This has been my favorite Ben Folds Five song for years. My interpretation has always been along the lines of sehnsucht's, who read my mind and wrote my thoughts in his post.
I have many regrets that are hard to let go of, specifically the emotional pain I caused my family in my late teens and early twenties (arrests, rehab, etc.). In 'Smoke', I hear Ben begging and pleading with me to let go of the guilt because they forgave me a long time ago and I need to forgive myself. To me this song has always been about letting go of regret and being kind to yourself, all bundled with the optimism of the feelings that come with putting guilt in the rearview mirror and looking at what is in front of you right now.
This has been my favorite Ben Folds Five song for years. My interpretation has always been along the lines of sehnsucht's, who read my mind and wrote my thoughts in his post.
I have many regrets that are hard to let go of, specifically the emotional pain I caused my family in my late teens and early twenties (arrests, rehab, etc.). In 'Smoke', I hear Ben begging and pleading with me to let go of the guilt because they forgave me a long time ago and I need to forgive myself. To me this song has always been about letting go of regret and being kind to yourself, all bundled with the optimism of the feelings that come with putting guilt in the rearview mirror and looking at what is in front of you right now.