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"Come as You Are"
Single by Nirvana
from the album Nevermind
B-side(s)	"Endless, Nameless"
Released	1992
Format	CD, 7", 12"
Recorded	1991 at Sound City, Van Nuys
Genre	Grunge
Length	3:39
Label	DGC
Producer(s)	Butch Vig
Peak chart positions
#3 (NZ) #7 (IRE) #8 (ITA) #9 (UK) #12 (FIN) #12 (FRA) #32 (US Billboard Hot 100)
Nirvana singles chronology
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" (1991)	"Come as You Are" (1992)	"Lithium" (1992)
Nevermind track listing
"In Bloom" (2)	"Come as You Are" (3)	"Breed" (4)

"Come as You Are" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the third song on, and second single from, their 1991 album Nevermind. It was the album's second most successful single, surpassed only by "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Both songs are often credited with breaking Nirvana and grunge music into the mainstream. Image File history File links Circle-question. ... Come as You Are is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. ... Cover of Nirvanas single, Come As You Are. This image is the cover of an album or single. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Nirvana was an American rock band originating from Aberdeen, Washington. ... Nevermind is the seminal second studio album from the American rock band Nirvana. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Endless, Nameless is a song by the band Nirvana. ... A Compact Disc or CD is an optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio. ... A gramophone record, (also phonograph record - often simply record) is an analog sound recording medium: a flat disc rotating at a constant angular velocity, with inscribed spiral grooves in which a stylus or needle rides. ... A gramophone record, (also phonograph record - often simply record) is an analog sound recording medium: a flat disc rotating at a constant angular velocity, with inscribed spiral grooves in which a stylus or needle rides. ... Van Nuys is a district within the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Grunge music (sometimes also referred to as the Seattle Sound) is an independent-rooted music genre that became a commercially successful offshoot of hardcore punk, thrash metal, and alternative rock in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as one third of UMGs Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Butch Vig Bryan Butch Vig (born August 2, 1957 in Viroqua, Wisconsin) is both a rock musician and record producer. ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... This article is about the island of Ireland. ... Anthem Il Canto degli Italiani(de facto) (also known as Fratelli dItalia) Italy() – on the European continent() – in the European Union() [] Capital (and largest city) Rome Official languages Italian1 Government Parliamentary republic  -  President Giorgio Napolitano  -  Prime Minister Romano Prodi Formation  -  Unification 17 March 1861   -  Republic 2 June 1946  Accession... Motto none1 Anthem Maamme(Finnish) VÃ¥rt land(Swedish) Our Land Finland() – on the European continent() – in the European Union() [] Capital (and largest city) Helsinki Official languages Finnish, Swedish Government Parliamentary democracy2  -  President Tarja Halonen  -  Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen Independence from Bolshevist Russia   -  Autonomy March 29, 1809   -  Declared December 6... Motto: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité Liberty, Equality, Fraternity Anthem: La Marseillaise Metropolitan France() – on the European continent() – in the European Union()  —  [] Capital (and largest city) Paris Official languages French Government Unitary republic  -  President Jacques Chirac  -  Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin Formation  -  Celtic Gaul 1200 BC   -  Franks 11 BC   -  Kingdom of France... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... Nirvana was an American rock band originating from Aberdeen, Washington. ... Smells Like Teen Spirit is a song by American rock band Nirvana, and the opening track and lead single from the bands 1991 breakthrough album Nevermind. ... Lithium is a song by the grunge band Nirvana. ... Nevermind is the seminal second studio album from the American rock band Nirvana. ... In Bloom is a song by the grunge band Nirvana. ... Breed is a song by American grunge band Nirvana, and the fourth track from the bands 1991 breakthrough album Nevermind. ... ... Nirvana was an American rock band originating from Aberdeen, Washington. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... An album is a collection of related audio tracks distributed to the public. ... Nevermind is the seminal second studio album from the American rock band Nirvana. ... Smells Like Teen Spirit is a song by American rock band Nirvana, and the opening track and lead single from the bands 1991 breakthrough album Nevermind. ... Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle Sound) is a genre of alternative rock inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock. ...

Meaning

"Come as You Are" is a welcoming song, encouraging the listener to "come as they are" whether as a friend, or an enemy. The song then takes a twist in which the song's character reassures the listener that he "doesn't have a gun". While many listeners would perceive that Kurt would mean that he doesn't have a physical gun on him the song's prominent line actually means he had nothing to hide from anyone. The pictorial of a gun was used in reference to the fact that a gun is something any one would hide from others if they had possession of one. The line was also a reference to the common belief that Kurt was in possession of a gun, based on the fact that many of the bands songs involved the imagery of a gun. An interpersonal relationship is some relationship or connection between two people. ... Look up enemy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A gun is a common name given to an object that fires high-velocity projectiles. ...

On the other hand, the song could be interpreted as a message to a "ex-girlfriend".. asking her to come "as she is" or possibly "as she was", "as a known memory", "as a friend" or even "as an enemy" because he truly does not have a gun.

In the Nevermind press kit, Kurt said "Come As You Are" was "an old-fashioned love song coming down in three-part harmony." Nevermind is the seminal second studio album from the American rock band Nirvana. ...

After the death of the song's author, the media paid much attention to the song's prominent line. Much was also made of other songs on Nevermind mentioning guns, though the album was written and recorded three years before Cobain's death and therefore it was taken as a mere coincidence.

For a while during its writing in February 1991, it was titled "Memoria". This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The lyrics "Come doused in mud, soaked in bleach" (along with their debut album, Bleach) refer to a campaign in San Francisco in the late 1980s for intravenous drug users to bleach their needles to reduce the risk of contracting diseases. ^[1] Cobain was a recognized abuser of heroin. Bleach was the debut album by Nirvana, released in June 1989 through Sub Pop. ... Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – ca. ... Heroin ((INN) Diacetylmorphine, (BAN) diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid. ...

Track Listing

1. Come As You Are [LP Version]
2. Endless Nameless
3. School [Live]
4. Drain You [Live]

Music video

Like "Smells Like Teen Spirit", a music video was also made for the song, which features the band in a dark, goth-like room. The appearance of falling water in front of the band distorts and blurs their image, making it somewhat difficult to see their faces (although one can immediately pick up which one is who). Throughout the video, clips of unrelated material (lyric wise) such as cells multiplying at an incredible rate, to a living organism in its embryotic stages are shown, though the main focus is placed on the band. The video clip also features Kurt Cobain swinging away on a chandelier throughout the room, and water begins to flow into the room. Smells Like Teen Spirit is a song by American rock band Nirvana, and the opening track and lead single from the bands 1991 breakthrough album Nevermind. ...

The main (and most identifying) feature in the video related to the song is the image of a gun sinking underwater - and constant references to the gun are shown, mainly in the chorus where Cobain sings "And I swear that I don't have a gun". The image of the gun is also the first image shown in the videoclip. Another reference to the band is the image of a baby (Spencer Elden) swimming underwater (which is shown almost immediately when a fish hook captures a $1 dollar bill) - another reference to Nirvana's album Nevermind (which features the exact same image on its cover). A gun is a common name given to an object that fires high-velocity projectiles. ... 1991: Spencer Elden at four months old on the cover of Nirvanas album Nevermind. ... Nevermind is the seminal second studio album from the American rock band Nirvana. ...

The clip was directed by Kevin Kerslake, who also directed the video for "Lithium," "In Bloom," and "Sliver." Kevin Kerslake is an American music video director. ... Lithium is a song by the grunge band Nirvana. ... In Bloom is a song by the grunge band Nirvana. ... Sliver is a song by the band Nirvana. ...

Killing Joke controversy

When Nevermind was released, members of the British post-punk band Killing Joke claimed the main guitar riff of "Come as You Are" plagiarized the riff of their own single, "Eighties". The band, however, did not file a copyright infringement lawsuit, which according to Rolling Stone was "due to personal and financial reasons." In some interviews, Jaz Coleman stated he did not file a lawsuit because the members of Nirvana openly confessed to him that they indeed took the riff, which he said was all he wanted to hear.^[2] Post punk generally refers to the particularly fertile and creative period following the initial punk rock explosion. During the first wave of punk, roughly spanning 1976-1983, bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones and The Damned began to challenge the current styles and conventions of rock... This article is about the musical group. ... In music, a riff is an ostinato figure: a repeated chord progression, pattern or melodic figure, often played by the rhythm section instruments, that forms the basis or accompaniment of a rock music or jazz composition. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Jaz Coleman on the cover of the Killing Joke album Brighter than a Thousand Suns. ...

However, conflicting reports state that Killing Joke did file a lawsuit but that it was thrown out of court,^[3] or that it was dropped following Cobain's death.^[4] Geordie Walker, Killing Joke's guitar player, stated that:^[5] Geordie Walker (born Kevin Walker, on 18 December 1958, in Newcastle) is a post-punk guitarist best known as a member of Killing Joke. ...

"We are very pissed off about that, but it's obvious to everyone. We had two separate musicologists' reports saying it was. Our publisher sent their publisher a letter saying it was and they went 'Boo, never heard of ya!', but the hysterical thing about Nirvana saying they'd never heard of us was that they'd already sent us a Christmas card!"

Nevertheless, apparently neither band held a grudge about this; ex-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl played drums on Killing Joke's thirteenth (second self-titled) album in 2003, and recorded a version of their song "Requiem" with his own band, the Foo Fighters. The Foo Fighters even performed "Requiem" live with Coleman at a New Zealand concert.[1] A drummer in Action A drummer is a person who plays the drums, particularly the drum kit, marching percussion, or hand drums. ... David Eric Grohl (born January 14, 1969, in Warren, Ohio) is an American rock musician and songwriter. ... Killing Joke is an album first released July 28th, 2003 by Killing Joke on Zuma Recordings. ... Foo Fighters are a rock group formed by musician Dave Grohl in 1995. ...

Other versions

An acoustic version of "Come as You Are," from Nirvana's MTV Unplugged set on November 18, 1993, appears on the album MTV Unplugged in New York. The album was released in November 1994. A steel string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound. ... MTV Unplugged is a series showcasing popular musical artists playing acoustic instruments. ... MTV Unplugged in New York is a live album by the American grunge band, Nirvana. ...

A live rendition, recorded on November 25, 1991 at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, appears on the band's 1994 home video, Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!. It features Cobain screaming the song's lyrics over an out-of-tune guitar. Paradiso may refer to: a part of The Divine Comedy Italian or latinized version for Heaven or Paradise a legendary rock club in Amsterdam a French movie by Christian Bricout a novel by Cuban writer José Lezama Lima Paradiso, Switzerland, a municipality of the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino Category... Nickname: Motto: Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig (Valiant, Determined, Compassionate) Location of Amsterdam Coordinates: Country Netherlands Province North Holland Government  - Mayor Job Cohen  - Aldermen Lodewijk Asscher Hennah Buyne Carolien Gehrels Tjeerd Herrema Maarten van Poelgeest Marijke Vos  - Secretary Erik Gerritsen Area [1][2]  - City 219 km²  (84. ... The home video business rents and sells videocassettes and DVDs to the public. ... front cover Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! is a VHS/Laserdisc home video released by the grunge band Nirvana on November 15, 1994. ...

The Nevermind version appears on the compilation album, Fender 50th Anniversary Guitar Legends, released in 1996 to celebrate the Fender guitar company's 50th anniversary. The Nevermind version also appears on the band's 2002 "best-of" compilation, Nirvana. File links The following pages link to this file: Come As You Are ... It has been suggested that Fender Amplifier History be merged into this article or section. ... Nirvana is a best-of compilation album from the American grunge band, Nirvana. ...

Outtakes from the "Come as You Are" music video, directed by Kevin Kerslake, appear on the DVD menu of the band's 2004 box set, With the Lights Out. An outtake can be a take or scene, as of a movie, or a television program, that is filmed but not used in the final cut, usually for pacing reasons. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... Kevin Kerslake is an American music video director. ... DVD (commonly known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... A box set (sometimes referred to as a boxed set) is one or more musical recordings, films, television programs, or other collection of related things that are contained in a box. ... With the Lights Out is a box set, containing 3 CDs and 1 DVD, from the American grunge band, Nirvana. ...

A boombox-recorded demo version appears on the 2005 compilation album, Sliver - The Best of the Box. It was recorded in March 1991 as part of a demo tape sent to Nevermind producer Butch Vig. A Boombox or Boom-box is a portable stereo system capable of playing radio stations or recorded music (usually cassettes and/or, more recently, CDs), at relatively high volume. ... A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. ... Sliver: The Best of the Box is a compilation album from the American grunge band Nirvana. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Butch Vig Bryan Butch Vig (born August 2, 1957 in Viroqua, Wisconsin) is both a rock musician and record producer. ...

Welcome to Aberdeen

Tribute to Kurt Cobain in Aberdeen

In 2005, a sign was put up in Aberdeen, Washington, Cobain's hometown, that reads "Welcome to Aberdeen - Come as You Are" as a tribute to Cobain. The sign was paid for and created by the Kurt Cobain Memorial Committee, a non-profit organization created in May 2004 to honor Cobain. Founded by author Jeff Burlingame and Aberdeen City Councilman Paul Fritts, the Committee also plans to create a Kurt Cobain Memorial Park and a youth center in Aberdeen. This may be considered somewhat ironic, as Cobain openly spoke about his hatred for Aberdeen and the friends he had there while growing up. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Tribute to Kurt Cobain in Aberdeen. ... Tribute to Kurt Cobain in Aberdeen. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

Covers

"Come as You Are" has been covered by the following artists:

• British punk band the Vibrators.
• American singer-songwriter Laura Love.
• Brazilian singer Caetano Veloso.
• American singer-songwriter Keith Moore.
• American actor and musician, James Marsters.
• Belfast (Northern Ireland) Postman James Brown (not of soul fame), aka "The King" off the album "Gravelands"
• American jazz, rock and fusion guitarist Charlie Hunter
• Polish jazz band, Pink Freud

Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... For the American musician Laura Love, see Laura Love (musician) Laura Love was the prospective parliamentary candidate for Falkirk in the 2005 UK General Election, representing the Scottish National Party. ... Caetano Veloso (born 7 August 1942) is one of the most popular and influential Brazilian composers and singers. ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... James Marsters post-Spike James Wesley Marsters (born August 20, 1962 in Greenville, California) is an American actor and musician, best known for playing the popular platinum-blond character Spike, an English yob of a vampire, in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. ... Charlie Hunter Trio Charlie Hunter is a jazz, rock and fusion guitarist. ...

Samples

ComeAsYouAre. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ...

Chart positions

Recording Industry Association of New Zealand - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music but are not modern rock (that is, alternative) stations, which are counted in the Modern Rock Tracks chart. ... Modern Rock Tracks is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. ... The Irish Singles Chart is the Irish music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. ... The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. ... Polish Radio and Television (Polish: Polskie Radio i Telewizja) is a public-service broadcaster in Poland. ... MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of charts, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. ... Ultratop is the name of the official Belgian record charts. ... The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... Triple J (JJJ) is a nationally-networked, government-funded Australian radio station (a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation), mainly aimed at youth (defined as those between 12 and 25). ... The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music poll, based on the votes of Australian youth radio station Triple J listeners, in order to determine their favourite song of the year. ...

Accolades

• Ranked #13 in Guitar Magazine's "Riff Of The Millennium Readers Poll" (1999)
• Ranked #49 in Kerrang!'s "100 Greatest Rock Tracks Ever" (1998)
• Ranked #28 in Kerrang!'s "100 Greatest Singles of All Time" (2002)
• Ranked #9 in NME's "Top 20 Nirvana Songs" (2004)
• Ranked #10 in Q's "10 Greatest Nirvana Songs Ever" (2004)
• Ranked #445 in Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" (2004)

Kerrang! is a weekly music magazine (mainly rock and metal) published by EMAP in the United Kingdom. ... The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a music magazine in the UK which has been published weekly since March 1952. ... Q is a music and entertainment magazinepublished monthly in the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the magazine. ... The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2004. ...

Notes and references

Notes

1. ^ Come As You Are The Story Of Nirvana Azerrad, Michael p. 93
2. ^ Jaz and Youth Interview (video). Retrieved on 2006-09-26.
3. ^ Conspiracy of Two. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.
4. ^ Interview with Killing Joke's Geordie. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.
5. ^ December 1994 Guitarist Magazine. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.

For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ...

External links

• Nirvana Pay Back Killing Joke
• Cobain Music Community
• Azerrad, Michael. Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana, Doubleday, New York: 1993, ISBN 0-86369-746-1