Stay Away by Nirvana

Album: Nevermind (1991)

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Songfacts®:

Originally titled Pay To Play, this song appears to be about many things, including annoyance ("stay away"), lack of popularity ("I'd rather be dead than cool"), and predictability in people ("every line ends in a rhyme"). >>>
Suggestion credit:
Matt - Millbrae, CA
At the end of the song, while saying: "Stay away," at one moment Cobain says, "God is gay," which is something he spray painted on a classmate's car in high school as a way of pushing his buttons. Cobain had a gay friend in high school and at one point contemplated his own sexual orientation. The statement was to support gay rights, not against God. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Ryan - St. George, UT and Milan - Pancevo, Serbia

Comments: 11

Kurtie from UkAhah! C'mon you americans. He wanted to say something against god as well. Stop being so bigots. Your biblic invented god is ridiculous as all gods. Kurt was too smart to believe in such a delusional thing.
Luna Loud from Royal Woods, MichiganI can't tell if One from Somewhere is being ironic...
One from Somewhere@Zero from Nowhere
Wow, great idea. Do it! So cool!
AnonymousI don't know why - heroin
Zero from Nowhere, NjI'm thinking of getting "I'D RATHER BE DEAD THAN COOL" tattooed on my forearm.
Sarah from Yuba City, CaJoe...yeahh at the end of the song he says "God is gay"

good song...not their best but the lyrics are cool.
Joe Flake 2nd from Oklahoma City, OkAt the end of this song, does he say, "God is gay" or "Gotta stay"?
Aleah from New Kensington, ScThis is a very good song that needs more recognition. "Nevermind", in my opinion, would be more listenable if 'Stay Away' was first. "monkey see, monkey do. I don't know why. I'd rather be dead than cool. I don't know why. Every line ends in rhyme. I don't know why. Love is more, less is blind. Stay, Stay away, Stay away, Stay away."- I think it's about society in general, how we 'have' to act a certain way to be accepted, but there is no other reason to it other than that we want to fit in. We become slaves to media and fasion among other things. Kurt also brings up pop in the song, and how it can also be repititious.
No_id_please from Hippy Town, Cothis song really shows how he feels about culture. the way people set and follow trends. it sais "i don't know why" because he dosnt undertand the why peopel all want to fit in a be "cool". an he also takes the time to say he would rather bew dead thatn cool! AWESOME song!!!!!!!
Grunge=dead from Nowhereville, CaI Love this song, it really shows the cool part of Kurt Coabin being different and warning all these so called "normal" people to stay away from him, In my view, I would rather be dead than cool, Weird+Different=my version/prespective of being "cool" which is far from any one else's definition.
Nick from Plainfiel, IlThis song is a great pump up song!!!! Not one of Kurts better songs but still a great song.

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