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Miss Misery Lyrics
I'll fake it through the day
With some help from johnny walker red
Send the poison rain down the drain
To put bad thoughts in my head
Two tickets torn in half
And a lot of nothing to do
Do you miss me, miss misery
Like you say you do?
A man in the park
Read the lines in my hand
Told me i'm strong
Hardly ever wrong i said, "man, you're mean."
You had plans for both of us
That involved a trip out of town
To a place i've seen in a magazine
That you left lying around
I don't have you with me but
I keep a good attitude
Do you miss me, miss misery
Like you say you do?
I know you'd rather see me gone
Than to see me the way that i am
But i am in the life anyway
Next door the tv's flashing
Blue frames on the wall
It's a comedy of errors, you see
It's about taking a fall
To vanish into oblivion
Is easy to do
And i try to be but you know me
I come back when you want me to
Do you miss me miss misery
Like you say you do?
With some help from johnny walker red
Send the poison rain down the drain
To put bad thoughts in my head
Two tickets torn in half
And a lot of nothing to do
Do you miss me, miss misery
Like you say you do?
Read the lines in my hand
Told me i'm strong
Hardly ever wrong i said, "man, you're mean."
That involved a trip out of town
To a place i've seen in a magazine
That you left lying around
I don't have you with me but
I keep a good attitude
Do you miss me, miss misery
Like you say you do?
Than to see me the way that i am
But i am in the life anyway
Blue frames on the wall
It's a comedy of errors, you see
It's about taking a fall
To vanish into oblivion
Is easy to do
And i try to be but you know me
I come back when you want me to
Do you miss me miss misery
Like you say you do?
Song Info
Copyright
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Writer
Steven Paul Smith
Duration
3:12
Submitted by
blueandstarry On Jan 06, 2002
More Elliott Smith
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King's Crossing
Twilight (Somebody's Baby)
A Fond Farewell
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I believe most of you missed the meaning. To me, this is one of the most beautiful and accurate descriptions of major depression in modern music. Elliott's "Ms. Misery" is within him - it is the darkness from which he attempts to extricate himself. Sadly, this may not be possible and he knows this. "I know you'd rather see me gone than to see me the way that I am," he retorts within himself. There is hope here, as in "but I am in the life anyway," but it is impermanent and he ultimately resigns: "I try to be but you know me, I come back when you want me to."
When it is understood that Elliott's words are directed towards himself, we are immediately gripped by the knowledge that they foreshadow his fate. We can hope that Elliott has found some release from the suffering that resounds in these words - and those of us that found in him a truly empathic soul can be thankful that he gave us a voice of uncompromising honesty.
yes! you got it dead on. RIP Elliott
yes! you got it dead on. RIP Elliott
acm - That was my wife's first reaction to this song as well. Miss Misery is depression. She also felt that Fond Farewell to a Friend also spoke to depression. Great writer - no doubt.
acm - That was my wife's first reaction to this song as well. Miss Misery is depression. She also felt that Fond Farewell to a Friend also spoke to depression. Great writer - no doubt.
What acm said.
What acm said.
Every time I hear the line "it's about taking a fall/To vanish into oblivion, it's easy to do." I can't help but think of the time he jumped off a cliff and somehow survived. I think it was around the time this song was recorded, no?
Every time I hear the line "it's about taking a fall/To vanish into oblivion, it's easy to do." I can't help but think of the time he jumped off a cliff and somehow survived. I think it was around the time this song was recorded, no?
I'll try to break it down piece by piece, but overall you should be aware that "Miss Misery" is the concept of misery, not a person being represented. When depressed, there can be an attachment with feelings of sadness, so this is a song written like a ballet for "mysery".
I'll fake it through the day With some help from Johnny Walker Red (Johnny Walker is whisky, so he is drinking to get through the day, implying that he's depressed but masking his feelings)
Send the poison brain down the drain To put bad thoughts in my head (This is an alcohol reference, also aknowledging his depressive or nagative thoughts, often a sign of alcohol abuse)
Your two tickets torn in half And a lot of nothing to do (It doesn't say what the tickets are for because it's irrelivant, but it implies that he went "wherever" with someone else, the other "person" being "mysery")
Do you miss me, Miss Misery Like you say you do? (Depression "misery", is coaxing him back to "her")
A man in the park Read the lines in my hand Told me I'm strong Hardly ever wrong I said man you mean (I took this more literal, talking about a fortune teller whom said he was strong based on his palm reading. I believe Elliot is questioning the man on his prediction of Elliot's strength, since Elliot knows he is depressed and weak emotionally)
You had plans for both of us That involved a trip out of town To a place I've seen in a magazine That you left lying around (I believe this is an actual trip that was planned, but more of a retreat than a fun vacation. I should also point out that when he says "you" left lying around, he is still refering to himself in a depressive mood. When people are depressed they often don't take care of chores, which is why the magazine is laying around)
I don't have you with me But I keep a good attitude Do you miss me, Miss Misery Like you say you do? (When "misery is not around he has a good attitude, in good spirits)
I know you'd rather see me gone Than to see me the way that I am But I am in the life anyway (This is about suicide, "misery" would rather see him dead than living a "normal life")
Next door the TV's flashing Blue frames on the wall It's a comedy of errors, you see It's about taking a fall (Blue frames on the wall sets the mood for watching tv late night, this sets up the play on words he uses next to describe "the comedy of errors". Sort of like when a clown slips on a banana and we laugh, but translated into an emotional sense. This also plays into the first line "fake it through the day", how we laugh at things that's aren't funny to help us cope)
To vanish into oblivion Is easy to do ("oblivion" is a great word to describe the mind of someone in a depressive state, numb or spaced out)
And I try to be but you know me I come back when you want me to Do you miss me, Miss Misery Like you say you do? (This is restating "misery's" power over him, he will always return, which is the attachment or dependency to sadness I stated earlier)
@Cierra1985 I think the part about the man in the park reading hand's lines is a metaphor for a visit to the shrink, whose job is to tell you how "good and strong" you are to try to counterfeit your state of mind.
@Cierra1985 I think the part about the man in the park reading hand's lines is a metaphor for a visit to the shrink, whose job is to tell you how "good and strong" you are to try to counterfeit your state of mind.
@Cierra1985 I think the part about the man in the park reading hand's lines is a metaphor for a visit to the shrink, whose job is to tell you how "good and strong" you are to try to counterfeit your state of mind.
@Cierra1985 I think the part about the man in the park reading hand's lines is a metaphor for a visit to the shrink, whose job is to tell you how "good and strong" you are to try to counterfeit your state of mind.
It has recently come to my understanding that Elliott was heavily inspired by Danish existentialist Soren Kierkegaard. Upon hearing this, I was reminded of this excerpt from the aesthetic 'Either' portion of Kierkegaard's famous Either/Or:
"Besides my other numerous circle of aquaintances I have one more intimate confidant -- my melancholy. In the midst of my joy, in the midst of my work, he waves to me, calls me to one side, even though I physically stay put. My melancholy is the most faithful mistress I have known; what wonder, then, that I love her in return."
When coupled with that aphorism I view Elliott's Miss Misery as an attempt to find some form of consistency in one's life, even if it's rooted in depression. The end result sparks both regret and gratitude, and all attempts to break the relationship apart end in complete failure due to the reliance one has built for oneself on the paradoxical mode of living.
I've always enjoyed that it could be:
"Do you miss me? (Do you) miss Misery like you say you do"
or
"Do you miss me, Miss Misery, like you say you do"
I think Miss Misery is a recycling depression, whom the narrator is so commonly found with, it is like a lover.
Miss Misery could also be his addictions,
I try to be But you know me I come back when you want me to
also the chorus...
Do you miss me, miss misery like you say you do?
his addiction is being characterized as an ex girlfriend who lies about wanting him and being good for him. He knows its not the right thing to do, but he always goes back to her, and his addiciton
And maybe how as an artist he might even become a little frightened when he doesn't have misery driving him to write. when an artist who has developed a pattern of writing when he is in pain, is not in pain, when he's enjoying life it might seem frightening to no longer have pain to write about. When he's enjoying life it might seem to him that he has nothing to write about, which is ridiculous, but and at those moments he might actually "miss misery", miss feeling miserable. Which is an accurate description of the...
And maybe how as an artist he might even become a little frightened when he doesn't have misery driving him to write. when an artist who has developed a pattern of writing when he is in pain, is not in pain, when he's enjoying life it might seem frightening to no longer have pain to write about. When he's enjoying life it might seem to him that he has nothing to write about, which is ridiculous, but and at those moments he might actually "miss misery", miss feeling miserable. Which is an accurate description of the insidious little game of the way that addictions play/prey on a person. As if Miss Misery is telling him "you have nothing to say unless you are writing about pain, so come back to me." It's obviously untrue, but if he has developed a pattern of writing most often when he is depressed then he might be afraid to try something new, to try writing about joy instead.
I agree with acm. "Miss Misery" is his depression. He's felt depressed for so long that he begins to take comfort in it, and when he actually feels good for a little while, he knows that depression is lurking at the corner. So he compares his misery to a girl he has an ongoing relationship with. A girl that he doesn't want around, but then when she gets there, he just lays back and accepts her.
"You had plans for both of us that involved a trip out of town, to a place I've seen in a magazine that you left lying around."
I always thought this part was about suicide. The trip out of town meaning leaving the world. And it was her magazine, so it was Miss Misery's idea for him to do it.
beautifully written song, it doesn't get much better...
Like acm said, this is a beautiful song written about Elliott's depression. He was an amazing, painfully honest artist whose words will hopefully help others.
I think because of the fact that this song was featured in "Good Will Hunting," the meaning was misunderstood.
I agree with the last few comments, the timing of the song's placement in the film gives a false impression. The song can be interpreted as being about his own depression, but it can also be about a codependent relationship, that is, about two people with problems and the damage that they do to eachother.