Big Empty

My Interpretationyou guys, you have to take what weiland says the song is about with a grain of salt. It's definitely about drugs, something that weiland struggled severely with and which eventually took this amazing artist from us all.
He had a very complex relationship with drugs, simultaneously glorifying them (very often) and being ashamed of his use of them, often lying and saying he was no longer on them when he clearly was.

Driving faster in my car--------
in his autobiography weiland told stories of his driving through LA, high as a kite after scoring drugs and driving home full of giddy anticipation in order to use them.

Falling farther from just what we are-------
Every addict knows this feeling well. You are no longer yourself. Or maybe this IS who you have become.

Smoke a cigarette and lie some more
These conversations kill-----------------------

Referring to the constant conversations an addict has with themselves inside their head. I'll stop tomorrow/this is the last time...and the toll it takes on you. It's a depressing and lonely and awful conversation to have with yourself all the time.

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:

To me this stanza beautifully sums up the multiple conversations an addict has while they are holding drugs/waiting to blast off. That debilitating internal monologue...take them now, while you are still high and never come down, take them right now before you feel the withdrawls, no conversation, just do it. OR wait as long as possible, try your hardest. That cycle of drugs that is so hard to kick because you are so sad and confused. You know that there are only 2 ways you could possibly feels better. 1) STOP NOW, ONCE AND FOR ALL AND NEVER TOUCH DRUGS AGAIN --or-- 2) JUST ADMIT DEFEAT AND TAKE THE FUCKING DRUGS IN YOUR POCKET.
Just thinking about it makes me nauseous.
Either way, the entire time your conscience is just gnawing on your bones and on your heart and mind.

Too much walking shoes worn thin
Too much trippin' and my soul's worn thin-------
a reference to the physical toll drug addiction takes, as well as the emotional/mental/spiritual toll

Her name is what it means:
Obvious wordplay for heroin being his heroine.

Conversations kill:
Basically saying that the internal conversations inside yourself never subside when this is your life.

That's only what this song means to me, having been severely addicted to drugs before. That hopeless feeling when you want to stop and just can't, over and over again.

i love this song btw. one of my favorites of all time

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General Commenti think its about comin down and drivin home from a long night of craziness and stressful times and reflecting back on all you have said and done.

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General CommentWell, I've done some investigation into various music magazines, websites, etc. and I came across an article that featured Scott Weiland saying he wrote this song about his band being on tour for so long and being ready to just quit and go home for some well-deserved rest.

"Drivin' faster in my car
falling farther from just what we are"
-He tells of how he feels his band has begun to lose sight of it's original purpose, and become more pop-rock, something the band has been accused of numerous times.
"smoke a cigarette and lie some more
these conversations kill
falling faster in my car "
-emphasizes the previous line, finds himself to be selling out to the industry.
"Time to take her home
her dizzy head is conscience laden
time to take a ride
it leaves today no conversation"
-the band is becoming disallusioned, exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. Him "taking a ride" could be a possible reference to drugs, Weiland was known to be a heavy user.

"To much walkin', 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
to much walkin', shoe's worn thin"
-Their To much walkin, shoes worn thin shows their heavy roaming, touring, etc. and how they are exhausted and feel they have been pushed to their limits. Her name is what it means refers to the name of the band.

And there you have it.

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General CommentTo me its about, for example, meeting a girl at a party who you may or may not know, getting completely slaughtered/boozed up, then trying to get her to come home with you in a cab/your car but all the while trying to avoid confrontational or awkward conversation that might fuck up your chances of getting her into bed. I feel that's the crux of the song because I can strongly relate to the situation!

I heard Scott introduced the song once by saying its about fucking someone in a car, and so it kind of makes sense in a way. It's just an interesting take on a kind of common human situation.

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General CommentThis song is about drugs. "These conversations kill" applies to being sober. "Time to take a ride" means he wants to do drugs again to get away from it all. He's thinking about all of this while driving in his car. So when he says "take her home" he might not be talking about a girl at all, instead talking about getting high. "her name is what it means" could apply to the name of a drug.

Then again it could just be about a girl.

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General CommentWhat an awesome song. I've never been able to find a meaning from the lyrics, but oh well. The 30-second instrumental part in this song sounds sooo cool. I could listen to that one part over and over and over. The drums and bass sound sweet. STP ROCKS!!!!

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General CommentI thought that the conversations kill bit was about his inability to relate to other people and how words have as much meaning as actions. How hes running out of energy excuses and lies and just has to take her home cos it hurts to much

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General Commentthe chorus is sweet. One of the many great STP songs that i love. The Crow was a sweet movie and im glad STP got a chance to add to the pot.

...and yes, this song is about backseat fuckin

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General CommentTo me this song was always about breaking up. Maybe because I was going through one when the album came out, but thats how I always felt about it. My brother always felt it was about breaking up with a stupid girl hence the title "big empty" as in "big empty head".

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General CommentI don't think anyone should ever completely take what the artist says the song is about at a show, because its popular to just get completely smashed before a show and just start running your mouth. I think this song is a bit about leaving something behind, and its so hard to do, because you want it so bad, but it will never be good in the end. And eventually you have to make a decision, do i want good now, that won't last long, or can i find something better?

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