Beautiful Son

Infobox Single
Name = Beautiful Son


Caption = The single's cover, featuring a picture of Kurt Cobain at age 7
Artist = Hole
from Album =
A-side =
B-side = "Old Age", "20 Years in the Dakota"
Released = Start date|1993|4
Format = CD single, 7" and 12"
Recorded = Winter 1992
Genre = Grunge
Length = 2:30
Label = City Slang
Writer = Courtney Love, Eric Erlandson, Patty Schemel
Producer =
Certification =
Last single = "Teenage Whore"
(1991)
This single = "Beautiful Son"
(1993)
Next single = "Miss World"
(1994)
Misc =

"Beautiful Son" is Hole's only single released in 1993, this collection of three songs reveals an interesting progression between Hole's first and second albums.

The single was released by european label City Slang in April 1993 and was released as a CD single and in 7" and 12" format. The 7" version only includes "Beautiful Son" and "Old Age".

Love is reported to have written "Beautiful Son" about Kurt Cobain's love of wearing dresses. The single's front cover features a picture of a young Cobain, at the age of around 7.

The song "20 Years in the Dakota" combines ideas regarding Yoko Ono's retreat/retirement after John Lennon's murder and the 1990s riot grrrl movement: "Riot grrrls think you can stop me, you're forever in her debt."

The song "Old Age" was taken from a tune that was first used by Kurt Cobain, to which Love added her own distinctive lyrics. The version on this single was recorded in the winter of 1992 and the song has gone through various versions over the years. A later version appears on "My Body, the Hand Grenade" a b-sides and outtakes album.

The credits on the "Beautiful Son" single go to Hole, but officially "Beautiful Son" and "20 Years in the Dakota" were written by Courtney Love, Eric Erlandson and Patty Schemel (who had by this time replaced Caroline Rue as drummer in the band).

Having replaced Jill Emery, Leslie Hardy was bassist for this single, and this recording is the only one she made with the band. Leslie left the band not long after the recording of the "Beautiful Son" single and was replaced by Kristen Pfaff.

Track listing

#"Beautiful Son" - 2:30
#"Old Age" - 4:20
#"20 Years in the Dakota" - 2:54

Charts