1 2 " ▁vin yl . ▁The ▁song ▁is ▁notable ▁for ▁being ▁the ▁first ▁original ▁Foo ▁F igh ters ▁track ▁released ▁to ▁the ▁public , ▁when ▁it ▁premier ed ▁January ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁on ▁Edd ie ▁V ed der ' s ▁Self - P oll ution ▁Radio ▁broadcast . ▁ ▁Background ▁" Ex ha usted " ▁is ▁a ▁song ▁that ▁dates ▁from ▁Dave ▁Gro hl ' s ▁time ▁in ▁N ir v ana . ▁Gro hl ▁would ▁regularly ▁write ▁and ▁demo ▁songs ▁by ▁himself , ▁some ▁of ▁which ▁would ▁be ▁tried ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁band . ▁Kurt ▁Cob ain ▁liked ▁the ▁song ▁and ▁was ▁keen ▁to ▁record ▁a ▁version ▁of ▁it , ▁but ▁ultimately ▁sh ied ▁away ▁since ▁he ▁was ▁un com fort able ▁replacing ▁Gro hl ' s ▁lyr ics ▁with ▁his ▁own . ▁ ▁Gro hl ▁did ▁record ▁a ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁while ▁still ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁N ir v ana , ▁along ▁with ▁bass ist ▁Krist ▁Nov os el ic . ▁It ▁was ▁among ▁a ▁hand ful ▁of ▁songs ▁that ▁the ▁two ▁recorded ▁while ▁waiting ▁for ▁Cob ain ▁to ▁arrive ▁for ▁the ▁band ' s ▁last ▁ever ▁studio ▁session ▁at ▁Robert ▁Lang ▁Studios ▁in ▁Seattle ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁ ▁Com position ▁" Ex ha usted " ▁is ▁a ▁mid - tem po ▁mel anch ol ic ▁rock ▁song ▁in ▁the ▁key ▁of ▁D ▁minor . ▁The ▁song ▁is ▁played ▁with ▁gu it ars ▁tun ed ▁down ▁to ▁Drop - D