Status

Elliott Smith song

Written By

Elliott Smith

Recording Sessions

Fall 2001 - Summer 2002 (Audobahn Recording, Los Angeles, CA - Sessions with Chris Chandler) - 2 versions unofficially circulating, one with reversed drums and another with hard synths; appear to be the same vocal take
January-October 2003 (New Monkey Studios, Los Angeles, CA and Smith Residence, Los Angeles, CA - Sessions with Fritz Michaud) - unofficially circulating

At least 12 other versions of this song were either recorded or mixed by Elliott; dates and circumstances are unknown at this time.

Availability of Official Release

N/A

Lyrics

I sit here shooting blanks
Out at emptiness
Ain’t nothing really want to kill
Maybe time I guess
I sit and spin the world on its flipside
And I listen backwards for meaning

‘Cause I’m a stickman
I live with one dimension dead
Trying not to think too many moves ahead

I draw from memory
The stillest kind of life
Slide after slide
Mental pain’s the sharpest knife
Project what’s done for everyone to see
To me it’s just a reversal

And I’m a stickman
In frames that go one by one
If I sped it up
You’d see I’m on the run
From some monster off-screen
Killing sons

Lonely makes me blue
Envy turns me green
Hate might paint me red
If I load my magazine
But not just now when it’s easy to stay clean
When no one sees where you’re bleeding

And I’m a stickman
Stickman

2001-2002 version

I sit here shooting blanks out at emptiness
Ain’t nothing I really wanna kill, maybe time I guess
I sit and spin the world on its flip side
And listen backwards for meaning

Cause I’m a stick man
I live with one dimension dead
Tryin’ not to think too many moves ahead

I draw from memory, the stillest kind of life
I cut slide after slide, mental pain’s the sharpest knife
Project what’s done so every thing’s in face
To me, they’re color reversals

And I’m a stickman in frames that go one by one
If I sped it up, you’d see I’m on the run
From some monster off screen
Killing sons

Lonely makes me blue
Envy turns me green
Hate might paint me red
If I load my magazine
But not just now when it’s easy to stay clean
And no one sees where I’m bleeding

I’m a stickman in black, and everything is clear
Empty in fact, but for a fact I’m here
Loading my blanks to make a silent sound
Some make me smile, that make the cruel clown
Who drew me this way frown

Earliest known version, from a lyric Sheet provided by engineer Chris Chandler

I’m (just) a stickman I’m (only more - crossed out)
missing the dimension right (tonite)
2 out of 3 is pretty good (for) tonite (all right!)

I draw from memory, the stillest kind of life
and I cut slide after slide, mental pain don’t need no (a) knife

reverse what’s done so everyone (anyone) can see
the split personas teaming
up the stickmen in frames they go 1 by 1
when you speed it up, you’ll see me running from

some monster off-screen, killing sons
lonely makes me blue, envy turns me green
and I’ll paint myself (in red - crossed out) blood red
when I load my magazine

but not just yet - 
it’s so easy to stay clean,
(* Photo of Lyric Sheet cuts off here *)

(note - on the left side of the lyric sheet, written perpendicular to the lyrics, Elliott uses most of the left margin of the sheet to write out “FUCK ME!” in all caps and in large letters)