ELLIOTT SMITH : "The Time It Took a Cigarette to Burn"

Scenes from the Life and Art of Elliott Smith

by S. R. Shutt

He waved hello,
Started like a mile,
We met-- There's no
Changing my mind,
I won't walk the
Stairs with you tonight
Goin' 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
Goin' nowhere

I saw you move
A certain way
I missed you a lot:
I turned to this
Damned place
Shoulda been forgot

Echoes drown our
Conversation out
Echoes that only
Seem to bring about
A silent expression
Easy when allowed
Goin' nowhere

The steps made a pattern
I had never seen
I felt like a kid of
Six or seventeen
Flowers off in some
Empty daydream
Goin' nowhere

It's dead and gone
Matter of fact
It may be for the best,
It sets you, frees you
Can't take back
Honestly I guess

The old records
Sitting on the floor
The ones I can't
Put on any more
He walked over
To her like before
Goin' nowhere
Goin' nowhere
Goin' nowhere

I'll fake it through the day
With some help from Johnny Walker red
And the cold pain behind my eyes
It shoots back through my head
With two tickets torn in half
And a lot of nothing to do
But its alright
Cause some enchanted night I'll be with you
Tarot cards and the lines in my hand
Tell me I'm wrong
But they're untrue
Got 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 cant hold my liquor
But I keep a good attitude
Cause its alright
Some enchanted night I'll be with you
Though you'd rather see me gone
Than to see it come the day ill be waiting for you anyway
Next door the TV's flashing blue frames on the wall
Its a comedy from the 70s
With the lead no one recalls
Vanished into oblivion
Its easy to do a
And I cry to see
When you talk to me
The day you said we were through
But it's alright
Some enchanted night I'll be with you


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

http://www.sweetadeline.net/