Status

Elliott Smith Song

Written By

Elliott Smith

Recording Sessions

June 24, 1996 (Undercover Inc, Portland, OR - Either/Or Session at Undercover)
April 15, 16 or 17, 1997 (WMUC Studios, College Park, MD - Third Rail Radio) - unofficially circulating 

Availability of Official Release

Either/Or
An Introduction to…Elliott Smith
Alternate versions from Either/Or

Lyrics

You walk down Alameda shuffling your deck of trick cards over everyone
Like some precious only son
Face down, bow to the champion

You walk down Alameda looking at the cracks in the sidewalk
Thinking about your friends
How you maintain all them in a constant state of suspense
For your own protection over their affection

Nobody broke your heart
You broke your own because you can’t finish what you start

Walk down Alameda brushing off the nightmare you wish
Could plague me when I’m awake
And now you see your first mistake was thinking that you could relate
For one or two minutes she liked you
But the fix is in
You’re all pretension
I never pay attention

Nobody broke your heart
You broke your own because you can’t finish what you start
Nobody broke your heart
You broke your own because you can’t finish what you start
Nobody broke your heart
You broke your own because you can’t finish what you start
Nobody broke your heart
If you’re alone it must be you that wants to be apart

First known live performance

1996-07-14 (La Luna, Portland, OR, USA)

Note

Early and alternate versions of this song would occasionally replace the chorus “Nobody broke your heart / You broke your own ‘cause you can’t finish what you start” with “See what you’re gonna start / All you’re good at now is breaking your own heart”

Audio