[Verse 1]
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 around at home now waiting for your brother to call
I saw him down in the alley, having had enough of it all
[Chorus]
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"
[Verse 2]
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 into the back of a car for candy from some stranger
Watching the parade with pinpoint eyes full of smoldering anger
[Chorus]
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 (Oh yeah)
Do what you want to whenever you want to (Oh yeah)
Do what you want to whenever you want to
Though it doesn't mean a thing
Big nothing
Ballad of Big Nothing was written by Elliott Smith.
Ballad of Big Nothing was produced by Elliott Smith & Rob Schnapf & Tom Rothrock.
Elliott Smith released Ballad of Big Nothing on Sun Jun 28 1998.
There is! 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”
Live at The Knitting Factory, New Year’s Eve, 1999