The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Why are you here?
Couldn't you tell him?
Were you afraid he'd hear?
You should have been thankful to be alone
You took off your shoes
Said anything further
Would be bad news
'Cause you'd already started to disappear
And he couldn't complain
Just looked at your lyric
And crossed over to play
A record of quiet instrumentals
Said I like what you wrote
This a record
full of sour notes
Should have been thankful to be alone
Said I like what you wrote
But don't say you mean it
When you know you don't
You should have been thankful to be alone, you know (x2)
You should have been thankful to be alone
Couldn't you tell him?
Were you afraid he'd hear?
You should have been thankful to be alone
You took off your shoes
Said anything further
Would be bad news
'Cause you'd already started to disappear
And he couldn't complain
Just looked at your lyric
And crossed over to play
A record of quiet instrumentals
Said I like what you wrote
This a record
full of sour notes
Should have been thankful to be alone
Said I like what you wrote
But don't say you mean it
When you know you don't
You should have been thankful to be alone, you know (x2)
You should have been thankful to be alone
Lyrics submitted by Da_Goat
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I don't quite get why solo Elliott Smith songs have mountains of comments but Heatmiser songs, even the ones by him, barely have any except for some of the ones he played again later solo. What? Oh, right, the actual song.
I think it might be about disagreeing with the other members in a band, one of whom the song is directly addressed to ("but don't say you mean it/when you know you don't") and the other who doesn't seem to be there, but also doesn't agree. (and he couldn't complain/just looked at your lyric/etc.) If someone looked at lyrics and then proceeded to play instrumentals, that could mean they didn't like the lyrics.
@1017998808 interesting take on this. Another paralell would be antonio amd elliott were both songwriters. To this day most people who were born and growing up in 1994 didnt know who Antonio was but i learned through Heatmiser.
I don't like the majority of Heatmiser stuff because it's so generic but there's at least an album full of good songs and this is one of them.
I have noticed that a lot of times in Elliott's writing, "you" and "I" both refer to himself, and "he or she" refer to others. He seems to switch back and forth between referring to himself as "you" as if he's talking to himself, or "I" for effect.
So my take on this song is that Elliott has gone to visit someone he never expected himself to visit, to show them his lyrics and get their response to his music. I think this person features heavily in his lyrics, that that by writing the songs he was able to "tell him" something that he was unable to say otherwise [Why are you here?; Couldn't you tell him?; Were you afraid he'd hear?]. He takes off his shoes, but not his coat, or anything else because that "Would be bad news" (because he was leaving soon [disappearing] anyway?) So the man looks at his lyrics, "couldn't complain" and went and put on a different record, importantly a record without lyrics, a record "of quiet instrumentals" (presumably by Antonios Carlos Jobim). The man lies and tells him he liked his lyrics, his music, his collection of sour notes (painfull moments?). Elliott knows it's a lie, the man knows it's a lie.
Knowing a little about Elliott's history, it's easy to think this is about him showing Roman Candle to his step-father, who did feature heavily in the lyrics of that album and it's B-sides. But who knows, and unlike the songs which actually mention his step-father by name (Some Song, No Confidence Man, Flowers for Charlie), I don't want to make too many assumptions in this case, but it makes sense to me.
My one question: Who should have been thankful to be alone, the man or Elliott?
Continuing your theory, it would be Elliott telling himself he should be thankful to be alone. It's really a tragic place that writers get into... it's a craft that requires isolation and which leads to greater isolation, as one grows and has powerful experiences which objectively distinguish oneself from "herd-members'." So the writer gets into a sort of trap whereby the only way he can really communicate to more socially-integrated-types is through his writing. Which raises the stakes and makes it so devastating and existential dread-inducing when someone important fails to get it.<br /> It's in the end, a stoic mantra or lie that Elliott tells himself: "Be thankful to be alone, to be on your lonely path of being Elliot Smith."
@freja i think he may be refering to not getting the response he wanted and now the feeling of a lack of confidence. Because he didnt get a response that was reassuring to him. And he almost regrets showing it to anyone. I feel he's talking to himself.
pretty much agree with cavauro. elliotts my favourite thing in the world and there are probably 9 or 10 great heatmiser tunes but theres also a lot of crap and a lot of the production on the albums sounds like shit. they made great songs into pretty average material. which is why i reckon people dont comment on them much.
as for the meaning, not a clue im afraid
I think it is about a friend who's visiting him. She used to be alone but now she is a guy and this person is intensely jealous. So now she can't really visit anyone and she's even afraid to take of her shoes because her boyfriend could take it the wrong way. And Elliott thinks that she would be better off alone. I think the instrumentals part is a metaphor.
Okay so this interpretation isnt perfect but that's what i always think when i hear this song.
Obviously I meant "she is with a guy" but thats a pretty funny typo
Been digging up this ditch for a long time now So I can push my temper underneath the ground Where there’s room for me and you Come on, don’t be a fool I can’t get out underneath this dirty cool Die laughing Die laughing You just get angry, man You just get upset And you lie quiet but you can’t get used to it So we curl up in here in this dirty cool And we’re laughing And we’re laughing and crying too Die laughing Die laughing I hear you now Die laughing Why can’t you be happy? Why aren’t you now? Die laughing I can hear you now
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All Comment Types (1) View by:Highest RatedMost RecentOldest First General Comment Whatever it's about, it's definitely not about showing ram candle to his step dad, cause he never showed anything to his step dad, or talked to him, since after his childhood.
Under don't think it's a out anything that specific as ppl metioned, but trying to get something across to someone through a song def figures heavily, and that personal lying about liking a song and/or sentiment attached to it. I'd say heatmiser is as t least as good as Elliott solo (with the exception of the first album). A band that contains proficient musicians for every instrument has alot more dynamic then Elliott's attempts at being playing every instrument. Elliott's drumming, bad splaying, etc just meets the barr minimum where's heatmiser is thoroughly proficient in every aspect.