music talk -ELLIOTT SMITH

MUSIC TALK
TRIGGER WARNING !!!!!
Elliott Smith was born in 1969 and when he was only 6 months old his parents divorced and Elliott lived with his mother, after the divorce his mother developed a relationship with another, unfortunately, this man would go on later to (allegedly) s3xu@lly abuse Elliott. “I didn’t sleep at all for about the first six months I lived there,” he told Under the Radar. “I was very worried about my mother.” In another interview, he elaborated: “I couldn’t stay in the same house as my stepfather.” When Smith was 14 he moved to his dad's house in Portland to escape his stepfather Tony and while there got more into music, later on, he would form a small portland based band with three other men called Heatmiser. The band lasted 5 years releasing 4 albums, Mic City Sons - 1996, Cop and Speeder - 1994, Yellow No. 5 - 1994 ep and, Dead Air - 1993. The band split up due to Smith wanting to follow his own path during the recordings of Mic City Sons, their last album, he said he "found the band dissolving." After the breakup, Smith released his third album Either/Or -1997 which is put as one of the "saddest albums" along with Nick Drakes Pink Moon-1972 and Nirvanas In Uetro-1993. Elliott had openly been experimenting with alcohol and softer harmless drugs in his teen years but in this album, we watch his roller coaster of life fall more rapidly until his last and unfinished album in 2004 when he st@Bb3d himself in the chest twice after a fight with his girlfriend Jennifer Chiba. In his earlier album Mic City Sons you can hear the lyrics "I only really needed alcohol Something that'd treat me okay And wouldn't say the things you'd say" (Plain Clothes Man) The roller Coaster that was Elliott Smiths life tips and we begin our decline because just a year later in his album 'Elliot Smith' but you can hear him decline at a fast pase during his 'Either/Or album, the song has a good high and a nice feel until it sinks into 2:45 a cold and bitter song that slowly creeps up to it's broken only at the end when the drums come in and fade away, you can also hear Smith struggling with his addiction in this song when he says, "It's 2:45 in the morning And I'm putting myself on warning For waking up in an unknown place With a recollection you've half erased" while Elliott doesn't directly talk about drinkingit's it's common knowledge he was a heavy drinker and drinking like that can make you forget things big to small such as trauma or not remembering much from the night before when you wake up. In another song from the Either/ or album, Smiths says, "Drink up, baby, stay up all night With the things you could do, you won't but you might The potential you'll bet 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" ... "Drink up, baby, look at the stars I'll kiss you again, between the bars Where I'm seeing you there, with your hands in the air Waiting to finally be caught Drink up one more time and I'll make you mine Keep you apart, deep in my heart" This song ( Between the Bars) is obviously about Elliott's addiction and maybe a glimpse into what he's trying to run from. After Smith put out this album he got rocketed into somewhat of a spotlight after director Gus Van Sant contacted Smith for the use of his songs and a couple of new pieces he was working on such as Miss Misery. His song 'Miss Misery' would be was nominated for Original Song but unfortunately 'My Heart Will Go On' won.