Come as You Are ( Nirvana song ) - wikipedia Come as You Are ( Nirvana song ) `` Come as You Are '' Single by Nirvana from the album Nevermind B - side `` Drain You '' ( Live ) ( US ) `` Endless, Nameless '' ( UK ) Released March 2, 1992 ( 1992 - 03 - 02 ) Format CD, 7 ``, 12 '', cassette Recorded May 1991 ( 1991 - 05 ) at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California Genre Grunge, alternative rock Length 3 : 38 Label DGC Songwriter ( s ) Kurt Cobain Producer ( s ) Butch Vig Nirvana singles chronology `` Smells Like Teen Spirit '' ( 1991 ) `` Come as You Are '' ( 1992 ) `` Lithium '' ( 1992 ) `` Smells Like Teen Spirit '' ( 1991 ) `` Come as You Are '' ( 1992 ) `` Lithium '' ( 1992 ) Nevermind track listing 12 tracks `` Smells Like Teen Spirit '' `` In Bloom '' `` Come as You Are '' `` Breed '' `` Lithium '' `` Polly '' `` Territorial Pissings '' `` Drain You '' `` Lounge Act '' `` Stay Away '' `` On a Plain '' `` Something in the Way '' Music video `` Come as You Are '' on YouTube `` Come as You Are '' is a song by American grunge band Nirvana, written by frontman Kurt Cobain and released as the second single from the band 's second studio album Nevermind in March 1992. It was the band 's second American Top 40 hit, and second UK top 10 hit, reaching number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number nine on the UK Singles Chart. The unexpected success of the album 's lead single, `` Smells Like Teen Spirit '' drew Nirvana to mainstream success, with Nevermind being released two weeks after the single 's release. Following the album 's release, the band and its management company debated whether to release `` Come as You Are '' or `` In Bloom '' as the next single from the album due to Cobain 's concerns over similarity of the former with the Killing Joke song `` Eighties '' ( 1984 ). After some persuasion by the management company, Cobain agreed to release `` Come as You Are '' as the second single because of its commercial potential. Killing Joke were upset over the song, and there were rumors that a lawsuit had been filed over the song, though the suit never materialized. Killing Joke guitarist Geordie Walker was said to be upset about the whole situation, and he felt that Nirvana ( which according to Walker denied the connection between the songs ) handled the matter poorly. The music video for `` Come as You Are '' was directed by Kevin Kerslake, who drew inspiration for it from the cover artwork of Nevermind. Rolling Stone ranked `` Come as You Are '' 445th on its list of `` The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time '', and it placed 452nd on the 2010 edition of the list. Contents 1 Background and recording 2 Composition and lyrics 3 Release 4 Music video 5 In popular culture 6 Track listing 7 Charts and certifications 7.1 Chart positions 7.2 Certifications 8 Personnel 9 Covers 10 References 11 Notes 12 External links Background and recording `` Come as You Are '' was one of the few new songs Nirvana recorded onto the rehearsal tape the group sent to producer Butch Vig prior to the recording of Nevermind in 1991. The group recorded the song with Vig during album sessions at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California, in early 1991. Cobain recorded his guitar solo in two takes, as well as three takes of vocals, of which the first was used. Vig then asked Cobain to double track his vocals throughout the entire song. During the harmony overdub session, Cobain accidentally sang the phrase `` And I do n't have a gun '' too early, appearing the fourth time he sings the word `` memoria '' after the guitar solo. When this mistake was discovered, Cobain decided to keep it in the final recording. Vig sampled Cobain singing `` memoria '' from the middle of the song and placed it in the background of the song near the end twice. The band also performed an acoustic version of the song on MTV Unplugged on November 18, 1993. The recording later appeared on MTV Unplugged in New York in November 1994. Composition and lyrics The song begins with Cobain playing an unaccompanied guitar riff for eight seconds. Cobain used an Electro - Harmonix Small Clone guitar chorus pedal to give his instrument a `` watery '' tone during the verses and pre-choruses. He is joined by the rest of the band for the first verse, which is moody and subdued. Once the band reaches the chorus, the song reaches full volume. The shift in dynamics is a technique Nirvana used on many of its songs. The song features one of Cobain 's longest guitar solos. `` Kurt really did not play a lot of solos, '' Vig said. `` This one is more of a melodic part based on the vocal melody. It 's not trying to show off pyrotechnics. It complements the melody of the song. '' `` Come as You Are '' Cobain uses a chorus pedal when playing his guitar, creating a `` watery '' effect. Problems playing this file ? See media help. Cobain described the lyrics of `` Come as You Are '' as contradictory, and said the song was about `` people and what they 're expected to act like ''. Pointing to the line `` Take your time, hurry up, choice is yours, do n't be late '', essayist Catherine J. Creswell writes that in Cobain 's lyrics, `` ( p ) hrases clump into strings of empty clichés whose own ostensible meaning is forced into contradictions or simple rhyme sound ''. In light of Cobain 's suicide in 1994, Allmusic 's Mark Deming suggests that hearing `` Cobain sing ' and I swear that I do n't have a gun ' gives ' Come as You Are ' an edge it was never meant to have when ( Nevermind ) was first released in 1991. '' Deming reasons that the `` I do n't have a gun '' lyric is Cobain 's `` attempt to reassure listeners that... his target is the world at large rather than the individuals in it, and that there was still room in this damaged world for everyone ''. Release Wary of the similarity between the main riff of `` Come as You Are '' and English post-punk band Killing Joke 's 1984 single `` Eighties '', Nirvana and its management were unsure about releasing the song as the second single from Nevermind. Danny Goldberg, head of Nirvana 's management Gold Mountain, later revealed that `` ( w ) e could n't decide between ' Come as You Are ' and ' In Bloom. ' Kurt was nervous about ' Come as You Are ' because it was too similar to a Killing Joke song but we all thought it was still the better song to go with. And, he was right, Killing Joke later did complain about it. '' Nirvana biographer Everett True writes that `` Come as You Are '' was eventually chosen for release as a single because `` Goldberg favoured the more obviously commercial song ''. It was anticipated that the first single from Nevermind, `` Smells Like Teen Spirit '', would be a `` base - building alternative cut '', while `` Come as You Are '' would be able to cross over into other radio formats. However, `` Smells Like Teen Spirit '' became a surprise hit and boosted the band 's popularity, whereas `` Come as You Are '' served to maintain it. After its release as a single in March 1992, `` Come as You Are '' peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single stayed on the chart for 18 weeks. The song also reached number three on the Billboard Mainstream and Modern Rock Tracks charts. The single also broke the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at the ninth spot. This song ranked number 82 in Blender 's `` The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born '', and 452nd on Rolling Stone 's `` 500 Greatest Songs of All Time ''. Although members of Killing Joke claimed the main guitar riff of `` Come as You Are '' plagiarized the riff of `` Eighties '', the band reportedly did not file a copyright infringement lawsuit, which Rolling Stone magazine attributes to `` personal and financial reasons ''. However, conflicting reports state that Killing Joke did file a lawsuit but that it was either thrown out of court, or that it was dropped following Cobain 's death. Geordie Walker, Killing Joke 's guitar player, said that the band was `` 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 ! '' Later it was also noted that a third song, The Damned 's `` Life Goes On '', pre-dated both and contained a similar riff to both songs. The Damned were an English gothic punk band and released their song in 1982. In 1999 `` Come as You Are '' was voted in at number 49 in Kerrang ! magazine 's `` 100 Greatest Rock Tracks Ever ! ''. As of April 2016, according to Business Insider, `` Come as You Are '' was the sixth most streamed song from the 1990s on Spotify. Music video The music video was directed by Kevin Kerslake, who later directed the videos for `` Lithium '', `` In Bloom '', and `` Sliver '', as well as Pantera 's music video for This Love. After the unsatisfactory experience filming the `` Smells Like Teen Spirit '' video with Samuel Bayer, Cobain selected Kerslake due to his impressionistic style. Cobain was unable to formulate any ideas beyond homaging the Nevermind album cover and including `` a lot of purples and reds '', so he let Kerslake conceptualize the clip. The band shot outdoor footage in a park in Hollywood Hills a few days prior to the main video shoot. Kerslake projected this footage in the background of many shots in the main part of the video. The video features the band in a dark room, where the appearance of falling water in front of the band distorts and blurs the band members ' faces ( an idea suggested by Cobain ). Throughout the video, clips such as cells multiplying at an incredible rate, to a living organism in its embryotic stages are shown. The video clip also features Kurt Cobain swinging away on a chandelier throughout the room, and water begins to flow into the room. In addition, the video shows parts involving a dog wearing a cone collar. Images of a baby swimming underwater ( a reference to the cover of Nevermind ) and a pistol floating appear. Towards the end, a clip of the band appears, with Cobain in the front, lying on the ground and kissing the camera. In popular culture 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. The 2016 film As You Are was named after the Nirvana track. The plot `` revolves around a trio of high schoolers in the 1990s, trying to find their way through the difficult maze of adolescence. '' A remix of the song was used for trailers of Marvel 's 2017 Netflix series The Defenders. Track listing `` Come as You Are '' ( Cobain ) -- 3 : 38 `` Endless, Nameless '' ( Cobain ; Nirvana ) -- 6 : 40 `` School '' ( live -- Seattle -- 31 October 1991 ) ( Cobain ) -- 2 : 31 `` Drain You '' ( live -- Seattle -- 31 October 1991 ) ( Cobain ) -- 3 : 35 Charts and certifications Chart positions Chart ( 1992 ) Peak position Australia ( ARIA ) 25 Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40 ) 28 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 15 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) 27 European Hot 100 Singles ( Billboard ) 15 Finland ( The Official Finnish Charts ) 8 France ( SNEP ) 12 Germany ( Official German Charts ) 22 Italy ( FIMI ) 8 Ireland ( IRMA ) 7 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 14 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 16 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) Poland ( LP3 ) 9 Spain ( AFYVE ) 16 Sweden ( Sverigetopplistan ) 24 Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) 21 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 9 US Billboard Hot 100 32 US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) US Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales Italy ( FIMI ) Platinum 50,000 United Kingdom ( BPI ) Gold 400,000 sales + streaming figures based on certification alone Personnel Kurt Cobain : vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar Krist Novoselic : bass guitar Dave Grohl : drums Butch Vig : recording and mixing engineer, producer Covers Elvis impersonator James Brown 's cover of the song was featured on his inaugural album Gravelands. Little Roy did a reggae version on the album titled Battle for Seattle. Evan Peters did a cover of this song on American Horror Story : Freak Show in the episode `` Test of Strength ''. The Lifetime original program Witches of East End featured a cover by Masha for the first season 's promos. The song was covered by The Vibrators for the album Smells Like Bleach : A Punk Tribute to Nirvana. Caetano Veloso made a cover of the song in his album A foreign sound. Jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter covered the song on his trio 's 1995 album Bing, Bing, Bing !. The second episode of the television show Defiance ends with a cover of `` Come as You Are '' by Civil Twilight. Polish - English rapper Popek recorded in 2014 Trap version of the song in his own arrangement. Scottish rock band Glasvegas covered the song for the b - side of single `` Daddy 's Gone ''. One of the trailers for the 2016 game Quantum Break featured a cover by Prep School. New Zealand synth - pop artist Princess Chelsea included a cover of the song on her 2016 album Aftertouch. References Azerrad, Michael. Come as You Are : The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday : New York, 1994. ISBN 0 - 385 - 47199 - 8 Berkenstadt, Jim ; Cross, Charles. Classic Rock Albums : Nevermind. Schirmer, 1998. ISBN 0 - 02 - 864775 - 0 True, Everett. Nirvana : The Biography. Da Capo Press, 2007. ISBN 978 - 0 - 306 - 81554 - 6 Notes Jump up ^ Azerrad, p. 166 - 67 ^ Jump up to : Berkenstadt ; Cross, p. 71 Jump up ^ Berkenstadt ; Cross, p. 72 Jump up ^ Payne, Chris ( November 18, 2013 ). `` Nirvana 's ' MTV Unplugged ' 20 Years Later : Meat Puppets ' Curt Kirkwood Looks Back ''. Billboard.com. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Stafford, James ( November 18, 2015 ). `` 22 Years Ago : Nirvana Unplug For MTV and Create Another Landmark Album ''. Diffuser.fm. Retrieved July 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Fricke, David ( January 27, 1994 ). `` Kurt Cobain, The Rolling Stone Interview : Success Does n't Suck ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Ulrich, John M. ; Harris, Andrea L. Genxegesis : Essays on Alternative Youth ( sub ) culture. Popular Press. 2003. p. 81. Jump up ^ Deming, Mark. `` Come as You Are '' song review. Allmusic. Retrieved on September 7, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Borzillo - Vrenna, Carrie. `` Nirvana Pay Back Killing Joke ''. Rolling Stone. April 10, 2003. Retrieved on October 1, 2008. Jump up ^ Janovitz, Bill. `` Eighties - Killing Joke ''. allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 26 March 2013. Jump up ^ True, p. 357 Jump up ^ Azerrad, p. 227 Jump up ^ `` Come As You Are ''. Rolling Stone. December 9, 2004. Retrieved on June 4, 2008. Jump up ^ Nirvana Artist Chart History : Singles. Billboard.com. Retrieved on June 4, 2008. Jump up ^ Roberts, David, ed. British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th edition. HIT Entertainment, 2006. ISBN 1 - 904994 - 10 - 5. ^ Jump up to : `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on April 10, 2009. Retrieved 2010 - 12 - 28. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ) Jump up ^ `` Conspiracy of Two ''. Kerrang !. April 12, 2003 Jump up ^ `` Interview with Killing Joke 's Geordie ''. BBC. Retrieved on October 1, 2008. Jump up ^ Slater, Tim. `` Killing Joke interview ''. Guitarist. December 1994. Jump up ^ Spin magazine, Nov 2008 google.co.uk. Retrieved April 3, 2016. Jump up ^ Kerrang ! magazine, issue 746, April 17, 1999. ( voted by readers ). Jump up ^ The 10 most timeless ' 90s songs, according to Spotify data businessinsider.com. Retrieved October 26, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Azerrad, p. 246 Jump up ^ Azerrad, p. 247 Jump up ^ Kaufman, Gil. `` Kurt Cobain 's Hometown Adds ' Come As You Are ' To Welcome Sign ''. MTV. April 11, 2005. Retrieved on October 1, 2008 Jump up ^ Desta, Yohana. `` '' As You Are '' Is an Indie Dream that Smells Like Teen Spirit ``. HWD. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 05. Jump up ^ Chitwood, Adam. `` ' The Defenders ' Teaser Previews Marvel 's Netflix Team - Up Series ; 2017 Release Date Confirmed ''. Collider.com. July 21, 2016. Retrieved on July 22, 2016 Jump up ^ `` Australian-charts.com -- Nirvana -- Come As You Are ''. ARIA Top 50 Singles. Jump up ^ `` Austriancharts.at -- Nirvana -- Come As You Are '' ( in German ). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Nirvana -- Come As You Are '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Singles : Issue 2103. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Music & Media magazine, March 28, 1992. Jump up ^ Pennanen, Timo ( 2006 ). Sisältää hitin : levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Otava Publishing Company Ltd. ISBN 951 - 1 - 21053 - X. Jump up ^ `` Lescharts.com -- Nirvana -- Come As You Are '' ( in French ). Les classement single. Jump up ^ `` Musicline.de -- Nirvana Single - Chartverfolgung '' ( in German ). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Jump up ^ Billboard magazine - May 30, 1992 - p. 42 - `` Hits of the World Section '' under `` Italy '' americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved July 3, 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- Come As You Are ''. Irish Singles Chart. Jump up ^ `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- Nirvana '' ( in Dutch ). Dutch Top 40. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- Nirvana -- Come As You Are '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Jump up ^ `` Charts.org.nz -- Nirvana -- Come As You Are ''. Top 40 Singles. Jump up ^ `` COME AS YOU ARE ''. Polskie Radio. Retrieved November 14, 2016. Jump up ^ Salaverri, Fernando. Sólo éxitos, año an año, 1959 - 2002. Madrid : Fundación Author - SGAE, 2005. ISBN 84 - 8048 - 639 - 2, p. 602. Jump up ^ `` Swedishcharts.com -- Nirvana -- Come As You Are ''. Singles Top 100. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- Nirvana -- Come As You Are ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Jump up ^ `` Nirvana : Artist Chart History ''. Official Charts Company. Jump up ^ `` Nirvana Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Nirvana Chart History ( Mainstream Rock ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Nirvana Chart History ( Alternative Songs ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Italian single certifications -- Nirvana -- Come As You Are '' ( in Italian ). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 5 February 2018. Jump up ^ `` Certified Awards Search ''. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 5, 2017. Note : User needs to enter `` Nirvana '' in the `` Search '' field, `` Artist '' in the `` Search by '' field and click the `` Search '' button. Jump up ^ Johnson, Beth ( 1999 - 04 - 16 ). `` Mailhouse Rock ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2014 - 07 - 15. Jump up ^ Popek i Matheo w remiksie Nirvany ( audio ) External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : Nevermind `` Come as You Are '' song review at AllMusic at Allmusic `` Come as You Are '' official music video on YouTube Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Nirvana Kurt Cobain Krist Novoselic Dave Grohl Aaron Burckhard Chad Channing Dale Crover Jason Everman Dave Foster Dan Peters Pat Smear Studio albums Bleach Nevermind In Utero Live albums MTV Unplugged in New York From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah Live at Reading Compilation albums Incesticide Nirvana Sliver : The Best of the Box Icon Box sets Singles With the Lights Out Nevermind : The Singles Extended plays Blew Hormoaning Singles `` Love Buzz '' `` Sliver '' `` Smells Like Teen Spirit '' `` Come as You Are '' `` Lithium '' `` In Bloom '' `` Heart - Shaped Box '' `` All Apologies '' / `` Rape Me '' `` Pennyroyal Tea '' `` About a Girl '' `` You Know You 're Right '' Promotional singles `` On a Plain '' `` All Apologies '' ( Unplugged ) `` The Man Who Sold the World '' `` Where Did You Sleep Last Night '' `` Lake of Fire '' `` Aneurysm '' ( live ) `` Drain You '' ( live ) Split singles `` Candy / Molly 's Lips '' `` Here She Comes Now / Venus in Furs '' `` Puss / Oh, the Guilt '' Other songs `` Do Re Mi '' `` Dumb '' `` I Hate Myself and Want to Die '' `` Marigold '' `` Negative Creep '' `` Old Age '' `` Polly '' `` Sappy '' `` Something in the Way '' `` Spank Thru '' Videos Live ! Tonight ! Sold Out ! ! MTV Unplugged in New York Live at Reading Live at the Paramount Live and Loud Related Articles Discography ( Bootlegs ) Awards and nominations Songs Concerts `` Smells Like Nirvana '' Frances Bean Cobain Suicide of Kurt Cobain 12 - 12 - 12 : The Concert for Sandy Relief Verse Chorus Verse Bands Dain Bramage Eyes Adrift Fecal Matter Flipper Foo Fighters Melvins The No WTO Combo Scream Sweet 75 Them Crooked Vultures Queens of the Stone Age Books Come as You Are : The Story of Nirvana Heavier Than Heaven Journals Letters to Kurt Albums Nevermind It 's an Interview The `` Priest '' They Called Him Smells Like Bleach : A Punk Tribute to Nirvana Newermind : A Tribute to Nirvana In Utero, in Tribute, in Entirety Whatever Nevermind Doused in Mud, Soaked in Bleach Montage of Heck : The Home Recordings Films and documentaries 1991 : The Year Punk Broke Teen Spirit : The Tribute to Kurt Cobain Hype ! Kurt & Courtney Classic Albums : Nirvana -- Nevermind Last Days Nirvana -- A Classic Album Under Review -- In Utero Kurt Cobain : About a Son Kurt Cobain : Montage of Heck Soaked in Bleach Autopsy : The Last Hours of... Kurt Cobain Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Come_as_You_Are_(Nirvana_song)&oldid=824165412 '' Categories : 1991 songs 1992 singles DGC Records singles Nirvana ( band ) songs Songs written by Kurt Cobain Song recordings produced by Butch Vig Songs involved in plagiarism controversies Music videos directed by Kevin Kerslake Hidden categories : CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown CS1 Italian - language sources ( it ) Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Australia Singlechart usages for Austria Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for Canadatopsingles Singlechart called without artist Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for France Singlechart usages for Germany Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart usages for Dutch40 Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for Sweden Singlechart usages for Swiss Singlechart usages for UKsinglesbyname Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart usages for Billboardmainstreamrock Singlechart usages for Billboardalternativesongs Certification Table Entry usages for Italy Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Čeština Deutsch Ελληνικά Español فارسی Français Galego Italiano עברית Lietuvių Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Simple English Slovenčina Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt Edit links This page was last edited on 5 February 2018, at 18 : 25. 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Question: when did come as you are come out
Answer: March 1992