4 Essential Deep Cuts from Hole, the Grunge Pioneers Fronted by Courtney Love

Hole was one of many grunge pioneer bands of the 1990s. Led by Courtney Love, the band released four studio albums during their career, including the hit 1994 record Live Through This. Their catalog of music isn’t exactly huge, but there are some songs by Hole that deserve recognition despite not being as popular as hits like “Doll Parts” and “Jennifer’s Body”. Let’s take a look at four Hole deep cuts that any fan of the alt-rock outfit should know!

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1. “Mrs. Jones”

This is one of Hole’s heavier, grungier songs from their debut album Pretty On The Inside. The song is a cryptic one, and many fans believe it is about experiencing a back alley abortion. The distorted guitar and wailing, screeching vocals were clearly meant to mimic the chaos experienced by the song’s narrator. The riff was also stolen from a Bauhaus song, according to Courtney Love herself.

2. “She Walks On Me”

Live Through This is bursting at the seams with addictive songs, from “Miss World” to “Softer, Softest”. “She Walks On Me” is one of the more underrated deep cuts on this stellar Hole album. It’s rough, heavy, and the melody of the song is quite an earworm.

“You know when you’re in high school and there’s that one girl, and she tries to copy you and you’re already a big freak anyway and nobody likes you, but then she tries to copy you and get popular [over it]?” Courtney Love said of the song. “That’s what this song is about.”

3. “Petals”

“Petals” was released when the heyday of grunge had already pretty much passed. However, this 1998 track from Celebrity Skin is one of the band’s most classically grunge songs to date. This album as a whole doesn’t get enough love, either.

4. “Never Go Hungry”

This track from Nobody’s Daughter is one of Hole’s most anthemic. Love said that she wrote it while in rehab, and you can tell that the singer was at odds with herself at the time. It’s a song about surviving, being broken, and refusing to make the same mistakes again. It’s really a great gem from that album.

Photo by Ke.Mazur/WireImage

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