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"Come As You Are" is a hit song by the band Nirvana. It was the second most popular single off their breakthrough album Nevermind (the most popular being the massive hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit").
Along with "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Come As You Are" is often credited as one of the songs that broke Nirvana (and grunge rock) into the mainstream. The song peaked on the Modern Rock Tracks chart at Number 3. Though overshadowed by "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (which peaked at Number 1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart), it became one of the band's most recognizable songs.
The song is remembered for being one of Nirvana's more optimistic songs. While most other songs by the band would have dark, bleak lyrics, "Come As You Are" expressed a welcoming attitude. The song has an overall theme of acceptance, inviting the listener to do just what the title states. However, in the aftermath of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's death the song was seen by many to have been somewhat negative in attitude. This is attributed to the line "And I swear that I don't have a gun", which has been interpreted by some to refer to the gun that Cobain shot himself with in 1994. Still, the song was recorded long before 1994, giving little reason to suspect anything more than a coincidence.
In 1992 Killing Joke claimed that the main riff of "Come As You Are" was too similar to Killing Joke's single "Eighties". The band didn't file a copyright infringement lawsuit due to financial and personal reasons (according to Rolling Stone). Apparently neither band holds a grudge, as apparent by Dave Grohl of Nirvana played drums on Killing Joke's 2003 self-titled album. Dave Grohl's band Foo Fighters also recorded a cover version of Killing Joke's "Requiem". Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke has also performed this song live with the Foo Fighters at a New Zealand concert.
An acoustic version of "Come As You Are" was played in the 1993 concert MTV Unplugged in New York and appeared on the album of the same name. It also appeared in its original form on the 2002 greatest hits album Nirvana.
Michael Azerrad would later use the song's title for a book about Nirvana that he published in 1993.
Single
The following tracks appeared on the single:
- "Come as You Are" (Cobain) - 3:38
- "Endless, Nameless" (Cobain) - 6:40
- "School" [live] (Cobain) - 2:31
- "Drain You" [live] (Cobain) - 3:35
Sample
The state slogan of Louisiana is "Come as You Are. Leave Different."
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