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Lou Reed – Perfect Day Lyrics 12 years ago
This song in no way explicitly mentions heroin. Its simply about putting one's problems on hold and ignoring real life to be with someone. You've taken that "someone" and interpreted it as heroin.

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Elliott Smith – Between the Bars Lyrics 16 years ago
I agree almost entirely. Drugs or a woman could be plugged into the alcohol's place. He's not literally "drinking" something. The alcohol is just a metaphor for something that he depends on to keep the bad thoughts at bay. He is "drinking" up one thing to get rid of another, if only temporarily.

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Elliott Smith – Happiness/The Gondola Man Lyrics 16 years ago
I told him he shouldn't upset her
And that he'd only be making it worse
Involving somebody else
But I knew that he'd never forget her
While her memory worked in reverse
To keep her safe from herself

Cheating is used here as a metaphor for him doing things to hurt her. He hurt her to push her away and now he knows that he loved her.

Her memory working in reverse is her forgetting him, or trying to, so she can cope with her own pain.

And, oh my, nothing else could've been done
She made her life a lie
So she might never have to know anyone
Made her life the lie you know

Now the girl is pretending. She was hurt in their relationship, and now she actively avoids relationships.

What I used to be will pass away and then you'll see
That all I want now is happiness for you and me

I think Elliott meant "pass away" as a death metaphor. What he used to be (all the bad parts) will die, but his love won't. He can't fix the past or what they had, but he wants both of their lives to be happy.

BTW, I meant to comment and not reply. Sorry. I'mma no0B

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Elliott Smith – Happiness/The Gondola Man Lyrics 16 years ago
Activity's killing the actor
And a cop's standing out in the road turning traffic away
There was nothing she could do until after
When his body'd been buried below
Way back in the day

The actor is someone who has been faking or pretending his way through life and the activity is something real(love) that has upset it.
The cop is that part of a person that pushes others away for fear of getting close.
"She" couldn't do anything for him (the actor/elliott) because he had already become this person that pushes people away sometime in his past (way back in the day)

Oh my, nothing else could've been done
He made his life a lie
So he might never have to know anyone
Made his life the lie you know

He has pretended to be something he's not, or put himself in a place where others can't reach him emotionally.

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