Stay Away
Nirvana Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Monkey see, monkey do
(I don't know why)
Rather be dead than cool
(I don't know why)
Every line ends in rhyme
(I don't know why)
Less is more, love is blind
(I don't know why)

Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away

Give an inch, 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

I don't know why
I don't know why

Stay
Stay away
Stay away




Stay away

Monkey See, monkey do
I don't know why)
Rather be dead than cool
(I don't know why)
Every line ends in rhyme
(I don't know why)
Less is more, love is blind
(I don't know why)

Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away

I don't know why
I don't know why

Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away

Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
God is Gay

Overall Meaning

The song “Stay Away” by Nirvana is known for its rebellious lyrics that reject societal norms and reject the idea of conforming to trends for the sake of appearing “cool”. The song begins with the lines “Monkey see, monkey do, rather be dead than cool”, which suggest that the lead singer Kurt Cobain is rejecting the idea of following patterns blindly, even if it means being an outcast from society. The following lines “Every line ends in rhyme, less is more, love is blind” seem to suggest that Kurt Cobain is advocating for authenticity and real emotions, rather than adhering to superficial standards set by society.


The chorus seems to address the idea of staying away from the pressure of conforming to societal norms, which is expressed through the repeated lines “Stay away”. The lines “Give an inch, take a smile, fashion shits, fashion style” seem to reject the idea of blindly following fashion trends, implying that in doing so, a person surely will be “poisoned” by societal pressure.


These lyrics are not only emblematic of the grunge music era in which Nirvana was formed but also continue to resonate with people today who feel the need to reject societal pressures to conform. Overall, “Stay Away” is a powerful anthem in which Cobain encourages listeners to be true to themselves and stay away from societal normative pressure.


Line by Line Meaning

Monkey see, monkey do
People imitate what they see with no real understanding why they're doing it


(I don't know why)
The singer is unsure of the reasoning behind their previous statement


Rather be dead than cool
The singer values being true to oneself above conforming to popular trends


(I don't know why)
The artist is unsure of the reasoning behind this belief


Every line ends in rhyme
The artist notices the common trend of using rhymes in lyrics, but isn't sure why it's so prevalent


(I don't know why)
The singer is confused by this phenomenon


Less is more, love is blind
Simplicity is preferable to excessiveness, and love can be irrational and blind


(I don't know why)
The artist doesn't understand why these statements are true


Stay
The artist is warning someone to remain at a distance


Stay away
The artist is repeating their warning


Give an inch, take a smile
People will take advantage of kindness and use it to manipulate others


(I don't know why)
The artist doesn't know why this happens


Fashion shits, fashion style
The singer believes that trendy fashion is worthless and unimportant


(I don't know why)
The singer doesn't understand why people care about fashion


Throw it out and keep it in
Sometimes it's better to discard old ideas and beliefs, while other times they should be kept hidden


(I don't know why)
The artist is unsure why this is the case


Have to have poison skin
The artist believes that one must be resilient and tough to survive in a harsh world


(I don't know why)
The singer doesn't know why this is necessary


God is Gay
This line is likely included for shock value and doesn't have a literal meaning or message


I don't know why
The artist is continually unsure of the reasoning behind various beliefs, ideas, and trends


Stay
The artist repeats their warning one last time


Stay away
The artist's final warning


Stay away
The singer emphasizes their desire for distance


Stay away
The artist's final repetition of their warning


Stay away
The singer concludes with a final authoritative command




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kurt Cobain

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

robin

love this

Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@jkupkowski

Monkey see, monkey do
(I don't know why)
Rather be dead than cool
(I don't know why)
Every line ends in rhyme
(I don't know why)
Less is more, love is blind
(I don't know why)
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Give an inch, 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
I don't know why
I don't know why
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Monkey See, monkey do
I don't know why)
Rather be dead than cool
(I don't know why)
Every line ends in rhyme
(I don't know why)
Less is more, love is blind
(I don't know why)
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
I don't know why
I don't know why
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
God is Gay



All comments from YouTube:

@Stgpop

Gotta be one of my favourites on the album, if only Kurt was here to see how far his band has come and just how much writing inspired so many others..

@gabrielcastro7027

He didn't like the popularity tho

@paulterryn9031

Nirvana oh la la!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@Stgpop

@@gabrielcastro7027 This is true.. many artist over the years have hated their success and were consumed by it(i.e. Sid Vicious) but many have also managed to escape that hell too as they grew up(Randy Bachman). I just wish he left the scene in another way y'know? Selfish coming from a fan maybe but to me it would better he'd be alive for Frances and hate his band mates along withe the rest of the scene then be dead and leave everything and everyone else behind. Still in some twisted way its a poetic end

@rovstam7989

@@Stgpop Dont forget he fact Kurt was in EXTREME drug addiction

@user-uo8ny1kj4c

I recommend you listen to fuck and kill by scars on broadway. It's similar to this

18 More Replies...

@DTAY45

That crunchy bass and heavy hitting drums is what drives this song

@SomeKindOfDood

The bass is so iconic

@ALEXFUTVOLLEYTIJOLINHO

👍

Rio de Janeiro-🇧🇷

More Comments

More Versions