Nirvana – Clean Up Before She Comes

"Clean Up Before She Comes" as written by and Kurt Cobain....
Clean up before she comes
Living in a dusty town
Something in her eyes
Must be the smoke from my lungs
Something in her eyes
Must be the smoke from my lungs

Twenty months has it all
I must be getting old(3x)
Something in her eyes
Must be the smoke from my lungs
Something in her eyes
Must be the smoke from my lungs

Clean up the dusty town
Living in a dusty ton
Clean up before she comes
Living in a dusty town

I must be getting old
I must be getting old
I'm starting to eat my vegetables


Lyrics submitted by grunge_loser

"Clean up Before She Comes" as written by Kurt Cobain

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Clean Up Before She Comes song meanings
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34 Comments

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  • +3
    My OpinionSome comment below said this song was sexual and I somewhat agree: Kurt may have a juvenile repudiation for dusting and cleaning and loathes his condition as the subject of Tracy's maternal instincts (that he absolutely CRAVES at the same time) but in the end there is the anticipation of every young man that his girlfriend -a woman- might come home soon (he's excited!) so he cleans the house in order not to cause her upset or discomfort. He likes women's eyes and wonders that he might not be polluting them with his presence. So he cleans. For her. He may have a now-famous juvenile repudiation for greens but under the influence of this female companion he ultimately obliges. He protests all these things like a boy but also learns it is beneficial to him and consolidates her female attention ("I must be getting older"). The vocal harmonies are not sung with angst but with rising anticipation and the words "She comes" are elongated and suspended. Something good is coming up, after all, and that is gets excited for. She allows him to create, so he created a clean space for her, unlike their dusty town. That's what I think.
    iamazeroon March 11, 2013   Link
  • +2
    General CommentThis song is about when Kurt lived with Tracy, and she'd leave him notes to clean and shit before she came home. It was almost like she was like his mother, but he need to be guided and stuff, so he was alright with that, which is what the "i'm starting to eat my vegetables" reminds me of.
    kurtcobain_elvison June 22, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI love the box set version of this song. I thought it was about how he loved the drugs/ciggarettes
    and someone he was with was against him taking them so he has to clean up before she gets home and then she is suspicious hence the something in her eyes. Maybe the getting older and eating vegetables is about how he feels hes being treated like a child so hes taking the piss out of her. Like hes telling her hes being healthier and then getting stoned of his face while shes away!!!!
    dirtywingson April 06, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General CommentThis song is totally about Tracey Marander and how she used to leave him notes to clean up the house before she came home. kurtcobain_elvis, you're totally right. and kurt never used to eat vegetables he ate very poorly ...which could have been one of the causes of his horrible stomach pains, dave krist and tracey always used to tell him to eat vegetables.
    Reilson June 30, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI know you want to talk about this song but if you have nothing new to add, don't waste a post. If there gets to be too many, people wont read the gems in the middle, like this one:

    Clean up before she comes could refer to 'cleaning up' after sex, especially since men are notorious for cumming first. Have sex, clean up in the bathroom, come back to a disappointed girl. More generally, it refers to the monotony of adult life, like this is how it always happens, and Kurt doesn't like being an adult...

    But it happens anyway. I'm starting to eat my vegetables. Clean up the dusty town, his world that has become unmoving with monotony. Unmoving collects dust.

    And finally, I think that I'm getting older. Said in a tone that is slightly eerie the first time you hear it.

    This whole thing was spawned by the haunting last line, which is sung with a note of bitter, world-weary resent.

    The voice shakes a little bit as acceptance sets in.
    Motegaon December 18, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI like this song,its a good acoustic song. I like how the voices harmonize. sounds great.
    floppyon August 24, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Commentthere's not even a possibility it's not about drugs
    evil_killer_phoneon September 01, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Commentthis song is self explanatory... this IS a good acoustic song. the guitar sounds similar to the one in moist vagina...
    smashingrocker666on June 10, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Commenthey floppy hate to dissapoint you but this song is played on an electric guitar without distortion.
    egbon June 27, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThis song was recorded in Kurt's basement 2 weeks before he died.
    imilktjesussnippleson May 08, 2004   Link

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