Pay No Mind (Snoozer)

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"Pay No Mind (Snoozer)"

Single by Beck
from the album Mellow Gold
Released	1994
Format	CD
Genre	Folk-rock
Length	3:14
Label	Geffen Records
Producer(s)	Rob Schnapf, Tom Rothrock
Beck singles chronology
"Loser" (1994)	"Pay No Mind (Snoozer)" (1994)	"Beercan" (1996)

"Pay No Mind (Snoozer)" is a single by Beck, taken from his first major label album Mellow Gold. Early demos of the song are available on We Like Folk... Who Cares... Destroy Us and Don't Get Bent Out Of Shape. Said to be one of the oldest songs on Mellow Gold, Beck has claimed that he wrote it as a struggling musician, at the age of 18 or 19. A simple folk-rock song with an understated harmonica solo, the song's lyrical content explores Beck's attitudes towards the music industry. The first verse describes a city, which, despite being decrepit and dirty, is filled with shopping malls. In the second verse, he expresses resent towards what he sees as the commercialism of major record labels focused on record sales and money, rather than artistic creativity. In the third verse, he concludes that, despite his negative stance, he is looking for a change, which getting signed would provide.

Beck has claimed that the song originally had ten verses, which were cut down for commercial release. On a limited number of Pay No Mind 12" vinyl albums, one can hear a version with an added stanza, which is inserted between the first and second verses of the standard Mellow Gold version. It should also be noted Got No Mind, a re-recorded, electric full-band arrangement of Pay No Mind, features three of the seven verses of Pay No Mind that were cut on Mellow Gold and is included on the single for Beercan.

First known to be played live in 1993, Pay No Mind is still a fan favourite and a staple of Beck's live shows. Beck is known for radically re-working the lyrics of the song whilst on stage, to include commentary on things as diverse as Tom Petty and 99 cent stores.

The Pay No Mind single includes three rare experimental tracks from Beck's early years, all of which feature Beck's voice being heavily distorted.