In-universe, how do Blackbeard and the other pirates know the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit"?

In-universe, how do Blackbeard and the other pirates know the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit"? - Trendy young ethnic guy listening to music with boombox on street

In the 2015 film Pan, the workers and Captain Blackbeard sing "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana and later "Blitzkrieg Bop" by The Ramones. While another question on this site explains the out-of-universe reasons why it is sung, I'd like to know in-universe how the pirates know the song at all. We see that Peter is from 1940s London (and returns there at the end of the movie), and there is no evidence of time travel. So how could Blackbeard and the others possibly know the words to the song?

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Best Answer

According to this answer, the director simply chose Smells Like Teen Spirit because they were playing it during some sort of pirate bootcamp to train the extras, that song came on, and everyone starting singing and jumping up and down to it. They felt it was fun and added it to the movie.

As such, unless there's a direct explanation from either the director, writer, or anyone else involved in the production of the movie that has offered an in-universe explanation for why they know these songs, the answer is simply: there is none.

Anything else is simply conjecture.




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In-universe, how do Blackbeard and the other pirates know the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit"? - Male teenager using headphones and cellphone sitting in park
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What is the meaning behind the song Smells Like Teen Spirit?

She wrote \u201cKurt smells like Teen Spirit\u201d in reference to a deodorant brand that Cobain's girlfriend at the time wore. Cobain, who didn't know what Teen Spirit was, was said to have interpreted it as a revolutionary catchphrase and named a song after it.

Is Smells Like Teen Spirit the best song ever?

Nirvana's \u201cSmells Like Teen Spirit\u201d ranked number five on 'Rolling Stone's' updated 500 Best Songs of All Time list. Nirvana's \u201cSmells Like Teen Spirit\u201d is number five on Rolling Stone's newly updated list of the 500 Best Songs of All Time.

What decade is the hit single Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana from?

Smells Like Teen Spirit is THE Nirvana song. It's the ultimate grunge anthem, the filler of a million indie club dancefloors. Released as a single on 10 September 1991, the track was the trailer for the mammoth Nevermind album, released later that month.

Is Smells Like Teen Spirit a cover?

It has been confirmed that a \u201cdark\u201d cover of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Malia J will open Marvel's Black Widow. In an interview with Consequence, the performer said that she was contacted by Marvel in 2020 in the hopes of using her 2015 cover of the song.



Peter Pan (Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana) Introduces Black Beard




More answers regarding in-universe, how do Blackbeard and the other pirates know the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit"?

Answer 2

The only logical answer based on the movie's timeline, would be that Nirvana met a Lost Boy or that they were Lost Boys and ripped off Blackbeard's music.

In the world of Pan, Nirvana are frauds, and Blackbeard and his crew were musical pioneers/savants.

Answer 3

If I remember correctly in Captain Blackbeard's "welcoming speech", he says that all the children come from across time. Could this not imply that somehow they can visit different periods in time and so become aware of music/songs from "the future" compared to Pan's time?

Answer 4

They do explain this in the movie just after the song has been sung blackbeard says, "you are home, where you join orphans alike from every corner of the globe, every race creed and colour, EVERY AGE AND ERA" so it stands to reason some of the people in the mines are from the 90's

Answer 5

There is a fan-made theory out there that would imply that the children and pan would be dead. If this is true, in the world of the dead there should be a Kurt Cobain rocking people out with all of his success from back when he was alive.

I know this is maybe not the anwser you were looking for, so let me add a purely speculative answer :

What if Nirvana and The Ramones existed in this universe. It would explain the pirates knowing the lyrics.

I'm afraid there is no real "Good" anwser, since all we can do is speculate on how can they know the songs.

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