Lyrics:

The Song:

"Pay No Mind" is a classic. It's an old one too: Beck says he first wrote it when he was 18 or 19. (This is backed up by many of his introductions to the song, like the one on February 10, 1997 as a "a power ballad from 1989". While on the radio on June 16, 1996, he called it a "teenage song.")

Musically, it is a simple folk song at its core, but for Mellow Gold, Beck filled it out with a band. It also includes his finest recorded harmonica solo, simple and understated. The song is one of the more ever-changing songs he has: lyrics and verses get switched up, added, and improvised all the time. There is even a re-recorded more grungey, electric version (with all different lyrics) called "Got No Mind."

And while Beck has said the song originally had like ten different verses, what is on the record has been edited down into a cohesive theme: Beck's harsh portrayal of the music business. Perhaps these verses are newer than 1989, and more in line with his 1993 mindset and success. The first verse is a critical blasting of commercialism, though it is not yet focused on the music business exactly. There is a lot of "manure" being sold, and bought, and the only solution is to "pay no mind."

The next verse moves into the music business specifically. One can imagine Beck, in his dealings with major labels, being shown sales graphs of "successful" artists that look like a "giant dildo crushing the sun." Perhaps Beck received some criticism for joining a major label, or his decision was at odds with some artistic ideals. In the long run, he's just going to ignore the philosophical contradictions in joining the big corporate machines, and the second and third verses are his reasons why. It's interesting that Beck felt the need to explain or defend himself here, but he reaffirms his decision by acknowledging the bad side ("Give the finger to the rock and roll singer / As he's dancing upon your paycheck"), but realizing some of the good.

The third verse confirms he's been looking for an escape or, at least, a change ("The insects are huge and the poison's all been used / And the drugs won't kill your day job"). As Beck said on September 1, 1996, "I'm gonna send this one out to the anti-folk situation that was happening when I first went to New York. Probably in '88 or something. Take it back to '88! This song came out of that time. Livin' good."

As mentioned earlier, Beck has stated that the song has numerous other verses. This is most likely true, as in most live performances of the song, he rarely sings the song as he did on record. (He turned three alternate verses into "Got No Mind." There is also a rare extended version with an extra verse of "Pay No Mind" on some rare pressings of Mellow Gold.)

Live:

Played live 155 times:
Earliest known live version: July 23, 1993
Latest known live version: August 14, 2023

Live "Pay No Mind" fluctuates between Beck playing it alone or with a band, electric or acoustic, lyrics like the record or improvised. It's these changes which make the song so enjoyable. Interestingly, with some cool exceptions, it's pretty much always three verses long -- you just don't know which verses you're going to get!

Beck did a completely absurd interview on Modern Rock Live on the radio in February 1994 to promote Mellow Gold. Among his spinning wild tales and flat out lying to the hosts, he answered phone calls and did a live version of "Pay No Mind." Of course, he completely improvised seven verses, somewhat commenting on the mindlessness of these types of interviews (among other things!). He seems to be self-referencing the radio studio, the hosts, the fans calling in with questions, everything. Beck is brilliant:

Tonight the city is full of radios and all the distortion pedals are melted
There's Sonic Youth posters nailed up onto the ceiling
And the roof is falling down onto my brain
That's why I got no mind, I got no mind

Somebody burned down the picnic, and somebody kissed their own ass by mistake
And the cliches are getting eaten up by the termites with the malt liquor
With the guitar tuners and the Pussy Galore song
That's why I play all night, I got no mind

Well the big radio sound is pumping up and down, jumping through the hoops
Making every motion seem like forever
There's air conditioning and brand new nails and phone calls from people in Chicago
That's why I pay no mind, got no mind, stay outside

So turn up the levels and talk to your devils and bust out your tennis shoes and your mayonnaise
It's all the situations and all the celebrations and all the contaminations
They make you breath off the carpet
And that's why I pay no mind, got no mind, [coughs] might need a cough drop

Well there's verses and sounds falling like
Pounds and pounds of sand weights from the heavens
And she dangles like a bottle, talking through the steering wheels and broken pantyhose
That's why I pay no mind, sleep in slime, put out CDs

The amplifiers are amplifying the things that you never knew
Could ever be the same as you
There's wires and plugs and slugs slithering out into the paint thinner
That's why I pay no mind, I pay no mind, got no mind

Your swivel chairs and sunglasses and your fully blown-out scenes of ecstasy
Turn up the volume and the treble
And call 'em all the nasty things that you can stick into your paper with your pen
Shove your pen up into the air, write everything like you just don't care
But it feels good when you pull off the scenery
And there's puppets and dollar bills and there's weight loss pills
And there's cherries and potato chips and the time is running low
There's nowhere else to go, so let's go down
6-6-6 up into, I'm raising all my lows and I'm lowering all my disappointments

More promotion of Mellow Gold led Beck to play on 120 Minutes, the alternative-rock show on MTV. While there, he played a beautiful "Pay No Mind." It's the only version of this song, I think, I've ever heard where Beck fingerpicks his guitar, instead of strums. Lyrically, not much is different, except the first and last lines have bits of other songs in them. The first line is "Tonight the city is totally lame, everything's uptight and perky," which borrows from "MTV Makes Me Want To Smoke Crack." The last line is "The insects are huge and the poison's all been used / And saw them kiss their own ass by mistake."

Another new verse, September 1 1994: "Give the finger to the folksinger, it soundds like you got a wedding gown / A nervous bride ready to collide with the sound / Of the sun taking over to the moon."

The band plays "Pay No Mind" on November 28 1994. It's a full electric version, and he flipflops between "got" and "pay no mind." As usual, he adapts his "give the finger" line to "Give the finger to the dishwasher, cleaning all the plates." He ends the song with "The drugs won't kill your shopping list."

The second verse on December 1 1994 is sort of new:

Give the finger to the folk singer, I'm sure he'll appreciate it deeply
'Cause where there's smoke and there's grease and your hand's on the lease
Receipt is burned, receipt, it's repetition

The second verse on July 28 1995 is again ripe for some improvising.

Give the finger to the folk singer, ??? burns out words
Sales ridin' low through the garbage pail glow
Down below where the winos froze

At the Bridge School Concert on October 28 1995, it is now:

Give the finger to the rock and roll singer as he's dancing down on your meal ticket
The sale ride low through the garbage pail glow
Down below through the ghetto-blasting sun

The last two lines about the "garbage pail glow" and the "ghetto-blasting sun" appear on most live versions after 1995, actually.

Beck has fun with "Pay No Mind" on July 21 1996. The whole show, he's talkative, giving speeches about the sea and dropping anchor in Holland and things. He's got such a way with words! So when he gets to "Pay No Mind," he changes the lyrics some more. The "give the finger line" is tonight "so give the finger to the ship captain / As he's pulling up, hoisting up the main sail." Beck's on top of it!

During the Odelay tours of 1996 and 1997, "Pay No Mind" was generally performed as a full band arrangement. It's not folky like on Mellow Gold, or grungy like "Got No Mind," but more a smooth soft rock tune. Beck's harmonica solo is the highlight, usually, and Beck doesn't really improvise with the lyrics so much anymore.  For some reason, Beck has serious trouble with the lyrics on August 5 1997. The band arrangement is cool though, I'm really digging this arrangement.

Beck gives the finger to yet another folksinger on February 10 1997: "So give your finger to the folksinger / A wide array of 18th-century balladry of Scottish descent."

After the Odelay tour ended in 1997, there really were not many "Pay No Mind"s for a few years. It re-appeared in the acoustic set on February 19 2000, in Philadelphia, on the first leg of the Vultures tour. After that, the song was played quite frequently in the acoustic sets throughout the remainder of the tour. On May 2 2000, Beck gave the finger to the "boy band singer."

The few shows Beck has done at the end of 2001 and 2002 have all begun with "Pay No Mind." Many of these versions don't have rewritten verses like above, but instead Beck sings and rambles stories and songs. I've made a new page for these here. The song continues as an on-again, off-again acoustic set highlight.

2014
On the Morning Phase tours, Beck played "Pay No Mind" just one time. That one time was actually as a duet with Jack White, who joined for a few songs at Beck's show in Providence, Rhode Island. Since Beck never did it before or after that night, I assume Jack requested to do it. It sounded terrific too. In the past, Beck has played "Pay No Mind" with a band, but it often was a more laidback-type sound (think like a "Jack-ass"). But with Jack joining the band, the song had more electricity and dynamicism. One of my favorite versions of this old classic ever, for sure.