"" is a song by the
American Rock band
Nirvana . It is the third song on, and second
Single from their
1991 Album ''
Nevermind ''. It was the album's second most successful single, overshadowed only by "
Smells Like Teen Spirit ." Both songs are often credited with breaking Nirvana and grunge into the mainstream.
"Come as You Are" is remembered as being one of Nirvana's more optimistic songs. While many other songs by the band would feature dark, bleak
Lyrics , "Come as You Are" welcomes the listener "as a friend". The song has an overall theme of acceptance, inviting the listener to do just what the title states. However, the song also carried with it an air of suspiscion when meeting an old friend, particularly the line "And I swear that I don't have a
Gun ," which Cobain repeats many times during the bridge. Also, in the aftermath of Nirvana frontman
Kurt Cobain 's death by gunshot to the head after a heroin overdose in
1994 , much attention was paid to this line too. Similar claims were made of many of the other songs on ''Nevermind'' which also mention guns. However, the album was written and recorded three years before Cobain's death.
The lyrics "come... soaked in bleach" (along with their debut album, ''
Bleach '') refer to a campaign in Seattle in the early 1990s. The campaign was for intravenous drug users, to which the city told to bleach their needles to reduce the risk of contracting diseases. The band was and is widely known for their connections to drugs, what with Cobain being a heavy user of heroin, explaining why they poked fun with the campaign slogan.
When ''Nevermind'' was released, members of the band
Killing Joke claimed the main riff of "Come as You Are" plagiarized the riff of their own single, "Eighties". The band, however, did not file a copyright infringement lawsuit, which according to
Rolling Stone was "due to personal and financial reasons." In an interview given to French magazine "Hard Rock Magazine",
Jaz Coleman stated he did not file a lawsuit because the members of Nirvana openly confessed to him that they indeed took the riff, which he said was all he wanted to hear.
Neither band has apparently held a grudge about this; ex-Nirvana
Drummer Dave Grohl played drums on Killing Joke's
Thirteenth (second Self-titled) Album in
2003 , and recorded a version of their song "Requiem" with his own band, the
Foo Fighters . The Foo Fighters even performed the song live with Killing Joke's Jaz Coleman at a
New Zealand Concert .
An '' released in 2005.
"Come as You Are" has been covered by
Punk band the Vibrators, and by
Singer-songwriter Laura Love.
"Come as You Are" (''Nevermind'' version) appeared on the 1996 compilation album ''Fender 50th Anniversary Guitar Legends'', released to celebrate 50 years of guitar company
Fender . The CD sleeve contained pictures and information about the guitar Kurt Cobain designed for Fender called the 'JagStang, made from Kurt's two favorite Fender guitars, the Jaguar and the Mustang.
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In
2005 , a sign was put up in
Aberdeen, Washington , Cobain's hometown, that reads "Welcome to Aberdeen - Come As You Are" as a tribute to Cobain. The sign was paid for and created by the Kurt Cobain Memorial Committee, a non-profit organization created in May 2004 to honor Cobain. Founded by author Jeff Burlingame and Aberdeen City Councilman Paul Fritts, the Committee also plans to create a Kurt Cobain Memorial Park and a youth center in Aberdeen.
The following tracks appeared on the single:
#"Come as You Are" (Cobain) - 3:38
#"Endless, Nameless" (Cobain) - 6:40
#"School"
Paramount Theatre (Seattle, Washington) 1991.10.31 (Cobain) - 2:31
#"
Drain You "
Paramount Theatre (Seattle, Washington) 1991.10.31 (Cobain) - 3:35
- The Guitar Magazine "Riff Of The Millennium Readers Poll" #13 (1999)
- Kerrang! magazine "100 Greatest Rock Tracks Ever" #49 (1998)
- Kerrang! magazine "100 Greatest Singles of All Time" #28 (2002)
The state slogan of
Louisiana is ". Leave Different."
