Ballad Of Big Nothing Chords

KeyC CapoNone TuningStandard Difficulty Plays568

Ballad Of Big Nothing by Elliott Smith is a more advanced guitar song played in the key of C. It uses the chords C, Am, Fm, G, D, F, Dm and E. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.

Transpose
C
Text
16
Speed
  			Intro: C Am C Am Fm G 

G 
Throwing candy out to the crowd 
C                 D 
Dragging down the main 
    G 
The helpless little thing with the dirty mouth 
      C                       F 
Who's always got something to say 
G 
You're sitting at home now 
C                           D 
Waiting for your brother to call 
Dm        G 
I saw him down at the alley 
Fm                      G 
Having had enough of it all 
             C                    Am                   Fm Dm Fm G 
Said you can do what you want to whenever you want to 
         C                           Am                 Fm Dm Fm G 
You can do what you want to, there's no one to stop you 
G                                 C 
All spit and spite, you're up all night 
               D 
And down every day 
G 
A tired man with only hours to go 
     C                   F 
Just waiting to be taken away 
G 
Getting into the back of a car 
    C               D 
For candy from some stranger 
Dm             G                  Fm 
watching the parade with pinpoint eyes 
          G 
Full of smoldering anger 
        C                    Am                   Fm Dm Fm G 
You can do what you want to whenever you want to 
        C                    Am                   Fm Dm Fm G 
You can do what you want to, there's no one to stop you 
            C                     Am 
Now you can do what you want to whenever you want to 
C                      Am 
Do what you want to whenever you want to 
G                     E 
Do what you want to whenever you want to 
Am                        D 
Though it doesn't mean a thing 
F          Fm 
Big nothing 

C Am C Am Fm G C 
    	

Chord diagrams

Guitar tuner

--
Start the tuner and play a string

Reference tones

Standard tuning, lowest to highest. Click a string to play it; the string the mic hears is highlighted.

Click Start tuner and allow microphone access. The needle centers and turns green when a string is in tune (within 5 cents).
No microphone? You can still tap any string above to hear its exact reference pitch.

Metronome

100 BPM Andante