The Biggest Lie Guitar Tab

Elliott Smith Tabs:

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elliot smith
the biggest lie
album: elliot smith
submitted by m. burgess


tuning is dropped a whole w/ 4th to standard d
			fig.1
d-------------------------------------------------------------
a--------------------------0-----------------------------------
f-----------------------0--------------------------0---0---------
d-------------------------------------------------------------
g-----5-----5-----5-----5--------5-----5-----5-----5-----------------
D--3-----3-----3-----3--------3-----3-----3-----3---------------------

			fig.2
d-------------------------------------------------------------
a--------------------------------------------0---------0--------
f----0-----0----0-----0------1------1-1------2--------2------------
d----0-----0----0-----0------0------0-0------2-------2-------------
g------------------5------3------3-------------------------------
D-0-----0-----0---------------------------2------2-----------------


d-------------------------------------------------------------
a-----------------------------------------------0--------------
f----------------------0--0------0------0-------0------------------
d--------------------------------0------0----------0-------------
g----5-----5-----5-----5------------------------------0---2---------
D-3-----3-----3-----3---------0------0------0------------------------

			fig.3

d-------------------------------------------------------------
a-----1-------------3------3--------1------1-------0-------0-----
f-----0-------------0------0--------0------0-------0-------0-----
d--------------------------------------------------0-------0----
g--3------3--3---5------5-------3-------3-----------------------
D-----------------------------------------------0------0--------

			fig.4

d-------------------------------------------------------------
a-------1--------1--------0------------0--------------------------
f-------0--------0--------2----------2----------------------------
d-------------------------2--------2----------------------------
g---3-------3---------------------------------------------------
D---------------------2--------2--------------------------------

Song format: figures#

1 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 (solo play 1 2 3 4and last 2 bars of 4 again)

then:( second half of 1) 2 3 3 4 3 4 3 4 

note: i tried to show timing but i dont think i showed it to good so
just play along with the cd..everything is fairly obvious.
The Biggest LieTune down one step
 
Chords
 G   320003
 Em  022000
 C   x32010
 D   xx0232
 E   022100


Intro:
 |----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
 |--------------------0-|----------------------|--------------------0-|
 |----------------0-----|----------------0---0-|----------------0-----|
 |---0---0---0------0---|---0---0---0------0---|---0---0---0------0---|
 |----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
 |-3---3---3---3--------|-3---3---3---3--------|-3---3---3---3--------|
                                                                I'm

Verse 1:                                   /-Strum-
   G                     Em                 C      D
 |----------------------|-----------------|-0----|-2------------|
 |----------------------|-----------------|-1----|-3------------|
 |----------------0---0-|-----------------|-0----|-2------------|
 |---0---0---0------0---|---2---2---2-----|-2----|-0------------|
 |----------------------|-------------0-2-|-3----|--------------|
 |-3---3---3---3--------|-0---0---0-------|------|--------------|
   waiting_______ for a   train_____________the subway that only
   goes____________ one  way________________the stupid thing... etc


      G               Em
  I'm waiting for the train
 C       D             
  The subway that only 
  G         Em
  Goes one way
 C           D            C                E
  The stupid thing that'll come to pull us apart
 C      D             G
  And make everybody late

Vs.2
  You gave everything you had
  Wanted everything to 
  Stop that bad

Br.2
  And now I'm a crushed credit card registered to Smith
  Not the name that you call me with

           Solo

Vs.3
  You turned white like a saint
  I'm tired of dancing on a pot of
  Gold flake paint

Br.3
 C         D       C              E
  Oh we're so very precious you and I
 C         D                C                 E
  And everything that you do makes me want to die
 C      D                    C   D        C         D
  Oh I just told the biggest lie
 C  D                     C     E        C        D
  I just told the biggest lie
 C    D               C         D        C        E
          The biggest lie

       C          D          G

SOLO:over verse and bridge chords
Just move everything in the solo up two frets (or play it like this with
standard tuning)

G                       Dm                 Bb    C
 |-8--8---6--5------|---|-5-5-5--3--5--6--5-|----------8---|
 |-10-10--8----8--6-|---|-6-6-6--5--3-------|------6/8---8-|
 |------------------|---|-------------------|--------------|
 |------------------|---|-------------------|--------------|
 |------------------|---|-------------------|--------------|
 |------------------|---|-------------------|--------------|
 F                         Dm                  Bb    C
 |-8--8--8---6--5------|---|-5-5-5--3--5--6--5-|------------------|
 |-10-10-10--8----8--6-|---|-6-6-6--5--3-------|------6--8--8b--6-|
 |---------------------|---|-------------------|------------------|
 |---------------------|---|-------------------|------------------|
 |---------------------|---|-------------------|------------------|
 |---------------------|---|-------------------|------------------|
  Bb        Dm     Bb   C
 |-7--7--6-----11-|-7--|------------------|
 |-------------11-|----|----------8---8---|
 |----------------|----|-7----7h9---7---7-|
 |----------------|----|------------------|
 |----------------|----|------------------|
 |----------------|----|------------------|
The Biggest Lie

Chords
 F:133211
 Dm: X00231
 Bb: 113331
 C: 335553
 C*: 332010

Intro:
 |----------------------|----------------------|
 |----------------------|----------------------|
 |--------------------2-|----------------------|
 |----------------3-----|----------------3---3-|
 |---3---3---3------3---|---3---3---3------3---|
 |-1---1---1---1--------|-1---1---1---1--------|
         This picking pattern is played throughout the whole song, so 
I'll just put the chords.

Vs.1
      F               Dm
  I'm waiting for the train
 Bb      C             
  The subway that only 
  F        Dm
  Goes one way

Br.1
 Bb          C            Bb                Dm
  The stupid thing that'll come to pull us apart
 Bb    C*            F
  And make everybody late

Vs.2
  You gave everything you had
  Wanted everything to 
  Stop that bad

Br.2
  And now I'm a crushed credit card registered to Smith
  Not the name that you call me with

           Solo

Vs.3
  You turned white like a saint
  I'm tired of dancing on a pot of
  Gold flake paint

Br.3
 Bb        C       Bb              Dm
  Oh we're so very precious you and I
 Bb        C                Bb                Dm
  And everything that you do makes me want to die
 Bb     C                    Dm   F       Bb        Dm
  Oh I just told the biggest lie
 Bb C                     Dm     F        Bb        Dm
  I just told the biggest lie
 Bb   C               Dm         F        Bb        Dm
          The biggest lie

       Bb          C          F
SOLO:over verse and bridge chords
 F                       Dm                 Bb    C
 |-8--8---6--5------|---|-5-5-5--3--5--6--5-|----------8---|
 |-10-10--8----8--6-|---|-6-6-6--5--3-------|------6/8---8-|
 |------------------|---|-------------------|--------------|
 |------------------|---|-------------------|--------------|
 |------------------|---|-------------------|--------------|
 |------------------|---|-------------------|--------------|
 F                         Dm                  Bb    C
 |-8--8--8---6--5------|---|-5-5-5--3--5--6--5-|------------------|
 |-10-10-10--8----8--6-|---|-6-6-6--5--3-------|------6--8--8b--6-|
 |---------------------|---|-------------------|------------------|
 |---------------------|---|-------------------|------------------|
 |---------------------|---|-------------------|------------------|
 |---------------------|---|-------------------|------------------|
  Bb        Dm     Bb   C
 |-7--7--6-----11-|-7--|------------------|
 |-------------11-|----|----------8---8---|
 |----------------|----|-7----7h9---7---7-|
 |----------------|----|------------------|
 |----------------|----|------------------|
 |----------------|----|------------------|

           That's it. BACK

Brought to you by the GUITARMASTA - http://www.guitarmasta.net

Source: http://www.guitarmasta.net/s/smith,_elliott/308900.html

Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques


No Picture screamokid Average	#1 by screamokid at Sep 26, 2007 at 4:07 AM EST
	have you ever had a relationship (or a time in your life) when everything you did, even the "good" things, seemed to be done desparately? to me, this song perfectly portrays the moment when you realize that all the intensity hasn't been bliss- it's been more like mania, with the spending to keep from thinking and the gold-flaked beauty. it's like a sigh of realization that this facade can't keep going on forever, because it isn't true. and maybe the facade involves drugs, or maybe not. maybe the train is a breakup, or death. it doesn't matter about the details, since the disillusionment with "love" is such a universal thing. 1 2 Next

No Picture AnToNiA Wanna Be	#2 by AnToNiA at Sep 26, 2007 at 3:11 PM EST
	tell me if im drunk, but this song is about cheating on someone you love a lot. the stupid thing that pulls us apart is the skank he slept with. the part about spending and credit cards is the most important part of the song to me. hes saying that she invested a lot of money, which may represent love, and that his money (love) is crushed. his love is broken apart, but not his name. her pet name for him is crushed, which i think is more hurtful. then he tells her about the incident and she freaks out, but he has to tell her because hes tired of the fakeness (dancing on a pot of gold flake paint). then she leaves him and he feels like shit. his biggest lie that he told was NOT telling her, but keeping everything the same. holla back at me, tell me if im stupid. peace out.

No Picture Sir Badass	#3 by Sir Steel at Sep 26, 2007 at 5:35 PM EST
	This song is amazing, by far one of my favorite Elliott Smith songs, almost hidden at the end of his self-titled album. As with everything he does; the simple-sounding complexity of the music and lyrics make you listen to it over and over again... amazing.

No Picture Clay Average	#4 by Clay McGavisk at Sep 27, 2007 at 4:58 AM EST
	elliott smith songs are like my bible, and one of the reasons is that his songs are so rife with both literal meanings and allegorical connotations that any number of these interpretations could've been intended (it's one of the ways that fans like us relate so well to the songs, and smith himself even said that his songs were multi-layered with intended meanings). anyhow, i just wanted to offer one that hasn't been said yet. the opening of the song to me sounds like it's about dying. smith was a philosophy major in university, so he'd be familiar with the idea of a ferry shipping people to the land of the dead, so he's "waiting for the train, the subway that only goes one way" in a sense that is a modernized version of crossing the river styx. again, "the stupid thing that'll come to pull us apart, and make everybody late" make everybody late? the late(dead) so-and-so? also, the part about spending everything you have seems to be an allsion to blowing all your money on substances to feel better "wanted everything to stop that bad." this doesn't seem to be about himself because he says "you spent" and then later refers to himself in a different context. knowing how generous smith was to his friends, he might be describing how his dependant lover has sapped both of their resources, which could also be a literal and allegorical idea, both money and patience/hope/love/whatever. this is before smith had problems with substance so it's unlikely it's about him, but some of the company he kept at this time was pretty shady. "you turned white like a saint" he loves them even though what they've done to themselves has made them pale. smith again laments about dying "tired of dancing on this pot of gold flake paint" tired of performing and being put on a pedestal he felt he didn't belong on, flake paint = shoddy, low quality. and then to me the last part is him leaving us in doubt, is the biggest lie saying he and his love are precious or that he wants to die? i also really liked dorareever's interpretation, and i feel this fits with that. but man. elliott smith, the poet/songwriter? fucking intense.

No Picture bob Average	#5 by bob fred at Sep 27, 2007 at 6:41 AM EST
	doraeever... i like your analysis. good work, i'd never have thought about that. A+ :p

No Picture Hobey Average	#6 by Hobey Bass at Sep 27, 2007 at 12:11 PM EST
	i don't think its about a girl and here is why... i read somewhere that he did a lot of heroin during this album and then you have these songs all relating to heroin on his self titled album... needle in the hay, single file, good to go, the white lady loves you more, and possibly the song entitled coming up roses. now you have this one, and the lines here that get me thinking it is heroin is these: you spent everything you had wanted everything to stop that bad - with a heroin addiction you spend all and i mean all your money on heroin, trading in your car, belongings, house, etc because you want money for heroin because makes everything stop that is bad. 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 -hes tired of dancing on a pot of gold flake paint to me means its only a fascade. just because it looks gold doesnt mean it is gold. just as heroin may make you feel really good and solve everything for a few seconds, it really solves nothing and only brings on more problems. just because it seems really good, doesnt mean it is, and in this case, it isnt. -then he goes on to say him and his heroin are very precious (and heroin is the most precious thing in the world when you are a junkie, it is the only thing that matters. and everything it does to him makes him want to die because of all the pain and suffering it gives him. hes sick of all the suffering which is why he took the drug in the first place but in the end he got even more suffering. then he goes onto say "oh i just told the biggest lie" which i interpret it as him saying everything heroin to him does make him want to die because of all the pain but its a lie because its the only thing that makes him feel good and his couple hours of freedom from the world is worth his lifetime of suffering, making his statement before the biggest lie he has ever told. just my take on it. nobodys really right and nobody is really wrong.

No Picture One of the chil Average	#7 by One of the children of the KoRn at Sep 27, 2007 at 6:24 PM EST
	i have no idea what this song could be about, it's so complicated to figure out, so many people have so many opinions on it, but this is truely a great song, one of my favorites, gets me thinking about things everytime

No Picture Anakin Rhythm Player	#8 by Anakin Skywalker at Sep 28, 2007 at 8:17 AM EST
	firstly, can i just say that not every elliott writes is about drugs. it gets old when people say that about every song... i'm thinking he had a little more depth than that. we're not living in the 60's people. anyway, i didn't come here to bitch. i just thought when i listened to the song, i didn't feel like he was saying "everything that you do makes me want to die" literally. death can also be referred to as a release. it seems like the person he's referring to, in her actions, overwhelms him to a point where he doesn't know what to do. he seems to say it in a sort of admiration, not distaste. i don't know. i could be way off.. but that's my two cents.

No Picture Fred Duke Wanna Be	#9 by Fred Duke at Sep 28, 2007 at 8:39 AM EST
	The narrator is breaking up with someone. That's why the subway is one-way. He isn't happy about the "stupid thing". But his girl must have taken his money, then crushed the card because she couldn't control her spending. She did this because she "wanted everything to stop" - now, this doesn't make any sense at first. She wouldn't be buying things to make something stop, but I think he's referring to making the break-up stop. Perhaps she's trying to buy him things to make him stay with her, but it's not working out too well because it's with his money. More likely she's using the money for something else though, like compulsive shopping or drugs. She turns white like a saint - he clearly idealises her or he wouldn't call her a saint, and she turned white in horror when she realised he was leaving anyway, because he's "tired of dancing on a pot of gold-flaked paint". I think the gold flaked paint is Elliot dressing up this girl with his possessions, money, or his own flair - he gives her saintly white a gold hue, and gold represents the financial thing. His financial protection, or her abuse of his money is an attempt to win him over because everything she does makes him want to die - she's trying to buy him back with his money, somehow. He's tired of this and wants to leave - but that's "the biggest lie", he just can't stick around because of the complicated financial situation. They're precious; she keeps making mistakes, and he loves her. But he still has to leave.

No Picture Fabien Average	#10 by Fabien Bergeron at Sep 28, 2007 at 9:19 AM EST
	When he says: 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 I always interpreted as, him saying one of those two things (them being precious and everything she does making him want to die) being untrue, but not telling the listener which. So either, they're great together and everything she does DOESN'T make him want to die, or they're not great together and everything she does makes him want to die. It makes the ending awesome, because I can think about it both ways, and it can be a love song or the opposite.

No Picture Mangus Average	#11 by Mangus Hung at Sep 28, 2007 at 11:34 AM EST
	I took the oppostie view from facedownowls... I believe that the narrator has freed someone from a dysfunctional relationship. She needed to get out and the imagery of the lyrics "I'm waiting for the train/the subway that only goes one way/the stupid thing that will come to pull us apart/and make everybody late" gives me the impression that they'd come to a point in their relationship where they wanted different things and were going in two different directions. Maybe she asked him if he wanted her to stay and he told her that he didn’t. I used to think that he told her that he loved her when he really didn’t, but the mood of the song feels like loss, not guilt. Lyrics can take on a whole new meaning when you change the tone of the music, and Smith’s music says it all. My take on the lie is that she asked him if he loved her and he said no. So she left, and he regrets letting her go. His biggest lie was saying “I don’t love you”.

No Picture Nick Rhythm Player	#12 by Nick Carrasco at Sep 29, 2007 at 6:38 AM EST
	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 does that sound kind of sarcastic to anybody else? i get the chills when he says "die", it's so harsh.

No Picture GRiMM Average	#13 by GRiMM . at Oct 1, 2007 at 5:25 AM EST
	I love the line 'I'm tired of dancing on a pot of gold flake paint', it really epitomises how fake everything in our society has become.

No Picture ben Lead Player	#14 by ben Tee at Oct 1, 2007 at 6:47 PM EST
	alright, this might be a far out interpretation of the song, but given what basically the rest of the album is about, i interpret it as a song about heroin. a narrator talking to an actual needle. sort of a between the bars with an added twist. "the subway that only goes one way " "you spent everything you had wanted everything to stop that bad and now i'm a crushed credit card registered to smith" just try to be open-minded about this interpretation.listne to it, as if it were about heroin. what is so great about elliott smith is that although generally his songs are so blunt and seem obviously biographical, he makes them so which about anyone can relate to them. from a person thats just had a break up to a heroin addict, his songs are truly universal

No Picture Gladis Wanna Be	#15 by Gladis McHumphry at Oct 3, 2007 at 3:32 AM EST
	This song hits me hard every time. The beautifully simple lyrics paired with the gentle whisper of his guitar create something so heartbreaking that only Elliott was capable of. I love how the guitar slowly climaxes at several points in the song, especially towards the end as he repeats "the biggest lie" for the last time. I almost forget to breathe whenever I hear it. My understanding of the song is probably the most obvious and superficial one-- that the narrator is just coming out of a dysfunctional relationship (or at least trying to), hence "the subway that only goes one way". He's clearly ambivalent about the relationship ending and is still somewhat emotionally invested in it, so after blurting "everything that you do makes me want to die", he catches himself and ammends his charged confession.

No Picture Pat Lead Player	#16 by Pat O'Shea at Oct 3, 2007 at 2:50 PM EST
	Everyone seems to agree that the one-way train and related events are signalling the end of a relationship. But it appears that Elliott has simply had to be a witness to this girl's struggles, which culminated in her departure. She appears to have had drug problems, which inevitably lead to money problems, which is probably why Elliot felt like he was just being used as a "credit card" at times, although "not the name you call me with" suggests a more intimate relationship beneath that. It appears that with a great deal of effort the girl managed to get her life back together, and either Elliott got tired of acting like a fake "saint" to go with her new persona, or he knew she wasn't really serious about the turnaround, and finally they had to part. The final three lines seem to be a commentary on the pointlessness of it all, and a way of artistically failing to satisfy the listener, who is expecting (but doesn't get) a declaration of undying love in spite of everything the girl has put him through.

No Picture Mike Lead Player	#17 by Mike Adams at Oct 3, 2007 at 9:20 PM EST
	At first I interpreted the begining lyrics about the subway somewhat literally. I thought he was going to jump in front of it. That would be the stupid thing tore them apart, between living and dead. And obviously, that would make everyone late. But, I think the song is actually far simpler than it sounds. I think he is just waiting for the relationship to end. He know's it's going to happen, it's inevitable. He's dancing on the pot of gold flake paint, pretending everything is okay. He knows that some stupid arguement is going to eventually tear them apart finally. He doesn't think they're precious, or at least he denies it. She spends all his money and doesn't possibly doesn't love him. He fights with her, but deep down, he has feelings for her, which is why he says "I told the biggest lie" a second time - he feels for what he said.

No Picture Lucas Average	#18 by Lucas Grizzle at Oct 4, 2007 at 1:41 PM EST
	I think the last verse from "you turn white like a saint" to "the Biggest Lie" in the last line is all about heroin addiction. Like when people do heroin they turn white, and the "gold flaked pain" could be heroin, because it turns a gold color when mixed with water. And heroin is "precious" and you feel that way when you're on it "you and I" could be the heroin and him. But its all a lie- like heroin provides this false sense of well-being and tricks your mind into thinking it has real endorphins when its really fake. Just my view on the song :-)

No Picture Zack Wanna Be	#19 by Zack Callahan at Oct 4, 2007 at 4:41 PM EST
	Of course it's damn complicated and probably most interpretations are right. but for me the last lines 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 are all about refusing love as something good, and trying to find "safety" in the usual depression, nihilism, even self-pity. But then knowing that it's a "lie". Of course there's again a twist because the fact he repeats the line suggest that the line before can be a lie. So when he says "I just said the biggest lie" the first time I meant it as "I said I wanted to die, but that's a cliché, it's not the truth. I want to be free of cliches", the second means "I lied about lying. I wasn't lying." and then it only leaves you with the idea that he was both sincere and lying at the same time. okay maybe I'm twisted myself.

No Picture ryan Average	#20 by ryan mahony at Oct 4, 2007 at 8:17 PM EST
	he's waiting for the break up that will be one sided because he dosen't want it to end, but knows himself and her well enough that she dosen't like him that way anymore and that their relationship will be pulled apart over stupid, trivial things. I have no idea about the middle and the last part starting with the pot of gold flaked paint. the relationship looks so good but its just a facade, and he's tired of treating it like everythings fine when he knows its not. he thinks they're precious together, but not precious like everyone thinks precious but something more and special to him. she dosen't make him want to die she makes him want to live for many reasons (to see her, to love her, to hold her, etc.). But it all comes down to a lie of a relationship that he can't seem to fix and is destined for faliure like water in cupped hands he can see it slipping away and he can't do anything about it. He wants this so bad but doesn't like were it is or where its going. being stuck on memories and thats was keeps him but seeing were they are now makes him sick and he can only watch it go down in smoke and flames.

No Picture SpookydOOm!!1 Wanna Be	#21 by SpookydOOm!!1 at Oct 4, 2007 at 10:51 PM EST
	i think this song could be about a long distance relationship and "im waiting for the train" could be waiting for the inevitable end of this dying relationship, then he says "the subway that only goes one way" which is weird because he just stated that he's waiting for a train so "train" cant mean train. "the subway that only goes one way" could have to do with him being the only one that travels and is trying to keep the relationship going. the distance between them is "the stupid thing that will come to pull us apart". "you spent everything you had and wanted everything to stop that bad. now im a crushed credit card registered to smith" elliott has helped this girl maybe more than she's helped him in ways because he has nothing left but has fixed her problems. "you turned white like a saint" maybe she's happier now. "im tired of dancing on a pot of gold flake paint" he's tired of denying the inevitable breakup and acting like everything's ok. "oh we're so very, very precious you and i, and everything that you do makes me want to die, i just told the biggest lie." he's finally admitting to himself and to her that they shouldnt be together. thats just what ive thought about when listening over the years. good interpretations everyone.

No Picture Jonathan Average	#22 by Jonathan Hummel at Oct 4, 2007 at 11:17 PM EST
	"Oh we're so very precious, you and I and everything that you do makes me want to die." Enough said. I really like Elliott Smith's music, he's a musical mastermind and has a way of telling a story with such simplicity that it almost makes it complex.

No Picture jay Wanna Be	#23 by jay short at Oct 6, 2007 at 1:02 AM EST
	Maybe "the biggest lie" was saying "I love you" to somebody and not meaning it.

No Picture Dan Wanna Be	#24 by Dan Temple at Oct 6, 2007 at 10:56 AM EST
	I think at the end of the song when he says "Oh were so very precious you and I and everything you do makes me want to die, oh I just told the biggest lie" I think maybe he was being mistreated by someone. Im sure we've all had a relationship where you obviously love the person but they hurt you or do something that makes you "want to die". So maybe he does feel that way but then says he just told the biggest lie because in the end he still loves her.

No Picture Brian Wanna Be	#25 by Brian Kidwell at Oct 6, 2007 at 10:06 PM EST
	i like the reference in the song about his name. i dont think most people know his real name isn't Elliott. this song is probably a real event in his life. i think its talking about someone who didn't really care for him, only his money/success/what he represents/his character not who he really was, only the image his music and his life portrays. they never really tryed to get to know him. someone he probably met after he gained some fame. i dunno, thats just my take on it.