Big Empty

Album: Purple (1994)
Charted: 50
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Songfacts®:

  • 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.

    In this song, the key line is "conversations kill" - the idea that a discussion with a loved one can quickly lead to ruin. When pressed about the meanings behind these lyrically obtuse tracks, Weiland would sometimes pass them off as superficial. He once said "Big Empty" was "About f--king in the back seat of your car."
  • Stone Temple Pilots wrote this song for the 1994 supernatural action movie The Crow, and it first appeared on the soundtrack (they liked the song enough to later include it on their own album, Purple). 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.
  • According to the album liner notes, while the bulk of Purple was recorded in March 1994 (coincidentally the month before Kurt Cobain killed himself), this song was recorded nearly a year earlier on May 25, 1993. The band played the song live when they appeared on MTV Unplugged in November 1993. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Adrian - Brookings, SD
  • One line in the second verse goes "Her name is what it means." This line is a bit of a pun, referring to the similarities between the words "heroin" (the drug) and "heroine" (a female hero). Scott Weiland was known for frequent drug use throughout his musical career. He is saying that heroin is his heroine, that drugs are his hero. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Aki - Sunrise, FL
  • This is one of the few STP singles to be released without a music video. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Seth - Hebron, KY

Comments: 21

  • Carol Johnson from North CarolinaMy parents named me Carol because I was conceived at Christmas. The line "her name is what it means" has always spoken to me.
  • Charlie Brown from Usa, South CarolinaIf Weiland said the song was about sex in the back seat of a car then so he was probably being literal. I'm reminded of a story an old Army buddy told me about how he dated a German girl when he was overseas. Basically she was a teenager still in high school, he was a soldier on a US Army base stationed nearby. They knew this was a sex thing, she spoke a bit of English, and he had a car. They got together occasionally to hang out and have sex. After one of their sex sessions he drove her home, neither said a word to each other (except to say "goodbye", "see you later" etc.) Later she admitted to him that it was the best sex she ever had. Not that he was "the one", just that it was good sex. I assume when he left the German theater that was that- no more phone calls, no more relationship, letters, nada. He went his way, she knew one day he would be deployed or leave to go back home to the US forever. It was a sex thing, sure they acted like a couple and were happy in the moment but they both knew it wasn't going to last. I suppose a lot of relationships are like that- in a way sad. They weren't going to marry each other. Talking about their relationship would have only ruined it because they didn't really have a relationship. Now to the lyrics.

    "Driving faster in my car" - well, we can assume the sex thing happened and he is driving her back home. And driving faster to shorten the trip.

    "Falling farther from what just we are"- an allude to not having a real relationship at all, just sex. There's a tinge of implied guilt here.

    "Smoke a cigarette and lie some more"- what many do after having sex- smoke a cigarette. If you're smoking you can't talk, which is good because there's nothing to talk about anyway.

    "these conversation kill"- since there's nothing to talk about, having a conversation would just ruin the moment.

    "Falling faster in my car"- losing hope that this thing will last much longer.

    Time to take her home her dizzy head is conscious laden - driving the girl home, the tinge of regret is mutual.

    Time to take a ride it leaves today no conversation - a restating of the facts

    Time to wait too long... - both of them waiting for the ride home to end

    Conversations kill - ditto.
  • Cainã from Rio De Janeiro, BrasilFor me, the song is about someone who is in a superficial relationship, without the intention of getting any deeper connection about the girlfriend, or any perspective of future. It's about taking a "big empty" form of lifestyle, meaningless actions, meaningless relationships and lethargy.
  • Lynn from Monroe, La.Izzy from Dallas is spot on. Anyone with any degree of discernment can see it. First concert...Fox theatre Atlanta...on their Tiny music tour. Greatest performance I ever saw...and I've seen many... including Van Halen opening for the Stones(Some Girls Tour) 1978...also Boston, Heart, Halen, Blue Oyster Cult, Nazareth, etc...in the Superdome. Saw STP four times. Met Scott..and conversed for a while whilst on tour in Monroe..S.W. and Wildabouts. The Red Crested Rock God. Read his and the Ex's autobiographies. Happy in Galoshes is great (btw). STP has been the soundtrack of my soul ever since the Fox Theatre Show. Long Live Stone Temple Pilots!!!
  • John Wilkey from Lawrenceville, NjOnly Dying WAS the original track for The Crow soundtrack, but it is not the same song as Big Empty
  • John Lehmanthe song "the big empty" is about driving fast and drunk in montana and lieing about drug use. "her dizzy head is conscience laden". her is the drug. and conversations kill means the conversation in between law makers.
  • Izzy from DallasTo me this song is about suicide it's time to go to much
  • Bookbabe from New York, NyThis is "Angel of the Morning" from the point of view of a male heroin addict.
  • Brett from Avon Park , Flthis song though it ahd nothing to do with relationships helped me get through a hard breakup.... well it and staind.
  • Bret from Cleveland, OhUmmmm, this is the best song ever. If I'm at a dive bar, I have to hear this song. I just saw STP about 9 months ago, and they opened with this song.... AMAZING....

    Too bad Scott will never weigh over 75 lbs...
  • Nicholas Serro from Scottsdale, AzOne of Stone Temple Pilot's best songs. The lyrics are genius at approaching an "issue" of teenagers as seen by parents of using girls
  • Dan from Minneapolis, MnMy favorite stp song. Completely believe its about f***ing drunk girls in your car although I think he's having some remorse about it.Favorite line is "too much walkin shoes worn thin, too much trippin and my souls worn thin" been there
  • Oldpink from New Castle, InSure sounds like a dobro to me, but I could be wrong.
    Definitely a terrific song that didn't get nearly as much airplay as "Plush" or "Interstate Love Song."
  • G from Potomac, MdMarissa, hasn't he been on smack for all of his recordings?
  • Kali from Van Nuys, CaI met Scott at my job. His son was having a birthday party and I had the Greatest honor of being their Party Host :]
    He was pretty cool, I didn't really see him talk to anyone, he didn't even want to play Laser Tag! I mean...who wouldnt want to run around shooting a bunch of kids? Just kidding...
    Anyways...he was very polite when I asked him if he wanted a piece of cake though! LoL.

    I really wanted to talk to him and stuff but it was his kids bday party so I didn't want to take away from his time with his family.

    All I really wanted to say was...
    Big Empty is Such an amazing Song! I Love STP! <3
  • Kali from Van Nuys, CaI met Scott at my job. His son was having a birthday party and I had the Greatest honor of being their Party Host :]
    He was pretty cool, I didn't really see him talk to anyone, he didn't even want to play Laser Tag! I mean...who wouldnt want to run around shooting a bunch of kids? Just kidding...
    Anyways...he was very polite when I asked him if he wanted a piece of cake though! LoL.

    I really wanted to talk to him and stuff but it was his kids bday party so I didn't want to take away from his time with his family.

    All I really wanted to say was...
    Big Easy is Such an amazing Song! I Love STP! <3
  • Jeremy from Miramici, CanadaI think this song is about picking girls up in a bar, and after a while how the sex is meaningless. He keeps saying these conversations kill, and by that I think he means that he would like to fall in love and have a conversation with a girl to mean something, not just to get in her pants.....gotta love stp tho, beautiful song.
  • Marissa from Simsbury, Cti love this song. i'm only sorry that weiland made better music strung out on smack...gaahh.
  • Jake from Burke, VaBig Empty was featured in the movie "The Crow." Brandon Lee was killed while filming the movie.
  • Daniel from Springfield, MaWhen I play it on my Alvrez 12-String the whole room lights up on the chorus. Simply one of the most beautiful, anthemic choruses I've ever heard. I get teary eyed.
  • Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScNo comments? This I think, is one of STP's best. I like the sound of this song and the instrumentation. Is someone playing a doborogh on this track? If it is, that gives the song a bluesy feel. I like it.
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