Jesus Doesn’t Want Me for a Sunbeam
Nirvana Lyrics


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Jesus, don't want me for a sunbeam
Sunbeams are never made like me

Don't expect me to cry,
For all the reasons you had to die
Don't ever ask your love of me

Don't expect me to cry
Don't expect me to lie
Don't expect me to die for me

Jesus, don't want me for a sunbeam
Sunbeams are never made like me

Don't expect me to cry,
For all the reasons you had to die
Don't ever ask your love of me

Don't expect me to cry
Don't expect me to lie
Don't expect me to die for me

Don't expect me to cry
Don't expect me to lie
Don't expect me to die for me

Jesus, don't want me for a sunbeam
Sunbeams are never made like me
Don't expect me to cry,
For all the reasons you had to die
Don't ever ask your love of me

Don't expect me to cry
Don't expect me to lie
Don't expect me to die
Don't expect me to cry




Don't expect me to lie
Don't expect me to die for me

Overall Meaning

The song’s lyrics of the Nirvana's song “Jesus Doesn’t Want Me for a Sunbeam” are about the singer's disconnection from society's expectations of him after death. The song's title is a reference to a 1968 book J.D. Salinger titled “Franny and Zooey,” which mentions a song called "Don't Be a Sunbeam" that teaches children to serve their parents without question. The singer believes that despite the misery and oppression he feels, he cannot live up to these social expectations and thus cannot be "like" a "sunbeam." He warns others not to expect him to follow the common death wish of the time, including martyrdom for those he loves.


Furthermore, the line "Don't expect me to die for me" is about the idea that people are expected to die for themselves, which may refer to the pressure anyone has to endure when meeting the standards of society. Contrariwise, the line “Don’t ever ask your love of me” may be responding to those who are not able to meet these pressures with equal frustration on being asked to love the very society that oppresses them.


All in all, the song can be interpreted as a criticism of society's expectations and a call for individuals to reject those expectations and strike out on their own. It is a lament about the challenges of being different in a world that demands conformity, and it is a protest against the societal pressure that individuals face to martyr themselves for society's sake.


Line by Line Meaning

Jesus, don't want me for a sunbeam
I don't fit the mold of what is expected of a follower of Jesus


Sunbeams are never made like me
I am unique and cannot be forced into a predefined role or category


Don't expect me to cry,
I won't express emotions in the way you expect me to


For all the reasons you had to die
I do not understand or agree with the reasons behind Jesus' death


Don't ever ask your love of me
Do not demand my love or devotion without understanding my individual beliefs and feelings


Don't expect me to lie
I won't pretend to believe something that I don't


Don't expect me to die for me
I won't sacrifice myself for a cause or belief that I don't truly believe in


Don't expect me to die
I won't sacrifice myself for any cause or belief




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: EUGENE KELLY, FRANCES MCKEE

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

@natasaradanovic5151

Jesus, don't want me for a sunbeam
Sunbeams are never made like me

Don't expect me to cry
For all the reasons you had to die
Don't ever ask your love of me

Don't expect me to cry
Don't expect me to lie
Don't expect me to die for me

Jesus, don't want me for a sunbeam
Sunbeams are never made like me

Don't expect me to cry
For all the reasons you had to die
Don't ever ask your love of me

Don't expect me to cry
Don't expect me to lie
Don't expect me to die for me

Don't expect me to cry
Don't expect me to lie
Don't expect me to die for me

Jesus, don't want me for a sunbeam
Sunbeams are never made like me
Don't expect me to cry
For all the reasons you had to die
Don't ever ask your love of me

Don't expect me to cry
Don't expect me to lie
Don't expect me to die
Don't expect me to cry
Don't expect me to lie
Don't expect me to die for me



All comments from YouTube:

@6stringbass460

Imagine you come back from the bathroom and there is now a cello player, the drummer has a bass, and the bassist has an accordion

@saylerroberts3155

This made me laugh so hard

@factoryman28

I’d expect some fantastic music coming up soon.

@shaunduran5835

Yes Sirs

@mikeyjohnson4262

Haha that's funny

@lunamoone5231

😂

136 More Replies...

@mrkipling2201

Apparently one of Kurt's friends was backstage, and when they finished the gig, they said to Kurt how brilliant the show was and Kurt replied " yeah, we were good tonight ". One of the few times when he actually admitted how good Nirvana were to other people. I'm not surprised. This was a great show..

@daniellopez844

I’m glad to know about this, that somebody told Kurt he and the whole band did great

@AliceInPantera

Man, once I get sucked into one unplugged song, I have to listen to the entire thing. Every song was absolute gold….especially the obscure ones like this

@CorneliusBartholemeow

Agreed 😂 its hard to pick just one song for a playlist when every song is so good

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