Sappy

For the record label see Sappy Records.

"Sappy" aka "Verse Chorus Verse"
Song by Nirvana from the album No Alternative With the Lights Out Sliver: The Best of the Box Nevermind (deluxe)
Released	October 26, 1993
Recorded	February 1993 at Pachyderm Studios, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
Genre	Grunge
Length	3:24
Label	Arista Records
Writer	Kurt Cobain
Producer	Steve Albini

"Sappy" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It was first released as a hidden track on the 1993 AIDS-benefit compilation album No Alternative. At the time the song was credited by the title "Verse Chorus Verse", which happens to be the title of a different Nirvana song. The song, credited by its actual title of "Sappy", also appears on the Nirvana rarities box set With the Lights Out, released in 2004.

History

Originally recorded under the working title "Sad", "Sappy" dates back to at least 1987, and was recorded several times in the studio. The song's writer Kurt Cobain was never completely satisfied with any version of it. It was recorded in many different keys and the lyrics changed over the years. The final version was recorded by Steve Albini at Pachyderm Studios in 1993 during the In Utero sessions and released as the final, unlisted track on the No Alternative compilation. The song was apparently renamed "Verse Chorus Verse" around this time, but since this title is shared by an earlier Nirvana song, it is usually called "Sappy" in order to avoid confusion.

Although "Sappy" was released as an extra hidden track on No Alternative, word of Nirvana's appearance on the disc spread, and soon many people bought the album simply for the hidden track, eventually becoming a frequently requested song at concerts during the band's 1994 tour of Europe and being played live for the first time in nearly four years. This is evident from a recording of a February 1994 concert in Milan, Italy in which the audience kept requesting the song; bassist Krist Novoselic, after performing it, shouted to the crowd, "Did you hear it on a bootleg? Because it wasn't listed on the album."

Other versions

Apart from the final version of "Sappy" recorded in 1993, found on No Alternative and CD 3 of With the Lights Out several other versions have been officially released:

• A live version of "Sappy", recorded on February 16, 1990, appears on the DVD of the With the Lights Out box set.
• A demo version, recorded by Jack Endino in January 1990 in Seattle, Washington, appears on the 2005 compilation album, Sliver: The Best of the Box. This version was a selling point for the album as it is different to the final 1993 version that is actually included on the box set.
• A live version from 1990 was included as a bonus track on the "Deluxe" edition of the Bleach album, released in 2009.
• A demo version was recorded at Butch Vig's Madison Wisconsin Smart Studios in 1990. This version was included on the "Deluxe" edition of the Nevermind album, released in 2011.