Big Tears Lyrics
The sniper just takes his aim
Everyone is window shopping, no one is amazed
Even if he hit you, you'd still think it's just a graze
You go to a movie, you go to a show
You think that you're living, you don't really know
Big tears mean nothing
You can count them as they fall
Big tears mean nothing
When you're lying in your coffin
Tell me who's been taken in
But of course they make it all up for you
Always fascinated by the weird edge of town
Come home disappointed every time they put you down
Laughing with the old boys, saying that it's all noise
You can count them as they fall
Big tears mean nothing
When you're lying in your coffin
Tell me who's been taken in
They have fallen off one by one
You wouldn't even like me if you'd never had a drink
You wouldn't even like me if you never stopped to think
Standing in the shadow, turning wives to widows
You can count them as they fall
Big tears mean nothing
When you're lying in your coffin
Tell me who's been taken in
Tell me, me or yous been taken in
Tell me, tell me, tell me
I Love this song, Elvis taking the side of the asassin in a public tragedy. I recall reading that Mick Jones was invited to play on this song after the Clash and the Attractions shared the bill on a package tour, with a general sentiment of one-upsmanship between the bands. The idea of an excellent performance being a "killer" lends to the theme of Big Tears.
I also heard the line in the chorus as "When you're lying and you're coughing" meaning that the intended listener is telling falsehoods, and giving away their insincerety with a nervous tic.
I didn't get it until now, but the "who's been taken in" seems to refer to someone being taken in for questioning or arrested, suspected of the shooting alluded to in the first verse. As usual, Elvis is drawing a connection between common violence in the media and emotional abuse. Here he's asking who is responsible for the abuse.
About the "lying and you're coughing" versus "lying in your coffin" debate, it sounds to me like the first chorus is the former and the other two are the latter. A clever lyrical twist, meaning that the subject is lying to him and then should be worried about his retribution.
@anamenottaken agree Elvis C. often compares emotional fascism of relationships with violence and vapidity in the media. Also in Green Shirt, Lip Service & other songs from that productive era of E & the Attractions.
@anamenottaken agree Elvis C. often compares emotional fascism of relationships with violence and vapidity in the media. Also in Green Shirt, Lip Service & other songs from that productive era of E & the Attractions.
Love this song & often come back to it. All of what was then called Taking Liberties really. Amazing collections of at the time b-sides, extras etc.