The name was changed during the Nevermind sessions.
Stay Away
Nirvana Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(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
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
Written by: Kurt Cobain
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
robin
love this
@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
@sianspherica
Such a fucking incredible song. That drum part is just so disgustingly catchy and always has been.
@smarkmalark
That’s chad Channing for ya!
@brandonkim2410
@@smarkmalark sucks that everybody forgets about him. The demo version of this song has chad and it's great.
@CupfNDLS
chillax jeff
@Ratstronot118
@@smarkmalark i beleive it was dave grohl
@Kholaslittlespot1
@@Ratstronot118 what im hearing is the demo was chad and then dave did his version?
Fuck knows. I'm old and burnt.
@OPregadorr
I've been listening to it since I was a teenager🖤
@ItsBearOfficial
This song is extremely underrated in the album. Might be one of my favorite songs ever
@toddinthemiddle
Develop better taste 🙄