For Elliott Smith fans, his death 20 years ago was the loss of a friend they never met. His songs resonated so deeply in the way they revealed sadness with brutal honesty. With beautiful simplicity, Smith’s introverted voice and skillful guitar playing were reassuring even when singing about topics so emotionally unsettling.
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As is the case with many artists who die too young, a cult of personality developed around Smith. But his influence can be heard across artists as diverse as Frank Ocean and Phoebe Bridgers.
Is it possible to truly know an artist through their work? What is interpreted as autobiography isn’t always true to life. The interpretation of songs is crucial to the connection between fans and artists. Smith, like any great writer, played with a combination of detail and vagueness. It’s just enough ambiguity for the listener to see themselves in the narrative. Listen to Elliott Smith’s Top 5 must-listen-to songs below.
5. “Angeles” from Either/Or (1997)
Balancing art with the need to pay the bills is nothing new. There’s also the guilt that comes with needing approval. The very act of showing up on stage to perform is a constant admission to the need for validation. On “Angeles,” Smith writes about the viciousness of the music industry. He also confesses to the decisions made out of desperation when there are no more “cards left to play.”
Someone’s always coming around here
Trailing some new kill
Says “I’ve seen your picture on a
Hundred-dollar bill”
What’s a game of chance to you
To him is one
Of real skill
So glad to meet you, Angeles
4. “Needle in the Hay” from Elliott Smith (1995)
The bathroom scene in Royal Tenenbaums—synced with “Needle in the Hay”—is so chilling. Two years after this film, Smith died from apparent self-inflicted stab wounds—though the autopsy remains inconclusive. Smith’s struggle with drugs and suicidal ideation are well documented. “Needle in the Hay” is a hallmark of Smith’s dark simplicity. It can be seen as confessional but also as a lament of prevailing drug culture in the Pacific Northwest.
Now on the bus
Nearly touching this dirty retreat
Falling out, 6th and Powell
A dead sweat in my teeth
Gonna walk, walk, walk
Four more blocks plus the one in my brain
Down downstairs to the man
He’s gonna make it all okay
[Behind The Song: Elliott Smith, “Miss Misery”]
3. “Say Yes” from Either/Or (1997)
Either/Or was Smith’s final album before signing to a major label. The album fits a unique space just above “lo-fi” yet without any interest in chasing the prevailing post-grunge sound of the time. Smith’s signature double-tracked vocals reveal optimism after breaking up with his girlfriend, hoping she’ll return.
I’m in love with the world
Through the eyes of a girl
Who’s still around the morning after
We broke up a month ago
And I grew up, I didn’t know
I’d be around the morning after
2. “Between the Bars” from Either/Or (1997)
Smith writes about the dark realities of addiction as a kind of escape from daily pressures. He sings about empty promises and abandoned potential. The addiction is an inescapable prison of isolation and loneliness. On “Between the Bars,” Smith sings clearly about the way life is ruined by dependency; still, he can’t do anything about it.
Drink up baby, stay up all night
With the things you could do
You won’t but you might
The potential you’ll be that you’ll never see
The promises you’ll only make
Drink up with me now
And forget all about the pressure of days
Do what I say and I’ll make you okay
And drive them away
The images stuck in your head
1. “Waltz #2 (XO)” from XO (1998)
“Waltz #2 (XO)” is glimpsing back to Smith’s childhood in suburban Texas. The song alludes to Smith’s mother and stepfather. Smith’s meta plot takes place in a karaoke bar. The 3/4 waltz sounds like Texas. It dances through the heartbreak of a bad marriage and the effect it had on Elliott as a child. “Waltz #2 (XO)” is Smith’s masterpiece.
It’s okay, it’s alright, nothing’s wrong
Tell Mr. Man with impossible plans to just leave me alone
In the place where I make no mistakes
In the place where I have what it takes
I’m never gonna know you now
But I’m gonna love you anyhow
I’m never gonna know you now
But I’m gonna love you anyhow
I’m never gonna know you now
But I’m gonna love you anyhow
Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage
