The song “Grave Concern/A Good Day for Binky” is described as being frenetic, angry, obsessive and depressed, “Grave Concern” in particular conveying the sort of emotion found in a piece shaped by loss and grief. Although it was first released in 2003, the track is now back more than twenty years later with the same highly personal subject matter. Because it deals with loss, mental health and the lasting impact that people can have on our lives, the song has a strongly personal quality, especially in the way it looks at emotions that stay around long after someone has died.
The atmosphere surrounding “Grave Concern” is clearly dark, yet the song is not merely an abstract expression of sadness. It is based on personal experience, Cooper having stated that it was one of the songs which wouldn’t leave him alone. This idea of the song’s persistence matches the obsessive nature associated with it, while the anger and depression add to the emotional intensity of the subject. The atmospheric and cinematic aspects of the song also serve to highlight the theme of grief and the difficulty of conveying painful experiences.
The official new video presents the song with a different viewpoint but does not alter its original storyline. The film focuses on themes of innocence, loss, confusion and emotions which are hard to express in words. Visual elements such as railways, open landscapes, solitude and reflective scenes form the backdrop, with Cobain acting as the emotional link running through it. His restrained performance contrasts with the song’s darkness and enables the video to treat the subject from a different generation without losing its link to the original recording.
“Grave Concern” has the rare feature of being a song composed in 2003 which, upon its re-release, still retains the same emotional concerns as when it was first issued. The re-release does not rely on altering the song itself; rather, the new video offers an alternative means of experiencing its themes. Through his writing, Kit Cooper brings grief, mental health and remembrance into sharp focus, and the song’s frenetic and depressive nature gives these subjects a restlessness and intensity. More than twenty years after its initial release, “Grave Concern” continues to be a deeply personal expression of loss, reflection and emotions that never fade.
