In Autumn De Wilde's (Elliott's photographer) new book "Elliott Smith", she interviewed Joanna Bolme (Elliott's girlfriend). Joanna talks about the meaning of this song specifically. Here's an outtake from the book, in Joanna's words...
"Pretty Mary K": That's a cryptic song; there's something about some sort of nurturing that wasn't...like seeking that out and not being able to get it. Elliott plays the drums on that one. There's weird drumming on that song...It's about a soldier that ends up in a hospital. Mary K is a nurse. That song is really personal. We never got into it. Maybe it's a metaphor for a combative person who's fighting off nurturing and then realizes that he lost it, and so he tries to find it again. But it's too late; she's already gone."
I think Joanna has it right (and not for nothing, but I think Joanna's word holds some serious gravity when dealing with Elliott's lyrics).
In Autumn De Wilde's (Elliott's photographer) new book "Elliott Smith", she interviewed Joanna Bolme (Elliott's girlfriend). Joanna talks about the meaning of this song specifically. Here's an outtake from the book, in Joanna's words...
"Pretty Mary K": That's a cryptic song; there's something about some sort of nurturing that wasn't...like seeking that out and not being able to get it. Elliott plays the drums on that one. There's weird drumming on that song...It's about a soldier that ends up in a hospital. Mary K is a nurse. That song is really personal. We never got into it. Maybe it's a metaphor for a combative person who's fighting off nurturing and then realizes that he lost it, and so he tries to find it again. But it's too late; she's already gone."
I think Joanna has it right (and not for nothing, but I think Joanna's word holds some serious gravity when dealing with Elliott's lyrics).