The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Monkey see, monkey do
(I don't know why)
Rather be dead than cool
(I don't know why)
Every line ends in rhyme
(I don't know why)
Less is more, love is blind
(I don't know why)
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Give an inch, take a smile
(I don't know why)
Fashion shits, fashion style
(I don't know why)
Throw it out and keep it in
(I don't know why)
Have to have poison skin
(I don't know why)
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
I don't know why
I don't know why
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Monkey See, monkey do
I don't know why)
Rather be dead than cool
(I don't know why)
Every line ends in rhyme
(I don't know why)
Less is more, love is blind
(I don't know why)
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
I don't know why
I don't know why
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
God is Gay
(I don't know why)
Rather be dead than cool
(I don't know why)
Every line ends in rhyme
(I don't know why)
Less is more, love is blind
(I don't know why)
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Give an inch, take a smile
(I don't know why)
Fashion shits, fashion style
(I don't know why)
Throw it out and keep it in
(I don't know why)
Have to have poison skin
(I don't know why)
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
I don't know why
I don't know why
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Monkey See, monkey do
I don't know why)
Rather be dead than cool
(I don't know why)
Every line ends in rhyme
(I don't know why)
Less is more, love is blind
(I don't know why)
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
I don't know why
I don't know why
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Stay
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
Stay away
God is Gay
Lyrics submitted by spitfirek7, edited by s0ngfly, y2kevo
Stay Away Lyrics as written by Kurt Cobain
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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GOD IS GAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is not anti-god. He is mocking homophobic people. He wants everyone to be treated equally, and to mock people who make fun of queers, he tells them god is gay, their god is gay, the one person they worship is gay. He ment the same thing in all apologies. Everyone is gay, everyone is equal.
God Loves man...So therefor ...God is gay
@NoseDragon That is total bullshit :D
Its one of those anti-comformity songs.
Oh my God, Kurt's voice when he screams "staaaaaaaay awaaaay" is just..... excellent. I love when his voice cracks.
@subterranean_summer A true piunk! Leaving it all out there and exposed!!<br />
this song is referring to all the stuff Kurt didnt like in life, like macho guys, mass media attention, and speculation, Kurt wishes they would all go away, "I don't know why?" is refering to how kurt doesn't know why he has to put up with all the stuff he hates
"Rather be dead than cool" is more interesting than ironic... at the time it just meant the high school macho type of guy, which was all that 'cool' was, yet this very album would soon change the idea of what 'cool' could be. And Nirvana was it.
I really like the solo, its kind of blues!!!
The Kurt's Voice On the live shows is fuckin' sucks. if i just had to listen to them, i would never ever became a nirvana fan
The official liner notes to this song (only found in the "Lithium" single) say that the final line are "God is gay, burn the flag." However, "burn the flag" is clearly not an audible lyric in this song.
@JohnnyLurg I think about this often.
if god is, it's a woman. but, "god is a lesbian" does not rhyme with "stay away" now does it? im just having fun, this is a great song and i know gay is a term for both genders. i loved how kurt kissed dave and krist on sat night live to spite the you know whos!!
the only line in this song i can relate to is "i'd rather be dead then cool" because i think he was saying that he wasn't bothered about whether or not people disagreed with him and he didn't want to pretend to be something he wasn't just to be popular and wanted to be himself..................god i'm stupid
anti conformity anti homophobia anti "pretenders" and arrogance anti the "angry Christian God" anti everything that is wrong with this world