My Gen X Playlist: Big Empty – Stone Temple Pilots

It was about 4:30 and my day was winding down. I’m on my fourth week at the new firm and still becoming acclimated. It’s not terribly insanely busy at the end of the year so I had a moment to relax and gaze out the window.

As I looked outside, I heard the sound of birds and watched about 100 of them fly by. They were large black birds, maybe crows, I think. They covered the sky. I usually assign a feeling of bad luck or death to big black birds. The funny thing is, this swarm of birds felt happy and free. They musically sounded their caws, if such a thing exists. I sat back and enjoyed the scene as they flew by. I strangely wished they would hang a uey (I had to look up the spelling) and return for a second pass. I wouldn’t mind experiencing that one more time.

I remember the soundtrack to the movie The Crow was pretty good. One track is Big Empty by the Stone Temple Pilots.

The song was originally titled “Only Dying,” but when the star of the movie, Brandon Lee, was accidentally killed during filming, they changed the title out of respect for the actor. “Big Empty” won an MTV Movie Award for Best Song from a Movie.

In this song, lead singer Scott Weiland lays out a series of images that form a vague story involving a car, a cigarette and a conversation. In our interview with Weiland, he explained that many of his lyrics are put together from various images that come to mind, and it’s up to the listener to piece them together.

Songfacts

I’m OK with a series of images for lyrics. The random stories don’t necessarily have to connect. There’s no law or hard fast rule. It’s alright by me. That’s what our imaginations are for, anyway. Sometimes a fleeting image is enough – like my crows that merrily sang as they filled the frame of my window. Now that’s something to write a song about.

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

Driving faster in my car
Falling farther from just what we are
Smoke a cigarette and lie some more
These conversations kill
Falling faster in my car

Time to take her home
Her dizzy head is conscience laden
Time to take a ride, it leaves today
No conversation
Time to take her home
Her dizzy head is conscience laden
Time to wait too long, to wait too long
To wait too long

Too much walking, shoes worn thin
Too much trippin' and my soul's worn thin
Time to catch a ride, it leaves today
Her name is what it means
Too much walking, shoes worn thin
Time to take her home
Her dizzy head is conscience laden
Time to take a ride, it leaves today
No conversation

Time to take her home
Her dizzy head is conscience laden
Time to wait too long, to wait too long
To wait too long

Conversations kill
Conversations kill
Conversations kill

Time to take her home
Her dizzy head is conscience laden
Time to take a ride, it leaves today
No conversation
Time to take her home
Her dizzy head is conscience laden
Time to wait too long, to wait too long
To wait too long

Conversations kill
Conversations kill
Conversations kill