Elliott Smith - Ballad of Big Nothing
Throwing candy out to the crowd
Dragging down the main
The helpless little thing with the dirty mouth who's always got something
To say you're sitting at home now waiting for your brother to call
I saw him down at the alley
Having had enough of it all
Said you can do what you want to whenever you want to
You can do what you want to there's no one to stop you
All spit and spite you're up all night and down every day
A tired man with only hours to go just waiting to be taken away
Getting in to the back of a car for candy from some stranger
Watching the parade with pinpoint eyes full of smoldering anger
You can do what you want to whenever you want to
You can do what you want to there's no one to stop you
Now you can do what you want to whenever you want to
Do what you want to whenever you want to
Do what you want to whenever you want to though it doesn't mean a thing
Big nothing
A tongue-in-cheek song about a disenchanted, drug-addicted loser. In 2012, Elliott’s former record label Kill Rock Stars released the project "Alternate Versions From Either/Or", which included alternate lyrics to various songs off of Elliott’s 1997 "Either/Or" album—including an alternate version of “Ballad of Big Nothing”. Centers around the oft-heard innocent phrase "you can do whatever you want to." But the innocent phrase of optimism is skewed by the reality that shapes Elliott's life. He thinks he has gone too far away, seen too many things, screwed up too many times and is angry and afraid. Could be about the desire to kick a drug habit - with the second use of "candy" - but not knowing the first thing about how to do it. All that Elliott sees is a patterned cycle that he doesn't know how to escape, so he just keeps on keeping on and becomes bitter at those who live with wide-eyed innocence. - Tubesocks via Song Meanings