Division Day Lyrics

Lyric discussion by junkbondtrader7 

Cover art for Division Day lyrics by Elliott Smith

I agree with randommusicdude. This is one of Elliott's saddest songs lyrically, but one of his happiest melodically.

Division Day from my understanding is division of body and soul, the day you die. I believe the song is mostly about sexual abuse from his stepfather. Every time he would it would push him closer to division day, to suicide.

"Spent a long time living with that Never could give it a name And when you don 't know what you' re Looking at it makes it much harder to take"

There are accounts from friends of Elliott's that said he spoke of repressed memories, that he blocked out, but were of abuse, and they confused him and left him emotionally distraught.

The second and fourth verses I believe are direct references to the abuse. The perpetual debt, that refers to the pain that will always be there from what he did to him. The pain that would lead to his death, that he clearly prophesized his suicide from a young age. The longer you live with that fantasy, the more engrained it becomes in your beliefs, and it builds up and becomes reality.

This song I feel expresses how Elliott felt he was fated for suicide from early on.

My Interpretation

@junkbondtrader7 As a victim of childhood abuse myself, I completely agree. This song is absolutely about abuse.

There was grown man dying from fright So surprised by the things he'd say With a giant fantasy life Running 'round on feet of clay

To me this is about the fact that Elliott, as a grown man, is still under the influence of the abuse. But a lack of awareness makes you easy to shatter, like clay, and surprised by your own reactions.

Mostly they'd meet when he was Asleep and have some sick exchange That stuck him as wrong and moved him Along closer...