Elliott Smith Album

I'd say you make a perfect
Angel in the snow
All crushed out on the way you are
Better stop before it goes to far
Don't you know that I love you
Sometimes I feel like only a cold still life
That fell down here to lay beside you

Don't you know that I love you
Sometimes I feel like only a cold still life
Only a frozen still life

Talking to Mary, you know you don't have to shout
She can hear what you're thinking like you're saying it right out loud

She sees behind that dirty look
It was her that followed down every every stupid turn you took

One day she'll go, I told you so
One day she'll go, I told you so

Saw the one big problem you keep under your hat
And its pretty unlikely that anyone else is cool with that

You got a bus fare in your pocket and more money down in your sock
But I cant tell you how to find her if you wont listen to her talk

One day she'll go, I told you so
One day she'll go, I told you so

Its no problem, I'll just keep quiet if its easier for you
To make believe in that I don't love you as much as I do

One day she'll go, I told you so
One day she'll go, I told you so
I told you so, I told you so

Coma kid
Tell me how you come to follow you around where ever you go
Said I don't go, where I'm supposed go
And I don't go, really anywhere you know
Told me how hes driven by a curse, 'til he kicked out into reverse
Said I don't go, where I'm supposed to go
And I don't go, really anywhere you know
I made up my mind, and I don't mind sayin so
I went to meet you at central square
When I couldn't find you there,
I went walking around the city some more
People watching with a cold blank stare
And I saw your face, in everyone I swear
Seems like I never get your kick quite right
I was walking slow to a dirty dive
I'm so sick and tired of trying to change your mind
When it's so easy to disconnect mine
High times
High times
High times, yea I feel fine
High times
High times
High times, man I feel fine
Don't pick me up I'm fine right where I am
I don't go, where I'm supposed go
Where I'm supposed to go

Here come the sidewalk boss again
Telling me how I can't cave in
That I'm a study in black
Need a pat on the back
I looked up and smile
A picture of dissatisfaction
That he can only see as a junkie
Though I might be straight as an arrow
He's busy shaking hands with my monkey
Busy shaking hands with my monkey

Well I go in the car
Straight to the bar
Where my sweetie pours the beer
For the millions of fans ignoring the bands
He's in my ear
Wants me to live in denial
Says you've gotta settle for something
Though it might not be really living
Anything is better than nothing
Anything is better than nothing

No actor action man gonna move in to take my place
I'll be pumping out the product
Just a total waste

Look at your hands unoccupied
Look at the lengths you'll go to hide
You're under the veil
Pretending to fail
Gotta whole lot of empty time left to go
Now you've gotta fill it with something
I know what you can do don't you know
Anything is better than nothing

No actor action man gonna move in to take my place
I'll be pumping out the product
Just a total waste

I'm here with my cup
Afraid to look up
This is how I spend my time
Lazin' around, head hangin' down
Stuck inside my imagination
Busy making something from nothing
Pictures of hope and depression
Anything is better than nothing
Anything is better than nothing
Anything is better than nothing
Anything is better than nothing

Wiped out in the city slick
Another sick rock 'n' roller acting like a dick
Needing cash
Burning through the trash
That piles up in this place
And fills up behind my empty face
Full of things that I'm not to do

You come over with all of your friends
And all their opinions I don't want to know
And I'm looking over my shoulder
Booking away with nowhere to go

I run down to the corner lot
It's forty-five past two
I almost forgot to show
Got a date to make with Mr. So-and-So
After which
I won't care when you all start to bitch and moan
About being alone

You come over with all of your friends
And all their opinions I don't want to know
And I'm looking over my shoulder
Booking away with nowhere to go

Well, can't you just leave me alone?
You've already thrown all the sticks and stones
You had to send my way
Well, can't you just leave it at that?
And spare us both the bother
Because I just bounce back anyway
I got nothing that I want to do more
Than make another sonic "fuck you" to play
Whenever you make my life cliché
So to fit in some little box with the all the labeled shit
You would say to keep confusion away

You come over with all of your friends
And all their opinions I don't want to know
And I'm looking over my shoulder
Booking away with nowhere to go

You come over with all of your friends
And all their opinions I don't want to know
And I'm looking over my shoulder
Booking away

He waved hello silent like a mime
We met, there's no changing my mind
I won't walk the stairs with you tonight
Going nowhere
The clock moved a quarter of a turn
The time it took a cigarette to burn
She said you got a lot of things to learn
Going nowhere

Saw you move a certain way
Missed you a lot
Return to this abandoned place
Should a been forgot
Echoes drown the conversation out
Echoes that only seem to bring about
A silent expression
Things you may allow
Going nowhere

The steps made a pattern
I'd never seen
I felt like a kid of six or seventeen
I was off in some empty day dream
Going nowhere
It's dead and gone matter of fact
Maybe for the best
Said some things you can't take back
Honestly i guess

The old records
Sitting on the floor
The ones i can't
Put on anymore
He walked over to her like before
Going nowhere
Going nowhere
Going nowhere

It's to reveal that fucked up cop
Amped up on prescription pills
That brought my heart to a stop
And i want to tell you there's a riot coming
Like a drug in the water
A punch in the stomach makes sons into daughters

I met a girl on the square
Who showed me how to kill my cares
But once that's done, man, there's nothing to do
Time's running backwards from me and you
There's a riot coming
Like a drug in the water
A punch in the stomach makes sons into daughters
My body's running but i don't see why it bothers

Sat down in jail with this friend of mine
Who'd never close both his eyes
But one was shut all the time
To cover the thing he was scared of
While he watched with the other
There was a riot coming
Like a drug in the water
A punch in the stomach makes sons into daughters

There's a riot coming
There's a riot coming
There's a riot coming

Here come your pride and joy
The comic little drunk
You call your boy
Making everybody smile
Who takes your pretty plan
And then becomes a disappearing man
After a little while

I saw you with your make-up running down
Now what's that all about
You say you don't want anyone around
Cause you're all cleaned out

You toss the empty beer
Not really as composed as you appear
A icicle inside
Wearing clothes that clash
Wondering is this treasure, is this trash
Still trying to decide
About 5 o'clock here comes your clown
With the foot he's throwing down

But all you say is you don't want anyone around
Come not right now
There ain't nothing to dream
You don't want to think about it

I'm sorry you seem so stumped
And I'm sorry you think you have to hold your tongue
When your so pretty and smart
I'm seeing you caving in
Becoming afraid of all these men
That you've given your heart

I saw you with your make up running down
Now what's that all about
You say you don't want anyone around
Cause you're cleaned out
All cleaned out
All cleaned out

You're a first timer, blaming everybody else
For the hard time you give yourself

In the cold riddle where you find yourself not blocked
By a door you locked

But don't get backed into a corner
Talking to yourself
Come on back to me
My pride tomorrow

You feel hollow
And you know it's because you are
Well at least so far

I think of you with hesitation
I think of you too hard
Come on back to me
But don't make me sorry

You're a first timer, blaming everybody else
For the hard time you give yourself
For the hard time you give yourself

Go on parade and fade
Hit the scene in slow
Spending all your time with some girl
You'll never get to know
Wound up tight
Dressed all in white
Some torment saint
Blowing out to drift
Leave you even if

You live up in your head
Scared of every little noise
Someone's always breaking in accidentally
Using nothing but their voice
Shrill and small
Echo down the hall
Repeating pet names
Seeing it in your eyes
You're only passing by
Go by
Someone's in the way
Pretty words and inside slurs
All the things they have to say
To perform the work that they've rehearsed
It's a waste of time
I put it behind me
Once and for all
And let the hype decline
If the problem wasn't mine
Go by

I'll fake it through the day
With some help from johnny walker red
Send the poison rain down the drain
To put bad thoughts in my head
Your two tickets torn in half
And a lot of nothing to do
Do you miss me, miss misery
Like you say you do?
A man in the park
Read the lines in my hand
Told me I'm strong
Hardly ever wrong I said man you mean
You had plans for both of us
That involved a trip out of town
To a place I've seen in a magazine
That you left lying around
I don't have you with me but
I keep a good attitude
Do you miss me, miss misery
Like you say you do?
I know you'd rather see me gone
Than to see me the way that I am
But I am in the life anyway
Next door the tv's flashing
Blue frames on the wall
It's a comedy of errors, you see
It's about taking a fall
To vanish into oblivion
Is easy to do
And I try to be but you know me
I come back when you want me to
Do you miss me miss misery

Won't you let me walk you home from school?
Won't you let me meet you at the pool?
Maybe Friday I can
Get tickets from the dance
And I'll take you
Ooh ooh ooh ooh

Won't you tell your dad get off my back?
Tell him what we said 'bout "paint it black"
Rock and roll is here to stay
Come inside now it's ok
And I'll shake you
Ooh ooh ooh

Won't you tell me what you're thinking of?
Would you be an outlaw for my love?
If it's so then let me know
If it's no then I can go
And I won't make you
Ooh ooh ooh

Georgia Georgia
It's been many miles
Since I've seen your fallen smile
Close up and personal
Your arsenal of excuses
You never told her
When you walked out on the savannah shoulder
With your veins all full of beer
Thinking well at least now everything is clear
But oh man
What plan
Suicide
It's just not that much different from my own affair
Always cussing and crying
How about if you
Tell me something new
Tell me what will make you happy
Oh you
So deserve to be
There were protests and contests
Attitudes to cop
I want it all to stop
Three weeks ago you were all grace and charm
And now I know it was just a false alarm
Georgia Georgia
I can't understand your sickness
You have no forgiveness
No attention left to pay
The quiet way you leave
And just forget it all
Just takes my breath away
How's that supposed to make me feel
Yeah, well, how am I supposed to feel

They come here alone and they leave in twos
Except for you and me who just came to use
If you're all done like you said you'd be
What are you doing hanging out with me

Why you tell me stuff that's so plainly untrue
If you'll be straight with me, I'll be straighter with you
If you're all done like you said you'd be
What are you doing hanging out with me

I've been wanting to do anything for a long time
But whatever you got right now will probably suit me fine
If you're all done like you said you'd be
What are you doing hanging out with me

I've been wanting to do anything for a long time
Whatever you're doing now would probably suit me fine
If you're all done like you said you'd be
What are you doing hanging out with me
What are you doing hanging out with me

Pick me up in an hour or so
I don't really recommend it, no
They'll probably just put you down
I believe you
I wanna be you
I believe you
I wanna be you
I know you're not through with it yet
It's a big decision
You can't kick when you're down
Got a feeling kind of like a cough
Ain't nothing gonna shake it off
Ain't nothing gonna shake it off
Until you talk out loud
I believe you
I wanna be you
I believe you
I wanna be you
I know you're not through with it yet
It's a big decision
You can't kick when you're down
The chromium car reflects who you are taking you home
I'm under you're spell can't you tell? don't you know?
God, people wonder if you're sick
Spilled out on the city slick
Puffed up like a macho jerk
Don't even try it it'll never work
Why you wonder? what you wonder for me?
Why you wonder? what you wonder for me?
Why you want what I can not be you know I won't stay sober
I believe you
I wanna be you
I believe you
I wanna be you
I know you're not through with it yet
It's a big decision
I know you're not through with it yet
It's a big decision
I know you're not through with it yet
It's a big decision

Looking at all the rows
All these records look like big zeros
Got your picture on the back of a forty-five
A placeholder till you take up mine
A placeholder till you take up mine

I'm the person you'll never need
The biggest loser on sixteenth street
The invisible man with the see-through mind
A placeholder till you take up mine
A placeholder till you take up mine

Break off of in someone's laughter
You can tell right there
He's still a square
He likes the way that you look now
Like an open book

Just like my favourite song
Some pretty words that didn't last that long
Like a package sent priority overnight
Placeholder come and take up mine
Placeholder come and take up mine
Placeholder come and take up mine
Placeholder come and take up mine

Ghost of your smile is always looking for
New bodies to haunt
And it's been here, it is up here
He's hanging around and he'll float for a while
Gradually gone
It's pleasing and freezing

While I wonder what it is you're after
Keeping company with this disaster

You looked all over town, got turned around
To walk back through the mud
The kind you had left behind you
Everybody's the same in this long knowing game
Where every new blood gets time to become resigned

Now I wonder what it is you're after
Keeping company with this disaster
Why you never try to tame your master

You just blow through the coals
Blow through the coals
Till everyone knows
That your smile is just a ghost
The ghost of your smile was seen on a body in the park
It's old news, you see that it's no use

You're waiting to start, waiting to light
Wait until dark
I told you man
I told you

While I wonder what it is you're after
Keeping company with this disaster
Why you never try to tame your master

I took you to the train
Stupid shit you displayed
I took pictures in my head
You an opening stare only
Had a little dressy date
Just didn't care
You were all getting drunk instead
Seen how things are hard
Seen how things are hard
I love you though
Seen how things are hard
Seen how things are hard
Well don't you know
Listening to what you thought was a dizzy height
Freaked out and forgot you stay well away from trouble that you caused
Using all your strength to keep the world at an arm's length
And not get upset because something goes wrong
Seen how things are hard
Seen how things are hard
I love you though
Seen how things are hard
Seen how things are hard
Well don't you know
I'm a crap reflection of you
I cant make corrections for you
You have to help me patch things up
Seen how things are hard
Seen how things are hard
I love you though
Seen how things are hard
Seen how things are hard
Well don't you know
Seen how things are hard
Seen how things are hard
I love you though
Seen how things are hard
Seen how things are hard
Well don't you know
No

Dragged down into lowercase
Trying to get your cops to talk right
But they cant put the paper in your face
You're just trying to walk by
So now I got a new game baby
No one's gonna recognize it
Your broken english over their flat, tired remarks
Still trying to bring some dead beauty back to life
Isn't it pretty, yeah
I'm gonna see my city dead
I can do everything that your man does except for better
Got no interest now in undressing your kids with cheap angst love letters
You write your name in all of the places no one goes
Some can't be satisfied until everybody knows
Isn't it pretty, yeah
I'm gonna see my city dead
Isn't it pretty, yeah
I'm gonna see my city dead (come on)
Isn't it pretty, yeah
I'm gonna see my city dead

You're strong, you're stubborn now
In an endless symbolic war
Brave or bored, either/or

Sometimes I ricochet from the past
And at times a future I've already had before
Champion or chore, either/or.

I'll write the pages you rip out
Back in their places again
One day you'll know what you're talking about
I can hardly imagine, but until then I'll be

Filling in these blanks that you create
Every time you win some petty score
Posing as hardcore, oh yeah, either/or

Look at the spin chief, battered and broken
Clutching a plastic rose
We're all in the downpour you carry around for
Trashing a lifestyle you've never known

It's a useful dream that makes
Quite an entertaining show and not much more
Up against and for, either/or

Pretty Mary K walks along the docks
With some sailor's pay shoved down in her sock
Pretty Mary K with some little boy in blue
Who can't stay away from you

Pretty Mary K, take him back to town
I'm down here by the bay where the water pounds
Up against the wall, crying black and blue
Keeps me away from you

Pretty words that you whisper, maybe I misunderstood
Somebody's not paying attention
What they promised and their word isn't good

Oh, Mary K, I can see her face
Down there in the waves, painted and erased
But I know it's just the reflection of the moon
A big fake resembling you

Gonna go down in the water, fill my mouth up full of sand
I'll be waiting, still impatient
With my dead imagination while you're with some other man

Pretty Mary K is off in somebody's room
I'm down here by the bay with my arm around the moon
But I'll be with you soon, just as soon as I pay
I walk across the water with pretty Mary k
Walk on water, pretty Mary K

Think I'm unkind
But people aren't the way you think they are
They can't remember all the time
What it was you wanted

They paint you out in straight silhouette
But don't you get the picture yet
Why you getting all upset
The worst parts almost over

Three's such a crowd
You ought to tell me what you tell yourself
You ever gonna speak it aloud
Do I have to guess like everyone else

With an iron will to walk the walk
And the glass drawn that can't be moved to talk
Black eyes always watch the clock
The worst parts almost over

You let yourself be froze by death
You think I'm mean 'cause I call you out
You don't know what you're about
The worst parts almost over now
The worst parts almost over now
Now now

You got a choke chain
Made out of nightrain
To keep your memory down
In quicksand from the main man
To gel everything out
Always out on a joyride
Lay it out from insides
Always at a dead stall
From sticking pins into miniature men
Who can't feel it at all

See you later
See you later
If I see you at all
See you later

See you later
See you later
If I see you at all
See you later

Walk through thick mud
Looking for new blood
Thinking I heard your name
Cruel imagination is still giving me pain
Just to find you with the
Masterminder
Of one of your little affairs
Saying how he loves you now
Let me show you how much I care

See you later
See you later
If I see you at all

See you later
See you later
If I see you at all

See you later
See you later
If I see you at all
See you later

You shouldn't talk to your yourself
Well I pictured somebody else
Someone that looks like
What I look like

Would you say that one of your dreams
Got in you and ripped out the seams
That's what I'd say
That's what I'd say

He was a sucker for your double dose
Motherfucker turned white as a ghost
Don't you say hi
Don't you say hi

With a broken sink for a face
And a head that just takes up space
He's not half right
He's not half right

It's already half past
And it won't last

I was sticking up for my friend
When there's nothing much to defend
It's a lost fight
It's a lost fight

Cause when I talk to you on the phone
Well it's just like being alone
It's not half right
It's not half right