Easy Way Out

Yeah, very ironic if you think about it that way. But I think the song is more about a manipluative friend or lover who controls you and takes advantage of you, then splits, hence the "i heard you found another audience to bore" and "the invisible man who's always changing clothes." But maybe I'm just applying it to my real-life situations.

i think its about him. hes talking like third person.

A lot of Elliott's songs are autobiographical in nature, and he then transposes it into a third person, or a narrative format. The first verse appears to be referring more to a friend. The second verse seems to be referring to a lover who is never satisfied, and continues to move on from one person to another. It continues into the bridge, "with the problem, with the puzzle/Whatever's left of you," as if the person is slowly decaying because of their exploits. And then eventually, the subject begins to rebuild themselves with an emotional papier mache, creating a new person to show off to people, in an attempt to form new opinions of them.

this is about elliott criticizing himself for never facing himself, making himself change to be a better person. instead he tries to take advantage of ppl, buries it in other ppl, tries to seek attention from audience. essentially it is about selfishness. taking the easy way out could of course be a euphemism for suicide--if not the direct action more so a patter of self destructive behavior as i have mentioned earlier, still ending in a deprecated view of himself. like any piece of literature we convey our meaning onto and from it--hence its universal and relatable qualities. however, for as much as elliott got a lot of things, he missed so much as well. rip man.

The creative thinker / body-to-push-around part of the song is mysterious-- unless it refers to his mother, or a half-sibling. I can't help thinking the song has to do with his stepfather. Charlie may have thought he was being used when Elliott started writing songs alleging abuse and using Charlie's name. Supposedly around 1998 Charlie wrote Elliott a letter apologizing for being so hard on him. Elliott might have considered writing a letter to make up for destroying someone's childhood an "easy way out." But Elliott also said in interviews that the person involved in his abuse had become a changed man. That would have left Elliott without an enemy. He still had his childhood issues, but no focus for them. The line "I got stuck on a side you know I never chose" certainly sounds like he got stuck on his mother's side of the family.

I think it's definitely a big "eff you" to a manipulative/deceiving person. But it's weird how themes like that happen without meaning to.

I agree with all those interpretations which state that this may be a self description lyric. As Elliott admited he got overwhelmed by hearted relationships ao he just got away, probably being sucide his last Esasy Way Out from the troublefull relationship he had with Chiba.

i agree with the third person bit...and i love that. it makes the song more universal, diverting attention away from himself which seems characteristic, and then allowing the listener to adapt the meaning to fit themselves and in any way they see fit.

A hostile song, but i think "you'll take advantage til you think you're being used cos' without an enemy your anger gets confused " could be more specific about someone else. Like someone he just totally despises, himself, his stepfather?

Agree with the comment above -- he's speaking to/about himself and with some real sarcasm and disdain, as is obvious in the last verse. I think he must have been written during an especially bad time.

Agree with the comment above -- he's speaking to/about himself and with some real sarcasm and disdain, as is obvious in the last verse. I think he must have been written during an especially bad time.