This song amps me up in a way no other Elliott Smith song has; the tremolo guitar work that starts about 1:19 into it, flows across multiple voices and into the last chorus shows an artist at his prime of technical ability. But along with the heat and dazzle, is an urgency and poignancy -- when will the worst part be over? now? now? now?
This song is about a confrontation with someone's unrealistic expectations from other people, from the world. The root topic isn't clear, and that makes it better art -- everyone holds something in themselves that needs to hear this, that needs correcting.
My favorite lines are "do I have to guess like everyone else" and "you think I'm mean 'cause I call you out" -- I know people that won't say what they mean, and only through inference can you tell what's going on with them -- and the same person can dish it out but can't take it. So they think others are mean when that get called on their own BS.
Move over, Speed Trials, Almost Over is my new favorite Elliott Smith song...
This song amps me up in a way no other Elliott Smith song has; the tremolo guitar work that starts about 1:19 into it, flows across multiple voices and into the last chorus shows an artist at his prime of technical ability. But along with the heat and dazzle, is an urgency and poignancy -- when will the worst part be over? now? now? now?
This song is about a confrontation with someone's unrealistic expectations from other people, from the world. The root topic isn't clear, and that makes it better art -- everyone holds something in themselves that needs to hear this, that needs correcting.
My favorite lines are "do I have to guess like everyone else" and "you think I'm mean 'cause I call you out" -- I know people that won't say what they mean, and only through inference can you tell what's going on with them -- and the same person can dish it out but can't take it. So they think others are mean when that get called on their own BS.
Move over, Speed Trials, Almost Over is my new favorite Elliott Smith song...