Clean Up Before She Comes
Nirvana Lyrics


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Clean up before she comes
Clean up before she comes
Clean up before she comes
Clean up before she comes
Living in a dusty dump
Living in a dusty dump

Something in her eyes
Seems to be the smoke from my lungs
Something in her eyes
Must be the smoke from my lungs

I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
I must be getting old (I'm starting to eat my vegetables)
I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
I must be getting old (I'm starting to eat my vegetables)

Something in her eyes
Something like smoke from my lungs
Something in her eyes
Must be the smoke from my lungs

Clean up the dusty dump
Living in a dusty dump
Living in a dusty dump
Living in a dusty dump
Clean up before she comes
Clean up before she comes
Clean up before she comes
Living in a dusty dump

Something in her eyes
Must be the smoke from my lungs
Something in her eyes
Must be the smoke from my lungs

I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
I must be getting old (I'm starting to eat my vegetables)
I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
I must be getting old (I'm starting to eat my vegetables)
I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
I must be getting old (I'm starting to eat my vegetables)
I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
I must be getting old (I'm starting to eat my vegetables)
I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
I must be getting old (I'm starting to eat my vegetables)
I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
(I'm starting to eat my vegetables)




(I must be getting older)
(I'm starting to eat my vegetables)

Overall Meaning

The song 'Clean Up Before She Comes' by Nirvana speaks to the idea of fixing up one's living space before someone of importance arrives. The repeated phrase of "clean up before she comes" emphasizes the urgency and importance of presenting oneself and one's surroundings in a good light. The first verse speaks to the state of the singer's living space, which is described as a "dusty dump." The repeated phrase of "living in a dusty dump" emphasizes the singer's dissatisfaction with their current situation and their desire for improvement.


The chorus focuses on the impact that the arrival of the person, presumably a romantic interest, has on the singer. The line "something in her eyes seems to be the smoke from my lungs" implies that the singer is nervous and potentially smoking to deal with their nerves. The repetition of the line "must be the smoke from my lungs" emphasizes the impact that this person has on the singer and their desire to impress them.


The song's bridge emphasizes the idea of the singer getting older and potentially wanting to make positive changes in their life. The line "starting to eat my vegetables" implies that the singer is trying to make healthier choices and potentially turn over a new leaf. However, the repetition of "I must be getting old" implies a sense of resignation and potentially feeling stuck.


Overall, the song speaks to the universal desire to present oneself and one's surroundings in a good light when someone important is coming around. The repeated phrases and emphasis on cleaning up one's space emphasize the urgency and importance of this desire. The impact of the arrival of the romantic interest on the singer's nervousness and desire to impress them speaks to the importance of human connection and relationships.



Line by Line Meaning

Clean up before she comes
Prepare your surroundings before she arrives


Living in a dusty dump
Living in an untidy, unpleasant environment


Something in her eyes, seems to be the smoke from my lungs
The person's presence is causing discomfort and distress


Must be the smoke from my lungs
My own internal struggles are causing this discomfort


I must be getting old, I must be getting older, I'm starting to eat my vegetables
I am acknowledging that I am aging and taking steps to take care of myself




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Kurt Cobain

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@cherrykoolaiddisasters

Clean up before she comes
Clean up before she comes
Clean up before she comes
Clean up before she comes
Living in a dusty dump
Living in a dusty dump
Something in her eyes
Seems to be the smoke from my lungs
Something in her eyes
Must be the smoke from my lungs
I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
I must be getting old (I'm starting to eat my vegetables)
I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
I must be getting old (I'm starting to eat my vegetables)
Something in her eyes
Something like smoke from my lungs
Something in her eyes
Must be the smoke from my lungs
Clean up the dusty dump
Living in a dusty dump
Living in a dusty dump
Living in a dusty dump
Clean up before she comes
Clean up before she comes
Clean up before she comes
Living in a dusty dump
Something in her eyes
Must be the smoke from my lungs
Something in her eyes
Must be the smoke from my lungs
I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
I must be getting old (I'm starting to eat my vegetables)
I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
I must be getting old (I'm starting to eat my vegetables)
I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
I must be getting old (I'm starting to eat my vegetables)
I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
I must be getting old (I'm starting to eat my vegetables)
I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
I must be getting old (I'm starting to eat my vegetables)
I must be getting old (I must be getting older)
(I'm starting to eat my vegetables)
(I must be getting older)
(I'm starting to eat my vegetables)



@dan8ball22

You guys don't know how much the lyrics reflect my situation right now:

- The girl I like will come today, so I have to clean up.
- Since I never wipe the dust off the furniture and the apartment that I live in is pretty old, you could say I live in a dusty dump.
- There is a belief in my country (maybe worldwide, I don't know) that if you blow smoke to someone's face it means you like them/you want to have sex with them and both apply.
- This girl is vegan and she made me consider it, so you could say I'm starting to eat my vegetables.
- I also feel like I'm getting old(er) since I'm approaching 25 and I haven't done anything with my life and I have some mental health problems. I really feel like I have lived through enough misery.


So yeah, I'm listening to this on repeat and cleaning up.



All comments from YouTube:

@benjamindevlin4057

Out of all the genius melodies from Kurt Cobain, the one accompanying "something in her eyes" is one of his very best

@jyamez9069

Its genius

@jashveersoni2786

Indeed

@gamegenie4617

So genius it was used again for a thing in his way

@christophermoraga8193

Smoke in her eyes

@wheelmanstan

"I must be getting old, I'm starting to eat my vegetables" haha, nirvana's songs were all so similar but all so different, always amazed at what they put out

@PJtheFey

I'm stunned... A Nirvana song that I haven't heard before. I used to have about a million rare CDs with 'unreleased' tracks but I never came across this one.

@CharlieS451

Another underrated Nirvana song.

@KristNovoselicFan

Your Right! to many songs on With the Lights Out are underrated! :( i make cover of all of them! LOVE NIRVANA!

@makk3232

Krist Novoselic - Fan Dude, the With The Lights Out stuff is no fucking joke. Serious music that deserved some high production treatment, but for some reason is so much better as it is, raw, and aggressive.

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