvana is the greatest-selling artist in Seattle history, and even 25 years after lead singer Kurt Cobain’s suicide, the band’s DNA is prominent in Seattle’s culture. It is an excellent and fitting choice for the team. Combined with the ferry goal horn, It’s just so Seattle.
However, what you hear in the video is not exactly what they played last night.
Original lyrics:
I like it, I’m not gonna crack
I miss you, I’m not gonna crack
I love you, I’m not gonna crack
I killed you, I’m not gonna crack
But they altered the lyrics (and somehow made it sound like Kurt Cobain’s voice, which I don’t know how they managed that). The lyrics for the goal song seem to be changed to:
I like it, let’s go Kraken
I like it, let’s go Kraken
I like it, let’s go Kraken
I like it, let’s go Kraken
You can hear the lyric change 18 seconds in the following video:
If you grew up listening to Nirvana the way Kraken captain Mark Giordano did, the lyric change can be initially jarring. But “I’m not gonna crack” doesn’t really work as a part of a goal song for the Kraken, so I understand why they made the choice they did. (I am gonna crack? no, that doesn’t work either.)
Modifying the lyrics to such a beloved, iconic artist is an interesting choice but looks to have gone largely unnoticed. But one thing seems true for the Kraken: when they pick a way to lean into the identity of Seattle, there haven’t been any half-measures.
And if it doesn’t work out, they can always go with Seattle’s other best-selling artist:
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