I have noticed that a lot of times in Elliott's writing, "you" and "I" both refer to himself, and "he or she" refer to others. He seems to switch back and forth between referring to himself as "you" as if he's talking to himself, or "I" for effect.
So my take on this song is that Elliott has gone to visit someone he never expected himself to visit, to show them his lyrics and get their response to his music. I think this person features heavily in his lyrics, that that by writing the songs he was able to "tell him" something that he was unable to say otherwise [Why are you here?; Couldn't you tell him?; Were you afraid he'd hear?]. He takes off his shoes, but not his coat, or anything else because that "Would be bad news" (because he was leaving soon [disappearing] anyway?) So the man looks at his lyrics, "couldn't complain" and went and put on a different record, importantly a record without lyrics, a record "of quiet instrumentals" (presumably by Antonios Carlos Jobim). The man lies and tells him he liked his lyrics, his music, his collection of sour notes (painfull moments?). Elliott knows it's a lie, the man knows it's a lie.
Knowing a little about Elliott's history, it's easy to think this is about him showing Roman Candle to his step-father, who did feature heavily in the lyrics of that album and it's B-sides. But who knows, and unlike the songs which actually mention his step-father by name (Some Song, No Confidence Man, Flowers for Charlie), I don't want to make too many assumptions in this case, but it makes sense to me.
My one question: Who should have been thankful to be alone, the man or Elliott?
Continuing your theory, it would be Elliott telling himself he should be thankful to be alone. It's really a tragic place that writers get into... it's a craft that requires isolation and which leads to greater isolation, as one grows and has powerful experiences which objectively distinguish oneself from "herd-members'." So the writer gets into a sort of trap whereby the only way he can really communicate to more socially-integrated-types is through his writing. Which raises the stakes and makes it so devastating and existential dread-inducing when someone important fails to get it.
It's in the end, a...
Continuing your theory, it would be Elliott telling himself he should be thankful to be alone. It's really a tragic place that writers get into... it's a craft that requires isolation and which leads to greater isolation, as one grows and has powerful experiences which objectively distinguish oneself from "herd-members'." So the writer gets into a sort of trap whereby the only way he can really communicate to more socially-integrated-types is through his writing. Which raises the stakes and makes it so devastating and existential dread-inducing when someone important fails to get it.
It's in the end, a stoic mantra or lie that Elliott tells himself: "Be thankful to be alone, to be on your lonely path of being Elliot Smith."
@freja i think he may be refering to not getting the response he wanted and now the feeling of a lack of confidence. Because he didnt get a response that was reassuring to him. And he almost regrets showing it to anyone. I feel he's talking to himself.
@freja i think he may be refering to not getting the response he wanted and now the feeling of a lack of confidence. Because he didnt get a response that was reassuring to him. And he almost regrets showing it to anyone. I feel he's talking to himself.
I have noticed that a lot of times in Elliott's writing, "you" and "I" both refer to himself, and "he or she" refer to others. He seems to switch back and forth between referring to himself as "you" as if he's talking to himself, or "I" for effect.
So my take on this song is that Elliott has gone to visit someone he never expected himself to visit, to show them his lyrics and get their response to his music. I think this person features heavily in his lyrics, that that by writing the songs he was able to "tell him" something that he was unable to say otherwise [Why are you here?; Couldn't you tell him?; Were you afraid he'd hear?]. He takes off his shoes, but not his coat, or anything else because that "Would be bad news" (because he was leaving soon [disappearing] anyway?) So the man looks at his lyrics, "couldn't complain" and went and put on a different record, importantly a record without lyrics, a record "of quiet instrumentals" (presumably by Antonios Carlos Jobim). The man lies and tells him he liked his lyrics, his music, his collection of sour notes (painfull moments?). Elliott knows it's a lie, the man knows it's a lie.
Knowing a little about Elliott's history, it's easy to think this is about him showing Roman Candle to his step-father, who did feature heavily in the lyrics of that album and it's B-sides. But who knows, and unlike the songs which actually mention his step-father by name (Some Song, No Confidence Man, Flowers for Charlie), I don't want to make too many assumptions in this case, but it makes sense to me.
My one question: Who should have been thankful to be alone, the man or Elliott?
Continuing your theory, it would be Elliott telling himself he should be thankful to be alone. It's really a tragic place that writers get into... it's a craft that requires isolation and which leads to greater isolation, as one grows and has powerful experiences which objectively distinguish oneself from "herd-members'." So the writer gets into a sort of trap whereby the only way he can really communicate to more socially-integrated-types is through his writing. Which raises the stakes and makes it so devastating and existential dread-inducing when someone important fails to get it. It's in the end, a...
Continuing your theory, it would be Elliott telling himself he should be thankful to be alone. It's really a tragic place that writers get into... it's a craft that requires isolation and which leads to greater isolation, as one grows and has powerful experiences which objectively distinguish oneself from "herd-members'." So the writer gets into a sort of trap whereby the only way he can really communicate to more socially-integrated-types is through his writing. Which raises the stakes and makes it so devastating and existential dread-inducing when someone important fails to get it. It's in the end, a stoic mantra or lie that Elliott tells himself: "Be thankful to be alone, to be on your lonely path of being Elliot Smith."
@freja i think he may be refering to not getting the response he wanted and now the feeling of a lack of confidence. Because he didnt get a response that was reassuring to him. And he almost regrets showing it to anyone. I feel he's talking to himself.
@freja i think he may be refering to not getting the response he wanted and now the feeling of a lack of confidence. Because he didnt get a response that was reassuring to him. And he almost regrets showing it to anyone. I feel he's talking to himself.