Status

Elliott Smith Song

Written By

Elliott Smith

Recording Sessions

January - February 1995 (Uppinghouse Residence, Portland, OR - Self-Titled session)
April 15, 16, or 17, 1997 (WMUC Studios, College Park, MD - Third Rail Radio)

Availability of Official Release

Self Titled

Lyrics

I’m waiting for the train
The subway that only goes one way
The stupid thing that’ll come to pull us apart
And make everybody late

You spent everything you had
Wanted everything to stop that bad
And now I’m a crushed credit card registered to smith
Not the name that you call me with

You turned white like a saint
I’m tired of dancing on a pot of gold flake paint
Oh we’re so very precious, you and I
And everything that you do makes me want to die

Oh I just told the biggest lie
I just told the biggest lie
The biggest lie

Early alternate lyrics

There’s a man under the train,
The subway that only goes one way.
The stupid train that will come to pull me apart
Make everybody late.

You spent everything you had,
Wanted everything to stop that bad,
So I’m a crushed credit card (??) Smith
Called me names that I put up with.

You turned white like a saint,
I’m tired of dancing on a pot of gold flake paint.
Oh, we’re so very precious, you and I
Everything that you do makes me want to die.

But you just told the biggest lie,
You told me the biggest lie
The biggest lie.

First known live performance

1995-03-06 (Bottom of the Hill, San Franciso, CA, USA)

Audio