Cobain and Nirvana were highly influential, popularizing what came to be known as "grunge music". In 1991, the arrival of Cobain's best known song, "Smells Like Teen Spirit", marked the beginning of a dramatic shift of popular music away from the dominant genres of the 1980s: glam metal, arena rock, and dance-pop. The music media eventually awarded "Smells Like Teen Spirit" "anthem-of-a-generation" status, and, with it, Cobain ascended as the reluctant "spokesman" for Generation X. Kurt Cobain changed the course of music forever even though it was never his intention.
Come as You Are
Kurt Cobain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I want you to be
As a friend, as a friend, as an old enemy
Take your time, hurry up
The choice is your, don't be late
Take a rest as a friend as an old memoria
Come dowsed in mud, soaked in bleach
As I want you to be
And I swear that I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
The lyrics to Kurt Cobain's song Come as You Are have been widely interpreted over the years. At its core, the song is about being true to yourself and not conforming to societal expectations. The first two lines "Come as you are, as you were" suggest that the listener can be themselves, as they have always been, and not have to change who they are to fit in. This message is reinforced by the line "As I want you to be," indicating that the singer is not interested in anyone trying to be something they are not.
The second verse "Take your time, hurry up" presents a contradiction, suggesting that one can take their time and not rush to fit in, but at the same time, they must not take too long to decide who they want to be. The line "The choice is your, don't be late" reinforces the idea that the decision-making process is ultimately up to the individual. The next two lines "Take a rest as a friend as an old memoria" suggest that whatever decision is made, the friendliness and memories shared with the singer will always be there.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Come as you are" and shifts from a positive message to a more cynical tone with the lines "Come dowsed in mud, soaked in bleach, As I want you to be, As a trend, as a friend, as an old memoria." Cobain appears to be addressing the idea of grunge fashion, which involved wearing dirty and ripped clothes paired with expensive items such as leather jackets or designer sunglasses. The following line "And I swear that I don't have a gun, No I don't have a gun" has been interpreted as a statement against violence and guns, although Cobain has said in interviews that it was simply a response to a question from an interviewer who asked if he owned a gun.
Line by Line Meaning
Come as you are, as you were,
You should come to me just the way you are, with your past and your history intact.
As I want you to be
I accept you the way you are, without any expectation for you to change.
As a friend, as a friend, as an old enemy
Regardless of our past, you can come to me as a friend or even an old enemy; I'm willing to let bygones be bygones.
Take your time, hurry up
Take as much time as you need, but don't be too late to the opportunity waiting for you.
The choice is yours, don't be late
You have the choice to come to me or not, but don't wait too long to decide.
Take a rest as a friend as an old memoria
Come and take a break with me and we can reminisce on the old memories we have shared as friends or even enemies in the past.
Come dowsed in mud, soaked in bleach
You can come to me however you are, whether you're unclean and muddy or polished and pristine.
As I want you to be
I will accept you for who you are and not how society tells you to be.
As a trend, as a friend, as an old memoria
You can come to me even if it's just because it's trendy to do so, or because we have been friends before or even enemies.
And I swear that I don't have a gun
I promise you that I won't use any force or coercion to make you come to me.
No, I don't have a gun
I want to reconcile with you in a peaceful and non-violent way.
Writer(s): Kurt Cobain, Lisa Greene Copyright: Warner/Chappell Music Ltd., Primary Wave Tunes, The End Of Music
Contributed by Scarlett Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TOP100Classicalmusic
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)1
--
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
@alexsalazar2230
Come as you are, as you were
As I want you to be
As a friend, as a friend
As an old enemy
Take your time, hurry up
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
@maelldo_7187
0% autotune
0% drugs
100% talent
Okay just a little bit of drugs
@EduardoGarcia-to4gg
75% talent
25% drugs
\_( โข _ โข)_/
@EduardoGarcia-to4gg
A LITTLE bit
@immodium4586
Yup
@yoda5436
0% drugs? Do you really believe that?
Oh there ya go
@immodium4586
Yoda r/wooosh
@Shekel-
Who else is watching this in 1776?
@Wglass90
I am. I saw General George Washington listen to it on his istone as he was signing the declaration of independence.
@d.jgutierrez768
Shekel Thief Sorry, I'm watching it in 1492.
@thotpolice9753
Poseurs! I was listening to this in 3200 BC!