“Lithium” was released by Nirvana in 1991 on their landmark album Nevermind. The song is built around a stark contrast between subdued, almost fragile verses and explosive, distorted choruses, a dynamic that became one of Nirvana’s signature techniques. Its steady tempo and shifting intensity mirror the emotional instability at the heart of the track. Written by Kurt Cobain, the lyrics explore themes of mental health, isolation, and emotional survival, following a narrator who turns to religion