Got No Mind
By: Beck Hansen

Written by: Beck Hansen

Versions:
  1. Got No Mind (4:20)
    Available on Beercan.
    Credits
    Beck Hansen: Producer, Vocals
    Tom Grimley: Producer
 
Lyrics:
Got No Mind [Version (a)]:

Tonight, the city is turned off
Look at me, I'm wearing your shirt and it's burnt
The sensuous morons are dissing you, dissing me
Keeping the friendship in massive supply
That's why I got no mind, I got no mind, I got no mind

Give the finger to the folksinger
I'm sure he'll appreciate it deeply
And where there's smoke and there's grease and an unperfect peace
The free and easy let-down will make it all come alive
That's why I got no mind, I got no mind, got no mind

That's why I got no mind, I got no mind, I got no mind

The makeshift scene, mildly insulting
You really said it when you said I was just a scavenger
There's a headbanging corpse, just take it to the source
Take the plug, unplugged, plug it up, rip the plug right out of the wall
That's why I got no mind, I got no mind, I got no mind

I got no mind, I got no mind, I got no mind
Pump up the volume! Pump up the volume!
Pump up the volume! Pump up the volume!
 
The Song:

"Got No Mind" is an electric, full-band rearrangement of "Pay No Mind," available on the "Beercan" single. It's a mellow performance, with some solid drumming and cool electric guitar. It has a kind of grunge-lite sound, with lyrics to match.

"Pay No Mind" is a statement against commercialism, that also expresses the struggles of life as a musician trying to find success. "Got No Mind," like its music, is a bit more grunge-y and spontaneous with rousing lines like "Take the plug, unplug, plug it up, rip the plug right out of the wall!" and images of "an unperfect peace," being dissed, and head-banging corpses. There's even some self-loathing--"Give the finger to the folk singer / I'm sure he'll appreciate it deeply."
 
Live:

Played live 13 times:
Earliest known live version: April 20, 1994
Latest known live version: December 18, 1994

Beck usually plays the acoustic "Pay No Mind" on stage, instead of the electric "Got No Mind." On his earliest tours in 1994, his band, however, tended to do a lot of grunge rock on stage, and "Got No Mind" certainly fit with that.

The version on June 29 1994 was a good one. The "look at me, I'm wearing your shirt and it's burnt" line was replaced with "there's a ball swinging around, starting to come down." An "unperfect peace" became a "total rancid peace," while Beck gave the finger to "the guy in Winger"!