First of all, I think it is only fair to acknowledge that many of his songs, particularly in Either/Or, were about drug use, and this one is no exception. (“It’s just a brief smile crossing your face” seems to refer to the brief thrill of a high.)
However, he was obviously very intelligent, and his lyrics addressed broader themes than just drugs, or can at very least be interpreted as such.
Regardless of Elliott Smith’s intentions with the song, I find that this speaks quite poignantly to my own anxieties and fear of judgement. The very tempo of this song feels like a racing heart, implying panic; I see ‘speed trials’ as a way of describing the snap judgements people are constantly making about you, and how nerve-racking an awareness of that can be. Likewise, there are a couple of sections that feel like the self deprecation that can occur when one holds themself under the same critical eye they believe other people see them through. (“You little child...,” “You’re such a pinball...”)
That’s just my take on it, though—it’s very possible that I’m just projecting my own internal insecurities onto this song.
First of all, I think it is only fair to acknowledge that many of his songs, particularly in Either/Or, were about drug use, and this one is no exception. (“It’s just a brief smile crossing your face” seems to refer to the brief thrill of a high.)
However, he was obviously very intelligent, and his lyrics addressed broader themes than just drugs, or can at very least be interpreted as such. Regardless of Elliott Smith’s intentions with the song, I find that this speaks quite poignantly to my own anxieties and fear of judgement. The very tempo of this song feels like a racing heart, implying panic; I see ‘speed trials’ as a way of describing the snap judgements people are constantly making about you, and how nerve-racking an awareness of that can be. Likewise, there are a couple of sections that feel like the self deprecation that can occur when one holds themself under the same critical eye they believe other people see them through. (“You little child...,” “You’re such a pinball...”) That’s just my take on it, though—it’s very possible that I’m just projecting my own internal insecurities onto this song.