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Come As You Are

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Nirvana

About Come As You Are

"Come as You Are" is a song by American grunge band Nirvana, written by frontman Kurt Cobain. It is the third track and the second single from the band's second studio album Nevermind, released in March 1992. It was the band's second and, to date, last American top 40 hit, and second UK top 10 hit, reaching number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number nine on the UK Singles Chart. The unexpected success of the album's lead single, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" drew Nirvana to mainstream success, with Nevermind being released two weeks after the single's release. Following the album's release, the band and its management company debated whether to release "Come as You Are" or "In Bloom" as the next single from the album due to Cobain's concerns over similarity of the former with the Killing Joke song "Eighties" (1984). After some persuasion by the management company, Cobain agreed to release "Come as You Are" as the second single because of its commercial potential. Killing Joke were upset over the song, and there were rumors that a lawsuit had been filed over the song, though the suit never materialized. Killing Joke guitarist Geordie Walker was said to be upset about the whole situation, and he felt that Nirvana (which according to Walker denied the connection between the songs) handled the matter poorly. 


Year:
2002
3:39
55 

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Come as you are, as you were
As I want you to be
As a friend, as a friend
As an known enemy

Take your time, hurry up
The choice is yours, don't be late
Take a rest as a friend
As an old

Memoria, memoria
Memoria, memoria

Come doused in mud, soaked in bleach
As I want you to be
As a trend, as a friend
As an old

Memoria, memoria
Memoria, memoria

And I swear that I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun

Memoria, memoria
Memoria, memoria
(No I don't have a gun)

And I swear that I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun

(Memoria, memoria)

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Nirvana

Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987. more »

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Written by: Kurt Cobain

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

10 facts about this song

Songwriting Process
Kurt Cobain, the frontman of Nirvana, admitted that "Come as You Are" was an ode to a riff. He cited that the main guitar riff was inspired by Killing Joke's "Eighties", a song he greatly admired.
Release Date
Released as the second single from Nirvana's second album, "Nevermind," "Come as You Are" hit the airwaves on March 3, 1992.
Original Hesitation
Before the song's release, there was a lot of hesitation from Cobain due to the similarities in the riff to that in the Killing Joke song. However, the management decided to go on with the release, making it one of the defining songs of the grunge era.
Song Meaning
"Come as You Are" is often interpreted as an anthem for the outcast, with lyrics encouraging listeners to be open and come as they are, no matter their status or condition in life.
Music Video
The song's music video, directed by Kevin Kerslake, features various random, quick-cut images playing in stark contrast to the slow and steady rhythm of the song. Some notable images include a dog with a leg brace, a baby swimming underwater (an allusion to the "Nevermind" album cover), and a pistol sinking under water.
Chart Success
"Come as You Are" peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the band's second highest charting song in the United States. On the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, the song reached number 3.
Honorary Accolades
In 2019, Rolling Stone Magazine listed "Come as You Are" as number 452 in its list of 500 greatest songs of all time.
Posthumous Recognition
After Kurt Cobain's death in 1994, the line "I swear that I don't have a gun" from "Come as You Are" served as a chilling reminder and has often been discussed and analyzed in retrospective evaluations of Cobain's work and struggle with depression.
Song's Impact
"Come as You Are" became a defining song of the early 90s and the grunge movement. Its anti-establishment, anti-mainstream message resonated with many youths and music lovers across the nation.
Cover Versions
The song has been covered by many artists since its release, some of the famous versions include renditions by prep-rock band MGMT and singer Laura Love.

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    Come As You Are

    433.5M
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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1992

    Billboard #32


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