Come as You Are
Nirvana
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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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10 facts about this song
Songwriting ProcessKurt 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.
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Release DateReleased as the second single from Nirvana's second album, "Nevermind," "Come as You Are" hit the airwaves on March 3, 1992.
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Original HesitationBefore 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.
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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.
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Music VideoThe 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.
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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.
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Honorary AccoladesIn 2019, Rolling Stone Magazine listed "Come as You Are" as number 452 in its list of 500 greatest songs of all time.
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Posthumous RecognitionAfter 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.
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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.
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Cover VersionsThe 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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Citation
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"Come as You Are Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Sep. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric-lf/305716/Nirvana/Come+as+You+Are>.
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