I believe the song is referencing both Texas and Portland as the setting. First, Rose City is a small town in east Texas in the area code 409. But then Portland is known as "the Rose City" and has the MAX Yellow Line, which goes through the Rose Quarter. I'm not sure which one has the "F-train", but I imagine it's probably Portland.
Elliott left Texas at 14, supposedly because his step father was abusive and his mother was distant, at least. They may also have had drinking problems. The lyrics from 'Waltz No. 2' seem to have been about his mother: "She appears composed, so she is, I suppose. Who can really tell? She shows no emotion at all, stares into space like a dead china doll..."
So he was leaving a really bad scene in Texas. Though he was not from Rose City. I don't know who he knew there, or what he was doing there.
His father was a doctor, a psychiatrist. Elliott originally came to Portland to live with him, long after he and Elliott's mother had divorced.
Elliott had serious Major Depression problems. He could have also had Bipolar, or Cyclothymia, a lesser form of Bipolar, both of which can occur with Depression, and both of which are very heritable. The lyric "happy and sad in quick succession" could be a reference to Bipolar, or at least Major Depression.
It's very likely he got out of the frying pan and into the fire. He escaped his abusive step father in Texas, just to end up with his father in Portland, who may have had substance abuse problems (this is a guess!) and mental illness.
Elliott cites having had an interest in psychiatry, like his father, but didn't "have anything to offer other people." Hence the lyric: "I'm never going to become what you became." http://www.sweetadeline.net/bio3.html
I don't know exactly what "bled white" refers to. The racial makeup of the cities? I have my doubts about that, though it kind of makes sense. It might just be from some incident or conversation that we will never know. But it's a great metaphor -- the pallor of someone, or a corpse, who has lost blood.
This song is highly autobiographical.
I believe the song is referencing both Texas and Portland as the setting. First, Rose City is a small town in east Texas in the area code 409. But then Portland is known as "the Rose City" and has the MAX Yellow Line, which goes through the Rose Quarter. I'm not sure which one has the "F-train", but I imagine it's probably Portland.
Elliott left Texas at 14, supposedly because his step father was abusive and his mother was distant, at least. They may also have had drinking problems. The lyrics from 'Waltz No. 2' seem to have been about his mother: "She appears composed, so she is, I suppose. Who can really tell? She shows no emotion at all, stares into space like a dead china doll..."
So he was leaving a really bad scene in Texas. Though he was not from Rose City. I don't know who he knew there, or what he was doing there.
His father was a doctor, a psychiatrist. Elliott originally came to Portland to live with him, long after he and Elliott's mother had divorced.
Elliott had serious Major Depression problems. He could have also had Bipolar, or Cyclothymia, a lesser form of Bipolar, both of which can occur with Depression, and both of which are very heritable. The lyric "happy and sad in quick succession" could be a reference to Bipolar, or at least Major Depression.
It's very likely he got out of the frying pan and into the fire. He escaped his abusive step father in Texas, just to end up with his father in Portland, who may have had substance abuse problems (this is a guess!) and mental illness.
Elliott cites having had an interest in psychiatry, like his father, but didn't "have anything to offer other people." Hence the lyric: "I'm never going to become what you became." http://www.sweetadeline.net/bio3.html
I don't know exactly what "bled white" refers to. The racial makeup of the cities? I have my doubts about that, though it kind of makes sense. It might just be from some incident or conversation that we will never know. But it's a great metaphor -- the pallor of someone, or a corpse, who has lost blood.