Fred Durst says that the Limp Bizkit hit “Nookie” has been misinterpreted for a quarter century. Despite its chorus, it’s actually a heart-wrenching song about a being in love with someone who was “sleeping with other people.”
In a recent interview with Dazed, the Bizkit frontman was asked, “In 1999, you’re doing it all for the nookie. What are you doing it all for in 2025?”
Durst responded, “The funny thing about that though, nobody listened to the story in ‘Nookie’ — they just listened to the catchphrase. It’s like when I say Rage Against the Machine, they listen to, “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me” — they don’t listen to the rest of it.”
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He continued, “‘Nookie’ — the first time I had been intimate with someone it happened later and I was very much head over heels in love because of that, and I was just that guy. I was very much a vulnerable person in that world and I couldn’t believe it even happened. So I fell in love and then this person was sleeping with other people, and people would say, ‘Fred, you’re so upset, why are you staying?,’ and I’d say ‘because, we made love’ and I found a different way to say that: I did it all for the nookie. That sounded more fun. So what I did it for then was the love.”
Another look at the lyrics affirms the true meaning behind the song, with lines like, “It’s kinda sad, I’m the laughin’ stock of the neighborhood/ And you would think that I’d be movin’ on (movin’)/ But I’m a sucker like I said/ Fucked up in the head (not)/ And maybe she just made a mistake/ And I should give her a break/ My heart will ache either way.”
The nu-metal pioneer went on to talk about welcoming a baby into the world recently, saying, “What I do it for now is for the love. I have a new daughter, she’s eight months old… Her name’s Cali and I’m just living for every moment with her right now. That’s what I’m doing it for now, still doing it for the love.”
So, next time you see Limp Bizkit perform “Nookie” in concert, show Mr. Durst a little love and hold up a lighter instead of moshing like crazy — or maybe do both.
Speaking of which, you can catch Bizkit supporting Metallica in May and June on select dates of the metal icons’ 2025 North American tour (pick up tickets here). Prior to those gigs, Bizkit will embark on their own headlining “Loserville” UK/European tour in the early spring, with tickets available here.
Revisit the music video for “Nookie” below, and pay attention to the lyrics this time!
