Condor Ave.
Elliott Smith Lyrics


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She took the Oldsmobile out past condor avenue
And she locked the car and slipped past
Into rhythmic quietude
Lights burning
Voice dry and hoarse
I threw the screen door like a bastard back and forth
The chimes fell over each other
I fell onto my knees
The sound of the car driving off made me feel diseased
A sick shouting like you hear at the fairground
Now I'm picking up to put away anything of yours that's still around
I don't know what to do with your clothes or your letters
It'll make a whisper out of you
She took the Oldsmobile out past condor avenue
The fairground's lit
A drunk man sits by the gate she's driving through
Got his hat tipped bottle back in between his teeth
Looks like he's buried in the sand at the beach
I can't think about you driving off to leave barely awake
To take a little nap while the road is straight
I wish that car had never been discovered
They took away the bottle and the hat he was under
That's the one thing that he could never do
And it'll make a whisper out of you
She took the Oldsmobile out past condor avenue
Cops were running around the scene
Looking for some kind of clue
They never get uptight when a moth gets crushed
Unless a light bulb really loved him very much
I'm lying down
Blowing smoke from my cigarette
Little whisper smoke signs that you'll never get
You're in your Oldsmobile driving by the moon
Headlights burning bright ahead of you
And someone's burning out, out on condor avenue
Trying to make a whisper out of you
What a shitty thing to say
Did you really mean it?
You never said a word to me about what passed between us
So now I'm leaving you alone




You can do whatever the hell you want to
Na, na, na, na, na, na.

Overall Meaning

The song "Condor Ave" by Elliott Smith is a deeply emotional and melancholic track about a relationship that ended abruptly. The opening lines describe how the woman took the Oldsmobile out past Condor Avenue and locked the car before slipping away into "rhythmic quietude." The singer, who is likely Smith himself, feels a sense of emptiness and despair as he watches the woman disappear out of sight. The lights are burning, the voice is dry and hoarse, and everything feels bleak and hopeless.


As the song progresses, the singer reflects on the memories and remnants of the relationship that have been left behind. He talks about throwing the screen door open and closed, the chimes falling over each other, and picking up anything that belongs to the woman. He doesn't know what to do with her clothes or letters, and the thought of her driving away makes him feel "diseased." The song ends with the singer lying down and blowing smoke from his cigarette, lamenting the fact that he can't make a whisper out of the woman who has left him.


Overall, "Condor Ave" is a hauntingly beautiful track that captures the pain of lost love and the feelings of emptiness and despair that can follow a breakup.


Line by Line Meaning

She took the Oldsmobile out past condor avenue
She left in her car and drove past Condor Avenue


And she locked the car and slipped past Into rhythmic quietude
She parked the car and silently walked away


Lights burning Voice dry and hoarse
The car's headlights were on, and her voice was rough


I threw the screen door like a bastard back and forth The chimes fell over each other I fell onto my knees
The artist was upset and acted frantically, causing chaos around him


The sound of the car driving off made me feel diseased A sick shouting like you hear at the fairground
The car leaving made the artist feel ill; he heard a disturbing noise like a crowd at a carnival


Now I'm picking up to put away anything of yours that's still around I don't know what to do with your clothes or your letters
The singer is cleaning up and doesn't know what to do with her belongings


It'll make a whisper out of you
Her absence will make her memory fade over time


The fairground's lit A drunk man sits by the gate she's driving through Got his hat tipped bottle back in between his teeth Looks like he's buried in the sand at the beach
There's a well-lit carnival with a drunk man wearing a hat and holding a bottle by the entrance


I can't think about you driving off to leave barely awake To take a little nap while the road is straight I wish that car had never been discovered
The artist can't stand the thought of the girl falling asleep while driving; he wishes the car didn't exist


They took away the bottle and the hat he was under That's the one thing that he could never do And it'll make a whisper out of you
The authorities removed the man's bottle and hat, leaving him unable to cope; this will also make the girl's memory fade away


Cops were running around the scene Looking for some kind of clue They never get uptight when a moth gets crushed Unless a light bulb really loved him very much
The police were investigating something, but the singer makes a sarcastic comment that they don't care about minor things unless it's personal


I'm lying down Blowing smoke from my cigarette Little whisper smoke signs that you'll never get
The artist is smoking and blowing smoke rings


You're in your Oldsmobile driving by the moon Headlights burning bright ahead of you And someone's burning out, out on condor avenue Trying to make a whisper out of you
The girl is driving, and there's a fire on Condor Avenue trying to make her memory fade away


What a shitty thing to say Did you really mean it? You never said a word to me about what passed between us So now I'm leaving you alone You can do whatever the hell you want to Na, na, na, na, na, na.
The singer is hurt by the girl's departure, and wonders if she meant what she said; he's giving up on her and letting her do what she wants




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEVEN P. SMITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@roiybenkel682

She took the Oldsmobile out past condor Ave.
And she locked the car and slipped past
Into rhythmic quietude
Lights burning
Voice dry and hoarse
I threw the screen door like a bastard back and forth
The chimes fell over each other
I fell onto my knees
The sound of the car driving off made me feel diseased
A sick shouting like you hear at the fairground
Now I'm picking up to put away anything of yours that's still around
I don't know what to do with your clothes or your letters
It'll make a whisper out of you
She took the Oldsmobile out past condor Ave.
The fairground's lit
A drunk man sits by the gate she's driving through
Got his hat tipped bottle back in between his teeth
Looks like he's buried in the sand at the beach
I can't think about you driving off to leave barely awake
To take a little nap while the road is straight
I wish that car had never been discovered
They took away the bottle and the hat he was under
That's the one thing that he could never do
And it'll make a whisper out of you
She took the Oldsmobile out past condor Ave.
Cops were running around the scene
Looking for some kind of clue
They never get uptight when a moth gets crushed
Unless a light bulb really loved him very much
I'm lying down
Blowing smoke from my cigarette
Little whisper smoke signs that you'll never get
You're in your Oldsmobile driving by the moon
Headlights burning bright ahead of you
And someone's burning out, out on condor Ave.
Trying to make a whisper out of you
What a shitty thing to say
Did you really mean it?
You never said a word to me about what passed between us
So now I'm leaving you alone
You can do whatever the hell you want to
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na



@eloiseripley

She took the Oldsmobile out past Condor Avenue
And she locked the car and slipped past into rhythmic quietude
Lights burning, voice dry and hoarse
I threw the screen door like a bastard back and forth
The chimes fell over each other, I fell onto my knees
The sound of the car driving off made me feel diseased
A sick shouting like you hear at the fairground
Now I'm picking up to put away anything of yours that's still around

I don't know what to do with your clothes or your letters
It'll make a whisper out of you

She took the Oldsmobile out past Condor Avenue
The fairground's lit, a drunk man sits by the gate she's driving through
Got his hat tipped bottle back in between his teeth
Looks like he's buried in the sand at the beach
I can't think about you driving off to leave barely awake
To take a little nap while the road is straight
I wish that car had never been discovered
They took away the bottle and the hat he was under

That's the one thing that he could never do
And it'll make a whisper out of you

She took the Oldsmobile out past Condor Avenue
Cops were running around the scene looking for some kind of clue
They never get uptight when a moth gets crushed
Unless a light bulb really loved him very much
I'm lying down, blowing smoke from my cigarette
Little whisper smoke signs that you'll never get
You're in your Oldsmobile driving by the moon
Headlights burning bright ahead of you

And someone's burning out, out on Condor Avenue
Trying to make a whisper out of you

What a shitty thing to say, did you really mean it?
You never said a word to me about what passed between us
So now I'm leaving you alone
You can do whatever the hell you want to
Na, na-na-na-na-na



@blolz

She took the Oldsmobile out past condor avenue
And she locked the car and slipped past
Into rhythmic quietude
Lights burning
Voice dry and hoarse
I threw the screen door like a bastard back and forth
The chimes fell over each other
I fell onto my knees
The sound of the car driving off made me feel diseased
A sick shouting like you hear at the fairground
Now I'm picking up to put away anything of yours that's still around
I don't know what to do with your clothes or your letters
It'll make a whisper out of you
She took the Oldsmobile out past condor avenue
The fairground's lit
A drunk man sits by the gate she's driving through
Got his hat tipped bottle back in between his teeth
Looks like he's buried in the sand at the beach
I can't think about you driving off to leave barely awake
To take a little nap while the road is straight
I wish that car had never been discovered
They took away the bottle and the hat he was under
That's the one thing that he could never do
And it'll make a whisper out of you
She took the Oldsmobile out past condor avenue
Cops were running around the scene
Looking for some kind of clue
They never get uptight when a moth gets crushed
Unless a light bulb really loved him very much
I'm lying down
Blowing smoke from my cigarette
Little whisper smoke signs that you'll never get
You're in your Oldsmobile driving by the moon
Headlights burning bright ahead of you
And someone's burning out, out on condor avenue
Trying to make a whisper out of you
What a shitty thing to say
Did you really mean it?
You never said a word to me about what passed between us
So now I'm leaving you alone
You can do whatever the hell you want to
Na, na, na, na, na, na.



All comments from YouTube:

@marknm

The man was truly a master at crafting those chord changes, with the stories behind the words. You could always tell his songs were never in it for the fame. I just wished I would've found out about him sooner.

@seanhinshaw3736

I feel the same. Elliott's been my favorite artist for many years now, but didn't discover him till a few months before he killed himself. One of my biggest regrets is never seeing him perform live..

@badmanners9141

Yes, elliott made these songs because he had to.. not for fame, but out of a necessity. He was one of a kind. My favorite songwriter 🖤

@waterfowl0

@@badmanners9141 it was his medicine

@bmcdermott32

I love everyone’s comments! I got a tattoo of the figure eight mural on my shoulder. This man had literally saved my life. Typing this is a trippy thing, because without him I’d be gone lol.!his music was not only genuine but genius . Beautiful soul he was.

@LtGregoryStevens

​@@seanhinshaw3736He didn't kill himself. He was brutally murdered by his girlfriend

1 More Replies...

@roiybenkel682

She took the Oldsmobile out past condor Ave.
And she locked the car and slipped past
Into rhythmic quietude
Lights burning
Voice dry and hoarse
I threw the screen door like a bastard back and forth
The chimes fell over each other
I fell onto my knees
The sound of the car driving off made me feel diseased
A sick shouting like you hear at the fairground
Now I'm picking up to put away anything of yours that's still around
I don't know what to do with your clothes or your letters
It'll make a whisper out of you
She took the Oldsmobile out past condor Ave.
The fairground's lit
A drunk man sits by the gate she's driving through
Got his hat tipped bottle back in between his teeth
Looks like he's buried in the sand at the beach
I can't think about you driving off to leave barely awake
To take a little nap while the road is straight
I wish that car had never been discovered
They took away the bottle and the hat he was under
That's the one thing that he could never do
And it'll make a whisper out of you
She took the Oldsmobile out past condor Ave.
Cops were running around the scene
Looking for some kind of clue
They never get uptight when a moth gets crushed
Unless a light bulb really loved him very much
I'm lying down
Blowing smoke from my cigarette
Little whisper smoke signs that you'll never get
You're in your Oldsmobile driving by the moon
Headlights burning bright ahead of you
And someone's burning out, out on condor Ave.
Trying to make a whisper out of you
What a shitty thing to say
Did you really mean it?
You never said a word to me about what passed between us
So now I'm leaving you alone
You can do whatever the hell you want to
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na

@erikagrl1

I can't help to think of 95 when Elliott was just introduced to me via a cassette my friend gave me and I was just a 17 year old trying to find herself in the world without a care of the future. I miss those days! His music is timeless and beautiful.

@Keiran19

Wow! What do you do now?

@williamcole60

I was born in 95 and Elliott is my favorite artist ever

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