‘Come As You Are’: Nirvana’s ode to “misfits”
Nothing about Nirvana insinuated that they were going to be the biggest band in the world in 1991. The hair metal scene was still in full-swing and there was no reason to think that it was going to stop for a second, but the minute that the band came screaming in with ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, it was like Kurt Cobain single-handedly swept every LA rock band out of existence and paved the way for something new. But doing something new also meant having a bit more acceptance for everyone.
Because looking at Nirvana, they never claimed to have the kind of charisma that someone like David Lee Roth had a few years before. Cobain was always fairly reserved behind the scenes, and while he did have a lot to say about the current state of music, he was never looking to be the kind of pinup star that had come out of the 1980s like Madonna or Michael Jackson. He saw himself more in line with Michael Stipe, and that meant playing on his ego a bit more.
In fact, the whole Nevermind album seemed to revolve around the frustration of being confined to that 1980s vision of what a rock star should be. Everything was neon-coloured and sounded like no one had any problems whatsoever, so when someone was that open and honest about the struggles they were going through, millions of kids saw themselves when they went onstage.
By Nirvana’s standards, though, ‘Come As You Are’ might be the closest thing to a ballad that they have in their arsenal. ‘Polly’ was an abrasive listen for anyone who heard it, but the watery sounds of Cobain’s guitar in the intro are going for a far more mellow groove than blasting the living daylights out of the listener.
But whereas the first Nirvana songs were about anger and being tired of the same tired schlock, this was Cobain’s more gentle offering for rock and roll fans. He knew that there was bound to be a lot of people out there that didn’t fit into the norms of society like him, and after becoming one of the biggest pop stars of his time, ‘Come As You Are’ is a way of letting everyone know that they could be their own person without having to cower to what everyone else says.
Producer Butch Vig even echoed Cobain’s sentiments later on, saying, “I think that song is about acceptance, and about misfits. You’re cool no matter how screwed up you are. ‘Come As You Are’ is an ode to accepting someone for who they are.” While the song never loses the intensity of any other Nirvana song, Krist Novoselic remembered seeing a bit more beauty in it than what they customarily worked on.
When interviewed for Classic Albums, the bassist offered a similar perspective to Vig, saying, “The way the lyrics blend with the vocal and the aesthetic of the song, it just creates a world of its own, and in that world, I guess, come as you are. I’m not commenting on what that song’s about; that’s just the way I see those lyrics. I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s beautiful. ’ It flows and it draws you in, and that’s the mark of any good art.”
It also perfectly fits the kind of artist Cobain always wanted to be. As far back as his high school days, he was always the one sticking up for the underdog, and when he finally got the public’s ear, he had no problems talking about the issues affecting his world, whether that was toxic masculinity, racism, or his militant feminist stance against sorry excuses for human beings who decide to take advantage of people.
After all, the 1980s had developed a certain aesthetic for how people should look, think, and dress, so it was about time that Cobain helped give a voice to the people who couldn’t fight for themselves. And if their voices couldn’t be heard as loudly, they could at least feel included, knowing that this tune was at the top of the charts.
