Twilight (Somebody's Baby)

I "dated" a junkie and this song really resonates with me... You can never truly date an addict... You will always come second in their life... Even when they're "in" a relationship with you, they're never really there. Sure, there were good times. But looking back, its more like a few smiles and laughs lost in a sea of depression. Those few fleeting moments when you can pretend to be "normal"; pretend not have problems; pretend not to wake up every morning so sick from withdrawals that you want to die... Have you ever seen someone detox from heroin? Waking up every morning wanting to die? Doing whatever it takes to just "not get sick"?

To me, "twilight" means being caught somewhere in between... the feeling that you know you're about to come down from being high... that you are happy in this moment, but you know it's going to end... Being caught between wanting to function like a normal person in a healthy, loving relationship but understanding that your addiction is your life... That deep down in your guy, no matter how many times you try, you won't be able to get clean. Heroin - it's my wife and it's my life...

This song remind me of the way my ex-boyfriend used to look at me in the morning when we woke up next to each other... Big, blue puppy dog eyes.. Something so sad and desperate... He never wanted to leave... He was safe and happy in that moment... with me... lying tangled in each others arms... holding on to me so tight, scared to be alone... holding out for as long as he could till he could no longer handle the withdrawal pains.. till the pain became intolerable...

Then, he would rise from the warmth and comfort of my cozy bed... to go face the cold reality of the world... to go score...

The illusion was crushed - he was a junkie. He could pretend we were happy. That our relationship was real. But it was just a distraction... a distraction from the cold, cruel truth: He no longer had control of his life. He could no longer function. His addiction had taken over his life and it was stronger than him.

I agree with AccidentProne, I think when he says he's "already somebody's baby" he's saying he belongs to drugs. A lot of times people refer to heroin or whatever drug they do as their first love, and I think that's the connection he's making in this song. The girl wants to be there for him, and he knows it, but he also has already resigned himself to the fact that drugs are his first love.

The girl he's talking to says: i'm nice to you i could make it through that you're already somebody's baby

She wants to try to save him, or at least somehow be a comfort to him. She tells him she's willing to put up with his addiction. But he responds with: and if i went with you i'd disappoint you too

He doesn't want to get involved with her because he knows that his drug addiction will only hurt her in the end.

Definitely a relationships song. Looking for a drugs connection is an easy option but in this case I think it's wrong to do so.

This has easily been my favourite song the past six months. Every time I play it, I shut down everything around me and become absorbed in it's beauty. It's a song I know I will still love 60 years from now. I can't wait to introduce my own children to Elliott Smith one day.

I realize that most die-hard elliott smith fans are looking for meaning past his hardcore addition to herion, and I realize that a lot of his songs were not about heroin. I also understand how fans will get angry when a vague song is interpreted as being about heroin.

It's obvious to me that this whole song is a huge analogy between a woman, himself (whether it be elliott or a character he's putting himself in the shoes of), and heroin. Sorry all you die-harders. It's almost as if some of you are looking past the obvious in order to not come out with a heroin-esque meaning, like you think that cheapens his music. Well it doesn't. As a matter of fact, that's one of the biggest reasons why I like elliott smith. You can just hear the pain, the addiction, the inner struggle, everything. It's all beautiful. If 100% of his songs were about heroin, I would still love the music.

Anywho, to my interpretation:

She=girl he likes It=heroin I'm already somebody's baby = Elliott belongs to heroin

Hear me out all you anti-heroin lyric fools:

Elliott (or his character) is in love with a girl, and the girl is in love with her. However, both of their hearts belong to heroin first, meaning, heroin is more important than love at this level of addiction.

most beautiful song ever.

After reading all about Elliott's life through various interviews and facts, it seems to me that this song may have been written to himself.

"Haven't laughed this hard in a long time I better stop now before I start crying"

I see this as possibly as his own response to his suicide. He's laughing because it had finally happened, he repeatedly spoke openly of suicide and was into heavy drug use.

"She's a sight to see She's good to me I'm already somebody's baby"

Elliott's ex-roommate Sean Crogan stated in an interview with Blender magazine that him and Elliott "were both total depression junkies" Crogan also said in that interview that “We would go out together and sit at the bar and cry. A lot. Young Man’s Disease — that’s what Elliott’s dad called it.”

I think his baby is depression, turning away happiness.

"You're wonderful And it's beautiful But I'm already somebody's baby"

"You don't deserve to be lonely But those drugs you got won't make you feel better Pretty soon you'll find it's the only Little part of your life you're keeping together"

He doesn't want to be depressed-- he doesn't want it but he loves and hates it at the same time. Possibly he feels comfort in being sad but at the same time he wants an alternative(drugs) to his acceptance of depression.

His drug use doesn't make him feel better but he's addicted, and he realizes that it's all he has left. He doesn't operate normally when he's craving drugs all of the time-- he doesn't feel anything but the need for more. He knows he needs to have constant use and it will be impossible to make him feel normal/sober.

This is just how I interpret the song now that I know more about Elliott. It is probably all false it just seemed to all click for me. Make of it what you will.....

go off to sleep in the sunshine - sunshine refers to heroin (it makes you warm) dont want to see the day when its dieing - dont want to get off it

because your candle burns too bright - she gets too high almost forgot it was twilight - forgot you have to come down eventually

I think some of the lyrics are wrong though...

this song really hits me

fuck, I miss him so much

today is a year.

Its pretty clear that he is talking with a girl about his drug "relationship" and how he feels he will let her down, and is discouraging her. But she clearly won't let go. And at the end, he realizes how late its gotten (after stating an absolutely gorgeous compliment, "because your candle burns so bright, well I almost forgor it was twilight), and can't discuss it anymore. While he then goes on to say how amazing she is "youre wonderful, its beautiful", his decision in the end is obvious as he continues to reiterate that he is taken.
Damn that white lady. Miss you elliott