Why Kurt Cobain didn't want to release Nirvana's Come As You Are as a single

2 March 2026, 15:39 | Updated: 2 March 2026, 15:57

Nirvana - Come As You Are

Find out why the late Nirvana frontman wasn't sure about making the 1992 track the second single to be taken from their Nevermind album.

Come As You Are is one of Nirvana's most well-known tracks.

Released on 2nd March 1992 in the UK and a day later in the United States, the track was the second single to be taken from the grunge band's sophomore album, Nevermind, and went on to give the band another Top 10 hit this side of the pond, achieving a nine on the UK singles chart (Smells Like Teen Spirit had reached number seven the year before).

The Kurt Cobain-penned track was accompanied by an iconic water-themed video, which featured a gun floating in a pool, as well visuals inspired by their Nevermind cover.

Despite its success, it may surprise you to know that Cobain wasn't sure about the track being released as a single. Radio X reveals why below...

Why was Kurt Cobain reluctant to release Come As You Are?

Both Kurt, the band, and their management were a little weary of releasing Come as You Are due to its similarity to Eighties- a single from the punk legends Killing Joke.

Listen to the 1984 single here:

Killing Joke - Eighties

There were talks of releasing In Bloom instead, but as reported by Kerrang! Danny Goldberg - who was head of Nirvana's management Gold Mountain thought it was the better track at the time.

The former manager told Carrie Borzillo in Eyewitness Nirvana: The Day-By-Day Chronicle: "Kurt was nervous about Come As You Are, because it was too similar to a Killing Joke song," adding: "but we all thought it was a better song to go with."

Although it was probably the right way to go commercially - Cobain's fears came to fruition as the similarity wasn't lost on the punk band.

Goldberg went on to say that the late grunge rocker was indeed right to be concerned as "Killing Joke later did complain about it."

Despite this, Nirvana managed to somehow escape being sued by Killing Joke for copyright infringement, which Rolling Stone magazine attributed to "personal and financial reasons" of the band.

Other reports suggest, however, that they did file, butthe suit was either th thrown out of court or dropped following the news of Cobain's tragic suicide.

In somewhat of a full-circle moment, in 2003, former Nirvana percussionist Dave Grohl lent his skills to the the UK band's eponymous studio album, which was their first in seven years, laying down tracks for the record.

Watch him in action below:

Dave Grohl recording for Killing Joke album (2003)

34 years later and Come As You Are was definitely a risk worth taking for the band.

If Smells Like Teen Spirit acted as the catapult for the Nirvana's mainstream success, its follow-up helped ensure their staying power, while its refrain of "No, I don't have a gun" served as a haunting reminder of the frontman's untimely demise.

Read more:

• The story of Kurt Cobain's marriage to Courtney Love
• What did Nirvana play at their final gig before Kurt Cobain died?
• Kurt Cobain: Everything you should know about the late Nirvana legend