10 Perfect Rock Singles Of The 90s
1. Come As You Are - Nirvana (1991)
No you're not underwater, you're just listening to an instrument drowned in heavy chorus effects.
If Smells Like Teen Spirit was the rallying cry that converted the masses to grunge, then Come As You Are was the single that pulled in any last stragglers. It didn't have the raucous angst and aggressively seductive drive of Nirvana's most defining number, but it did have it's own allure.
Kurt Cobain was wary about releasing the song, admitting to the similarities the riff shared with, Eighties by Killing Joke. The similarities are obvious, but Cobain's version cut's differently, burrowing its way into your mind.
His lyrics meander through a realm of contracting and confusing turns of phrase. To this day no one really knows the full scope of what he was getting at. The line "And I swear that I don't have a gun", in particular, has come to serve as disturbing foreshadowing, given his method of suicide. But the songs over riding sentiment, implies an acceptance of someone, no matter their situation. It's a notion we can all get on board with.