First of all, the drums were not "added" later. The leaked versions that don't feature drums (or organ, but no one seems to have a problem with that being on the "New Moon" version) were shabby mixes thrown onto the internet just to get the songs out there. Go read about the production on "New Moon". They didn't add anything, they only removed tape hiss and smoothed things over. Some purist might say that's too much, but at least they didn't add anything. Please don't make things up based on assumptions.
Second, I too thought this was either about a lover or about himself. However, today I was listening to the song for the first time in years and it occurred to me that it's probably about his mother. She had remarried an abusive man named "Charlie" who pops up in Elliott's stuff occasionally. I think "you" is to his mother, and the "New Disaster" is Charlie. I think the image of a "ghost of your smile" is that his mother isn't happy with her life with Charlie, but won't admit it, so her smile is dead but makes phantom appearances on a rare occasion.
Anyway, that's my hypothesis. Give 'er a think-over and draw your own conclusions.
@yertrude Well. Sure there are plenty of evidence that Charlie Welch was a m f ker abuser, violently or even sexually.
@yertrude Well. Sure there are plenty of evidence that Charlie Welch was a m f ker abuser, violently or even sexually.
Now, I don't know why many people bite the hook about "Elliott's Mother being also a victim of Charly, and ongoing a spoiled marriage" thats utterly false. 1) Bunny, Elliott's mother was not a victim, was a complice of Charlie abuses because she, being his own mother never dare to do anything to stop them or dennounce them to the authorities, up to the point Elliot just left Texas and move with his biological father to Oregon, he was...
Now, I don't know why many people bite the hook about "Elliott's Mother being also a victim of Charly, and ongoing a spoiled marriage" thats utterly false. 1) Bunny, Elliott's mother was not a victim, was a complice of Charlie abuses because she, being his own mother never dare to do anything to stop them or dennounce them to the authorities, up to the point Elliot just left Texas and move with his biological father to Oregon, he was escaping from Charlie and the dispicable-negligent attitude of his own mother. 2) Bunny Welch was actually happy with his husband Charlie, she never left him, even know that most likely abused phisical or sexual to his own 1st biological son that is Elliot; even after Elliott's death the 2 m f kers Elliot and Bunny were seen buiyng a fancy estate in some middle class part of the USA thar I don't particulary remember, so the unhappy marriage was also a lie. You can understand that if you read that in the raw but magnificent "Tormented Saint" bio now here in 2022.
My interpretation is probably that Elliott wrote this song to a gal that just was willing to get stick to him even knowing that Elliott was a disfunctional guy so deep in drugaddiction. It may sound simple but kind of fits with his context.
Here's what I think.
First of all, the drums were not "added" later. The leaked versions that don't feature drums (or organ, but no one seems to have a problem with that being on the "New Moon" version) were shabby mixes thrown onto the internet just to get the songs out there. Go read about the production on "New Moon". They didn't add anything, they only removed tape hiss and smoothed things over. Some purist might say that's too much, but at least they didn't add anything. Please don't make things up based on assumptions.
Second, I too thought this was either about a lover or about himself. However, today I was listening to the song for the first time in years and it occurred to me that it's probably about his mother. She had remarried an abusive man named "Charlie" who pops up in Elliott's stuff occasionally. I think "you" is to his mother, and the "New Disaster" is Charlie. I think the image of a "ghost of your smile" is that his mother isn't happy with her life with Charlie, but won't admit it, so her smile is dead but makes phantom appearances on a rare occasion.
Anyway, that's my hypothesis. Give 'er a think-over and draw your own conclusions.
@yertrude I think you're right. I'm not even gonna read the other comments. Cheers.
@yertrude I think you're right. I'm not even gonna read the other comments. Cheers.
@yertrude Well. Sure there are plenty of evidence that Charlie Welch was a m f ker abuser, violently or even sexually.
@yertrude Well. Sure there are plenty of evidence that Charlie Welch was a m f ker abuser, violently or even sexually.
Now, I don't know why many people bite the hook about "Elliott's Mother being also a victim of Charly, and ongoing a spoiled marriage" thats utterly false. 1) Bunny, Elliott's mother was not a victim, was a complice of Charlie abuses because she, being his own mother never dare to do anything to stop them or dennounce them to the authorities, up to the point Elliot just left Texas and move with his biological father to Oregon, he was...
Now, I don't know why many people bite the hook about "Elliott's Mother being also a victim of Charly, and ongoing a spoiled marriage" thats utterly false. 1) Bunny, Elliott's mother was not a victim, was a complice of Charlie abuses because she, being his own mother never dare to do anything to stop them or dennounce them to the authorities, up to the point Elliot just left Texas and move with his biological father to Oregon, he was escaping from Charlie and the dispicable-negligent attitude of his own mother. 2) Bunny Welch was actually happy with his husband Charlie, she never left him, even know that most likely abused phisical or sexual to his own 1st biological son that is Elliot; even after Elliott's death the 2 m f kers Elliot and Bunny were seen buiyng a fancy estate in some middle class part of the USA thar I don't particulary remember, so the unhappy marriage was also a lie. You can understand that if you read that in the raw but magnificent "Tormented Saint" bio now here in 2022.
My interpretation is probably that Elliott wrote this song to a gal that just was willing to get stick to him even knowing that Elliott was a disfunctional guy so deep in drugaddiction. It may sound simple but kind of fits with his context.