I always wondered if Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was based upon the general spirit in high schools or the deodorant. Either would be highly ironic, a disdainful commentary on youth and pop culture, but which came first?

It turns out that they are both true. While Kurt Cobain had no intention of the song referring to the deodorant, the idea for the song came from something one of his friends spray painted on the wall: “Kurt Cobain smells like teen spirit.” The graffiti was meant to reference the deodorant, since his then-girlfriend wore the product. So they both ended up being in the song, though after he found out, Cobain was not happy about it in the least.

I don’t think I’d be, either, especially since the song was then used to sell the product—something Cobain was probably sickened over. The company came up with slogans like “Do you smell like teen spirit?” and it was the song itself that really launched the product among teens rather than the product itself—which is no surprise, since it sucks. I remember using it as a teenager in the locker room and thinking, “Man, I should just use what my mom uses.”