What does a suicide machine do? It kills other people. It doesn't kill itself. Elliott was lamenting the fact that he'd been blamed for being a gloom and doom guy that causes other people to be unhappy and suicidal. Clearly he was being tired of having made out to be the sad guy that brings everyone else down.
But that's what people expected of him and that's what record producers and label guys wanted. Just like in 'New Monkey' where he refers to the monkey on his back...the expectations of labels for him to produce the dark stuff he was seen as having produced over the years. Clearly there were times when his music is uplifting and makes people feel wonderful but the focus became the Needle in the Hay type songs about loss and addiction and desperation.
Everyone I know saw him as a ray of hope...not a means to being depressed and desperate. His music offered hope to people who enjoyed it because they could relate to it.
I disagree with fall poetaster but only slightly.
What does a suicide machine do? It kills other people. It doesn't kill itself. Elliott was lamenting the fact that he'd been blamed for being a gloom and doom guy that causes other people to be unhappy and suicidal. Clearly he was being tired of having made out to be the sad guy that brings everyone else down.
But that's what people expected of him and that's what record producers and label guys wanted. Just like in 'New Monkey' where he refers to the monkey on his back...the expectations of labels for him to produce the dark stuff he was seen as having produced over the years. Clearly there were times when his music is uplifting and makes people feel wonderful but the focus became the Needle in the Hay type songs about loss and addiction and desperation.
Everyone I know saw him as a ray of hope...not a means to being depressed and desperate. His music offered hope to people who enjoyed it because they could relate to it.