No Name #6 Lyrics

Lyric discussion by charcoalsketch 

Cover art for No Name #6 lyrics by Elliott Smith

i think he's saying

"you're pushing 90 through a pretty picture playing with the sound turned down"

that's what i hear at least.

@charcoalsketch I hear "pushing nightly" like forcing yourself to watch tv just to be doing something, anyhting.

'Pretty picture' I agree with, that would be the tv show/movie, whatever.

@charcoalsketch I think it's ninety, as in 90 mph, as he's talking about driving in the very next line. Also, the imagery of the stars, city, cows and cotton puts the setting outdoors, to me anyway.

On second thought, maybe the song just does actually say pushing 9, talking about a tv show, and the volume being at 9/10 on either his amp or the television, while the other is muted.. He once talked about writing Between the Bars while watching Xena Warrior Princess with the sound off. So it's all very confusing, but could be tied into that haha.

@charcoalsketch Yes! Well, I've always heard and continue to hear

you're pushing 90 through a pretty picture plain with the sound turned down we drive along between the cows and cotton saying, with the stars all around, "this time, we can't lose"