| Elliott Smith – Division Day Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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@[junkbondtrader7:11033] As a victim of childhood abuse myself, I completely agree. This song is absolutely about abuse. There was grown man dying from fright So surprised by the things he'd say With a giant fantasy life Running 'round on feet of clay To me this is about the fact that Elliott, as a grown man, is still under the influence of the abuse. But a lack of awareness makes you easy to shatter, like clay, and surprised by your own reactions. Mostly they'd meet when he was Asleep and have some sick exchange That stuck him as wrong and moved him Along closer to division day He suffered the abuse (sick exchange) and it struck him as wrong, but he was too young to realize the gravity of the experience. It haunted him. |
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| Elliott Smith – Happiness/The Gondola Man Lyrics | 9 years ago |
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To me, a couple of Elliott's songs deal with his step father and child abuse. Division Day, Waltz #2, Christian Brothers, this one... I think this song is about the horrible abuse he suffered by his step-father, and his attempt to 'live a lie' of normalcy to protect his mom. 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 "Activity's killing the actor" - Elliott's act of normalcy in the face of his abuse is killing him. The car accident is the abuse he suffered. He reasons, as he waives his mother's attention away, there was nothing his mom could have done about it anyway. He was hurt when the abuse first started, 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 Elliott, by covering up the abuse, made his life a lie. To protect his mom he made his entire life fit around this lie. 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 Elliott is reasoning that involving his mom would just make everything worse. He knows, however, that his step-father will not disappear. He would stick around as long as his mom continued to 'remember in reverse', or remember the great guy she married, not the current abusive man. What I used to be will pass away and then you'll see That all I want now is happiness for you and me Elliott addressing this to his mother. He had a tough relationship with his mom (explored beautifully in Waltz #2), and I think this is the "no matter what ended up happening between us, I always just wanted what was best for the two of us." |
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