Return of the Rat
Nirvana Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You better watch out
You better beware
They're coming from all sides of the country
You better beware

Return of the rat
No, no, no, no
They better confess
Well, they better confess




I know, I seen them do it
They better confess

Overall Meaning

In Nirvana's song Return of the Rat, the lyrics express a warning to the listener to be careful of the dangers that are coming from all sides of the country. There's an ominous feeling that something terrible is about to happen, and everyone should be cautious because the rat has returned. Here, the rat symbolizes the corruption present in society that disrupts peace and security. The lyrics ask the people to beware and watch out, suggesting they need to be conscious and alert if they want to remain safe.


The lyrics go onto say that those who are guilty of causing this chaos and corruption need to confess their wrongdoing. The first-person point of view is somewhat implied in the song when Kurt Cobain says "I know, I seen them do it." This statement conveys a sense of urgency, and it's almost as if he's imploring the corrupt ones to acknowledge their faults and mend their ways. Overall, the song's message highlights the importance of being vigilant of the dangers in society and creating a better, safer world.


Line by Line Meaning

You better watch out
Be cautious and vigilant


You better beware
Be warned and cautious


They're coming from all sides of the country
They are approaching from various parts of the nation


You better beware
Be warned and cautious


Return of the rat
The reappearance of an unwanted and troublesome entity


No, no, no, no
An indication of disapproval or rejection of the aforementioned entity


They better confess
They are compelled to acknowledge their wrongdoing


Well, they better confess
It is imperative that they acknowledge their wrongdoing


I know, I seen them do it
I have first-hand knowledge and witnessed their actions


They better confess
They are compelled to acknowledge their wrongdoing




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Comments from YouTube:

Tomnedreb

When they recorded this song they did it in one take:)

carpenoctem81

@1ranjeeves21 lmao I thought of that 😉

carpenoctem81

@No Hype. Street Grunge. I agree Kurt had rare and raw talent but in all fairness the song is literally no more than a few power chords and the vocals aren't anything out of his range or anything. Not to downplay his ability but if anyone plays guitar (and/or can carry a decent tune) is our there, I'm pretty confident many in this category would agree that it's a cool bit of trivia but not extraordinarily surprising. If you were to tell me that the studio version of, say Got Me Wrong (by AIC) was done in one take (live) now that would be something else. That's just a random example btw.

carpenoctem81

@daz samuels huh? I may agree with you but I've failed to understand the connection between this statement and the original one about nirvana doing it in one take. ?

carpenoctem81

funny u mention that

DiMx

I see you everywhere

16 More Replies...

Randall Perot

I really appreciate Kurt's choice of cover material. Wipers, Meat Puppets, Velvet Underground, The Vaselines, DEVO, Leadbelly, David Bowie, The Stooges...all wonderful. I even like the odd covers thrown in I have heard live...Duran Duran, Simon & Garfunkel, The Who...hell even a Cher song they brutalized. 

luke gray

You forgot the band "Shocking Blue"

Cairo

Man walked into Unplugged, played Come As You Are, the only big song on the set, then played mostly covers because he could. Got the Meat Puppets some exposure also. 😂

Christopher Witteman

replacements did it first

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