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That Nirvana song about Hazel the McWitch from Rentaghost

3 April 2019

In the early 1990s, US band Nirvana was at the forefront of the grunge movement. Following the release of their breakthrough album Nevermind, the Seattle trio released a compilation of sessions and cover versions: Incesticide.

One of that album’s tracks was Molly’s Lips, originally by Scottish indie band The Vaselines.

Nirvana’s frontman Kurt Cobain was a fan of the Glasgow group; indeed he often spoke of his admiration for a number of others from the thriving Scottish indie scene.

An ode to Mollie

But what he may not have known at the time is that The Vaselines composed Molly’s Lips as an ode to Scottish actress Mollie Weir, perhaps best known for her role as Hazel the McWitch in 80s children’s TV show Rentaghost.

Speaking on Rip it Up Unwrapped, The Vaselines’ Eugene Kelly revealed the very simple premise behind their now classic song: “It was about our attraction to Mollie Weir and wishing she was our granny”.