Stay Away
Charles Bradley Feat. The Menahan Street Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rather be dead than bein' cool - I don't know why
Every line has a rhythm - I don't know why
Less is more, love is blind - I don't know why
Stay, stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Give it up, take a smile - I don't know why
Fashion shits, fashion style - I don't know why
Throw it out and keep it in - I don't know why
Have to have poison skin - I don't know why
Stay, stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Ooh
Give an inch, take a smile - I don't know why
Fashion shirt, fashion style - I don't know why
Stay, stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Ooh
The lyrics to Charles Bradley's "Stay Away" are somewhat cryptic, but they seem to revolve around a theme of rejecting societal norms and the pressures to conform. The phrase "monkey see, monkey do" suggests that people are just blindly copying what they see others doing, rather than thinking for themselves. The line "rather be dead than being cool" speaks to the idea that people are willing to sacrifice their true selves in order to fit in and be seen as cool or popular. The repetition of "I don't know why" seems to suggest that the singer himself doesn't understand why people act this way.
Other lyrics in the song speak to the idea of rejecting materialism and superficiality, as in the lines "fashion shits, fashion style" and "have to have poison skin." The repeated refrain of "stay away" seems to be an exhortation to the listener to reject these societal pressures and stay true to themselves.
Overall, "Stay Away" seems to be a call to reject the pressures to conform and instead stay true to oneself, even if that means going against the grain. The song is delivered with Charles Bradley's soulful, passionate vocal style and backed by The Menahan Street Band's funky, bluesy instrumentation, making for a powerful musical statement.
Line by Line Meaning
Monkey see, monkey do - I don't know why
Humans imitate what they see without a strong reason as to why they do it
Rather be dead than bein' cool - I don't know why
People would prefer to die than not be accepted by their peers
Every line has a rhythm - I don't know why
Every word has a unique cadence or flow, but the reason behind this is unknown
Less is more, love is blind - I don't know why
Saying less can be more impactful than saying too much, and love can make people overlook flaws without an explanation
Stay, stay away
A warning to avoid someone or something that may be dangerous or harmful
Give it up, take a smile - I don't know why
People give up their own desires and put on a façade to please others, without clear reasoning
Fashion shits, fashion style - I don't know why
Fashion trends often do not make sense, but people follow them anyway
Throw it out and keep it in - I don't know why
Discarding something can be difficult, but keeping it inside can also be a burden, with no clear reason why
Have to have poison skin - I don't know why
People are attracted to things that may be harmful or toxic, even though the reason is unclear
Ooh
An exclamation expressing emotion or emphasis
Contributed by Sebastian C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@qplaqpla
Seeing as they're an oldish sounding band, they proba ly use pretty old guitar pedals or guitar pedals that are based on those. Based on thar I'd say :
Cry baby wah pedal
Fuzz pedal, could be either a fuzz face or more likely a tone bender
And then you've got a hard tremolo pedal.
After that, a lot of the sculpting will be done by the sound engineer. So you'll be able to get close, but you'll never truly have this tone.
Best of luck
@mfdoom2587
This cover is so unique it's incredible. This is what a cover is supposed to sound like, nothing like the original.
@anthonynelson5738
Mf doom... I know that name. Nice work.
@willpowell207
Definitely thought it sounded like something you produced. Than to see you in the comments is pretty awesome.
@mg3142
I don't know why.
@matulich77
It's incredible and I'm a huge Nirvana fan! Early 90s, young teen up in here! I think Kurt would of loved this! When I first heard it I was like "mind blown!" Sounds nothing like Nirvanas.
@nnhk0056
Couldn't have said it better myself.
@Rj2D2
Mr. Bradley has more of the Nirvana spirit and heart than all those rock band followers! Thanks Mr. Bradley for this amazing cover! You gave us an amazing record too!
@morganfreemansfavoritefrec4158
The brilliance of Cobain's writing is incredibly highlighted by this cover
@zonadogt
wonderful!
i'm a nirvana addicted and this cover is incredible!
@Nothingsense
Man, both the Nirvana original and this Charles Bradley cover are face-melting. Too. Good.