"Dumb" is a song by the American rock band, Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. It is the sixth song on the band's third and final studio album, In Utero, released in 1993.
The In Utero version features a cello part, written and performed by Chicago musician Kera Schaley, a friend of the album's producer, Steve Albini. Schaley never toured with the band, but all live versions of the song during the In Utero tour featured cello, performed by Lori Goldston during the American leg of the tour, and Melora Creager during the European leg.
Despite never being released as a single, "Dumb" reached number 37 on the US Alternative National Airplay chart, which was published by the Billboard sister publication, Radio & Records. In October 2023, an animated music video for the song by RuffMercy was released on Nirvana's official YouTube channel, to promote the 30th anniversary of In Utero.
"Dumb" was written by Cobain in the summer of 1990, as the band began to move away from the heavier grunge sound of their debut album, Bleach, towards more openly melodic, pop-influenced material. Two lyrics sheets for the song were published posthumously in Journals in November 2002, one under the working title of "I Think I'm Dumb," with a note that the lyrics were "Not Finished," and the titles of two songs by Scottish rock band the Vaselines, "Molly's Lips" and "Slushy," written under the title with no explanation.
"Dumb" was debuted live on September 25, 1990, when Cobain performed a solo acoustic version on the Boy Meets Girl show, hosted by Calvin Johnson of the American rock band Beat Happening, on KAOS (FM) in Olympia, Washington. The first live version featuring the full band was at the Off Ramp Café in Seattle, Washington on November 25, 1990.
On September 3, 1991, the band recorded a version of the song, already featuring finished lyrics, during their second John Peel session for the BBC at Maida Vale Studios in London. The full session, which also featured versions of "Drain You" and "Endless Nameless" from their then-latest release, Nevermind, was produced by Dale Griffin, and first broadcast on November 3, 1991. "Dumb" and "Endless, Nameless" from this session were posthumously released on the Nirvana rarities box set, With the Lights Out, in November 2004.
Three studio versions of "Dumb" were recorded by Jack Endino on October 26, 1992, at Word of Mouth in Seattle, Washington, but all were instrumental, as were all the other songs recorded during this session, except for one take of the eventual In Utero single, "Rape Me". One of these instrumental takes was released on the 20th anniversary "Deluxe" and "Super Deluxe" editions of In Utero in September 2013.
