Elliott Smith - The Biggest Lie Lyrics

Thx Danny Mullen for showing me this

danny mullen

Beautifull 🎼... RIP Elliott 🎈

Wanted everything to stop that bad

i love you so much and i wish i was better. it's been almost 6 years. i miss you to pieces.

Did you know him?

1:24 🤯beautiful

I always thought this song was about being in a failing relationship with someone and the profound depression that comes from that. He accidentally reveals that the SO makes him want to kill himself then plays it off as a lie or a joke. The subway I think is scene building, not necessarily ‘you make me want to jump in front of this train’ but more like, he’s in this mundane moment of waiting for the train, standing with someone who he knows he’s going to fall out with. I think what this song does so well is it paints a picture of a failing relationship full of sniping (‘not the name that you call me with’, ‘oh we’re so very precious, you and I’) and walking on eggshells (‘I’m tired of dancing on a pot of gold flake paint’)

wanted every thing 2 stop that bad

I think that some of Elliott's songs do crossover into the mainstream when you consider what "mainstream" in music actually is. Just my opinion. Don't have to agree. Debate is good. Pleasant debate, that is.

Iznessmaurer XO and Figure 8 are wonderful albums and totally accessible to a mainstream audience. A lot of his songs have appeared in prominent movies aswell.

Everyone I’ve ever met, I’ve told about Elliott and if they ever gave his music a chance, they loved it.

To be treasured, I don’t care if 1 person or 100 million listen to him.

I’m just glad people still talk about him and still care and the music can still find a new audience.

@Aidan Griffin i agree :-)

I want everything to stop. I’m going to make it stop.

Such sad week

In top 5

“Train, subway”= dope

“everybody late”= dead.

That’s my reading.

Train is what he jumps in front of which Will make everyone late. It can mean different things to everyone I guess which is why music is so great. .

the ides of march dia the ides of March

I wish I never looked up the lyrics and meaning behind them

[F]

I'm [F]waiting for the [Dm]train
[Bb]the sub[C]way that only [F]goes one [Dm]way
[Bb]the stupid [C]thing that will [Bb]come to pull us a[D]part
[Bb]and m[C]ake everybody [F]late

You [F]spent everything you [Dm]had
[Bb]wanted [C]everything to [F]stop that [Dm]bad
[Bb]now I'm a [C]crushed credit [Bb]card registered to [D]Smith
[Bb]not the [C]name that you call me [F]with

[F - Dm - Bb - C x2] [Bb - D - Bb - C]

You turned [F]white like a [Dm]saint
I'm [Bb]tired of dancing [C]on a pot of [F]gold flake [Dm]paint
[Bb]oh we're [C]so very [Bb]precious, you and [D]I
[Bb]and every[C]thing that you do [Bb]makes me want to [D]die
[Bb]oh I [C]just told the biggest [Bb]lie[C - Bb - D]
[Bb]I [C]just told the biggest [Bb]lie [C - Bb - D]
[Bb][C]the biggest [Bb]li[C]e [Bb - D]

[Bb - C - F]

When I decided to kill myself, I had recently moved to Columbus Ohio. I took a bus to the bad part of town where they sell heroin on the street. I tried to buy 60 dollars of it but the dealer only had 50 dollars worth, so I told him to keep the change since i wouldn't be needing it. After that I went into a nearby ally. I didn't have any syringes, but I knew there were always dirty needles around there so I picked up a used one off the ground because what did it matter anyway. I told myself "Well this is how you die I guess. Alone in an ally in a strange town far from home." After I did the shot and i sat "lying there waiting for sleep to overtake me" I realized the heroin was fake. I didn't even have money to get home on the bus so I had to walk back four miles. So when Elliot says "you spent everything you had, wanted everything to stop that bad." it has a very deep, painful and personal meaning to me.

Anyway things are a lot better for me now and I'm glad that dude ripped me off. If you feel suicidal just know that one day things can get better. They did for me.

Using a needle on the ground is literally insane. Also had u never done dope before of course cold copping would net u fake shit. Also 60$ worth wouldn't kill u unless u got pure shit and it takes a year plus to find anyone with that, that is if your city even has it. Also word of advice for everyone trying to off themselves with dope: doing it by itself hardly ever works. 90% of heroin overdoses occur while mixed with alcohol or benzos. So try that

Please God I hope you've either gotten yourself checked or not fucked anyone. You're a walking statistic.

Thank god you're still with us man! I just know your story was not suppose to end that day. You have plenty of chapters tou still need to fill in so make sure its worthwhile and exciting. Again im so glad you're here and Im wishing you the best of luck in all your days. Much love

alice yobby "so try that" sick bastard

If you aren't part of the local drug scene the easiest way to come up on some H in a strange city is to post up outside of a local methadone clinic or needle exchange. Get tested for hep c if you haven't already. How depressed you'd have to be to just pick up a piece of gear in an alley your first time off... next time just buy a pack of rigs at the pharmacy, or better yet let there not be a next time.

This song always invokes the strongest emotions for me out of any other by him

hmm, Is this song about a break up or a suicide ideation about throwing himself in front of a train, where 'the biggest lie' would be what he writes in the suicide note; 'oh, I did this because I was depressed about some girl' ?

Great stuff, thanks Elliott Smith for putting out this music for us.

I hope you're happy where ever you are man, the struggle to stay around here is real.

Glad to see the comments section has become a forum for the lost, the depressed/ once depressed, the broken, the pensive.... For those who are currently an odd shaped puzzle piece looking for a place in life, no matter what the situation, please know that you are not alone :)

Certainly feel like it though

Just listened as requested by my son. Beautiful and shows promise for this generartion

Well, he would have been 50 next year, so, not even close to being part of "this generation".

"Oh we're so very precious, you and I. And everything that you do makes me want to die."

MARMARAY

ne alaka lan

its amazing

Brilliant man

This song is the epitome of perfect

I LOVE THIS SONG DAMMIT

This is his greatest song as far as I'm concerned.

he got a few of those heh

This song makes me feel so many things all at once. It's very nice.

the only time i've heard someone sing 'white' and make it sound like 'black' re: white like a saint

+mebbee what??

Wow, nice catch. I cannot unhear that now.

heard the song a 100 times, still don't get it... I always thought he was saying "white like a snay...t" though lol.

I don't understand whatever the OP is trying to say.

Elliott Smith speaks to the depressed, the lonely, the addicts, the suicidal. I'm all of the above. I have no favourite song, rather a favourite person who may be gone but will sing to me as long as I hold on.

Sam O'd like they say may your soul live on

Look after yourself please we love you

I'm sorry, but I can't hold on anymore, I miss her too much.

@Triana G 💓

Why does everyone always have to compare alternative musics popularity to the mainstrem's? Cant we just be happy that Elliott gave us, in my opinion, four almost perfect albums. Cant we just talk about that

Couldn't agree more, Bub. 

Absolutely!

+zxjacko only 4? imo way more

+zxjacko I think he's popular enough, too. I mean sure he's not on radio or anything but there are still hundreds or thousands (?) of people listening to his music everyday.

I totally agree, but there are 5 albums he released when he was alive :L
1. Roman Candle
2. Elliott Smith (eponymous)
3. Either/Or
4. XO
5. Figure 8
-Post humorous-
1. From A Basement On the Hill
2. New Moon (My personal favorite seconded by his self-titled album)

And if you count Heatmiser than that adds 4 album if you count Yellow No. 5

There will never be a more beautiful or honest human being. Much love Elliott. Wherever you are I hope you're happy...thanks for saving my life

Brian Thompson he's dead bro how have you not known

@Michael Braden he said wherever you are.

RIP Robin Williams

Forever Elliott.

i just told the biggest lie.....

Here's my rendition of this great song.. please like if ya like it! Elliott Smith - The Biggest Lie - Cover 

I took the time to listen to your video, very nice and good job! People such as yourself keep these great artists alive and remembered, so many thanks. 

this song never fails to bring me tears. simply stunning. 

"Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know." :(
- Ernest Hemingway 

Oh, but what he did while he was truly alive!

everyone is entitled to listen to what they want, and to judge what 'good taste' is based on your own, is as baseless and superficial as you accuse them and their music choices to be. We enjoy Elliot Smith, others enjoy mainstream. And that's okay. How about that?

oh a peace marker  . . .go fuck your self how about that?

@james deroc I very much agree with Revi. Now now, KIDS, play nice. I believe we're all grown enough... or at least I would hope so. 

Confession: I thought this was just a Bright Eyes song for the longest time on the album MotionSickness, the lyrics fit conor oberst well enough. But now that i'm discovering (and rediscovering since some of him music was really popular it seems) Elliott Smith its pretty obvious this is his song. You can hear the real emotion in his singing, you can almost hear the history of the song in his voice. Awesome. I cant wait to listen to all of his songs if this the sort of conviction he puts into his music.

check out nick drake too. very similar styles. he's also dead too and its not that easy to find his music but if you look for the album pink moon by nick drake you should find it. its very good. but yeah. elliott smith is the reason we're all here who is probably my personal favorite. i love it.

@afreijat1 I checked out that artist you spoke about, Nick Drake. His music sounds amazing and soothing to my problems. Many thanks for posting the suggestion! I've found a great and completely new artist to me thanks to you. 

@***** Not necessarily.  If you're looking for some Elliott Smith songs that might have more conviction or more... I don't know, "strength" or assertiveness, if that's what you mean, look up these by him: Angeles; Coast to Coast; Twilight; Christian Brother; A Fond Farewell; A Distorted Reality.  That might not be what you mean, but these are what come to mind

Also check out Songs:Ohia if you already haven't. I recomend the album Lioness

and arguably all the more rewarding when you do finally find it

And you spent everything you had. Wanted everything to stop that bad.

this is the first "favorite" Elliott Song song I ever had. beautiful. As any Elliott fan knows, its hard to land on one..

it's called "earth"

"Subway that only goes one way" has always brought to mind the image of a casket, even the first time I heard the song in the '90's.

Perhaps, though we are all entitled to listen to whoever we want. :) Also, the best of the best is usually somewhat hidden, not many know about it and it may be a little bit hard to come by.

eleven and a half thousand views....ladyboy has half a billion of some such shit....some people have NO musical taste

only 9,178 views for one of the greatest songs ever written? what is this horseshit

Love this beautiful song. The lyrics and guitar its too much. *weeps*

Especially love the line

"now im a crashed credit card, registered to smith, not the name you call me with" then some sweet guitar comes in and melts my soul.

One of the best songs ever recorded. He's always been to me one of those artists that transcends genres. Music for the soul, from the soul.

Why do all of the talented die young?

because they are too good for this world

Because it’s lonely at the top