I'll fake it through the day
With some help from johnny walker red
Send the poison rain down the drain
To put bad thoughts in my head
Two tickets torn in half
And a lot of nothing to do
Do you miss me, miss misery
Like you say you do?

A man in the park
Read the lines in my hand
Told me i'm strong
Hardly ever wrong i said man you mean

You had plans for both of us
That involved a trip out of town
To a place i've seen in a magazine
That you left lying around
I don't have you with me but
I keep a good attitude
Do you miss me, miss misery
Like you say you do?

I know you'd rather see me gone
Than to see me the way that i am
But i am in the life anyway

Next door the tv's flashing
Blue frames on the wall
It's a comedy of errors, you see
It's about taking a fall
To vanish into oblivion
Is easy to do
And i try to be but you know me
I come back when you want me to
Do you miss me miss misery
Like you say you do?



Lyrics submitted by BlueAndStarry

Track duration: 03:12

"Miss Misery" as written by Steven P. Smith

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Miss Misery song meanings
Add your thoughts

70 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    My Interpretation:its about taking a fall
    Flag NWrolleron December 14, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:Seems awfully specific about Elliott's depression, and specifically his known suicide attempt that involved jumping off a cliff and being saved (and impaled) by a tree. Seems to be referenced in "comedy of errors," about "taking a fall," and "I try to be but you know me / I come back when you want me to." Also "a trip out of town."
    Flag songmeaningsusernameon April 27, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love the double meaning of this song. It can be about a break up (which is what it implies when applied to Good Will Hunting) or about depression. Miss Misery is an ex-girlfriend AND an emotion that plagues Elliott.
    Flag babyghostrogueon October 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I like acm's interpretation of the song and I believe that he is accurate to a point, but i'm sure elliott also had a previous girlfriend in mind when he wrote this. it has two meanings. both work brilliantly.
    Flag poetmuseon July 26, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:
    This is the most depressing song ever - which makes it one of the best.
    Flag guildguitarsruleon October 31, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It is possibly about a relationship but it seems mostly about depression. Anyone that suffers from any depression disorder can relate. How depression takes you down and almost seems like the only real thing when you have it, and how it likes to come back to you and obliterate you.
    Flag addlehearton September 05, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Is someone else hearing something different than: "Hardly ever wrong I said man you mean
    You had plans for both of us". I hear "Hardly ever wrong I said man you mean you
    I had plans for both of us" ? I hear it this way every time I listen to this song.
    Flag monokinoon August 25, 2009   Link
  • +5
    Song Meaning:I'll try to break it down piece by piece, but overall you should be aware that "Miss Misery" is the concept of misery, not a person being represented. When depressed, there can be an attachment with feelings of sadness, so this is a song written like a ballet for "mysery".

    I'll fake it through the day
    With some help from Johnny Walker Red
    (Johnny Walker is whisky, so he is drinking to get through the day, implying that he's depressed but masking his feelings)

    Send the poison brain down the drain
    To put bad thoughts in my head
    (This is an alcohol reference, also aknowledging his depressive or nagative thoughts, often a sign of alcohol abuse)

    Your two tickets torn in half
    And a lot of nothing to do
    (It doesn't say what the tickets are for because it's irrelivant, but it implies that he went "wherever" with someone else, the other "person" being "mysery")

    Do you miss me, Miss Misery
    Like you say you do?
    (Depression "misery", is coaxing him back to "her")

    A man in the park
    Read the lines in my hand
    Told me I'm strong
    Hardly ever wrong I said man you mean
    (I took this more literal, talking about a fortune teller whom said he was strong based on his palm reading. I believe Elliot is questioning the man on his prediction of Elliot's strength, since Elliot knows he is depressed and weak emotionally)

    You had plans for both of us
    That involved a trip out of town
    To a place I've seen in a magazine
    That you left lying around
    (I believe this is an actual trip that was planned, but more of a retreat than a fun vacation. I should also point out that when he says "you" left lying around, he is still refering to himself in a depressive mood. When people are depressed they often don't take care of chores, which is why the magazine is laying around)

    I don't have you with me
    But I keep a good attitude
    Do you miss me, Miss Misery
    Like you say you do?
    (When "misery is not around he has a good attitude, in good spirits)

    I know you'd rather see me gone
    Than to see me the way that I am
    But I am in the life anyway
    (This is about suicide, "misery" would rather see him dead than living a "normal life")

    Next door the TV's flashing
    Blue frames on the wall
    It's a comedy of errors, you see
    It's about taking a fall
    (Blue frames on the wall sets the mood for watching tv late night, this sets up the play on words he uses next to describe "the comedy of errors". Sort of like when a clown slips on a banana and we laugh, but translated into an emotional sense. This also plays into the first line "fake it through the day", how we laugh at things that's aren't funny to help us cope)

    To vanish into oblivion
    Is easy to do
    ("oblivion" is a great word to describe the mind of someone in a depressive state, numb or spaced out)

    And I try to be but you know me
    I come back when you want me to
    Do you miss me, Miss Misery
    Like you say you do?
    (This is restating "misery's" power over him, he will always return, which is the attachment or dependency to sadness I stated earlier)
    Flag Cierra1985on August 20, 2009   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:Should be-

    Told me I'm strong
    Hardly ever wrong I said man you mean you

    I had plans for both of us
    That involved a trip out of town
    Flag djdabushon January 20, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song was written during his depressive period where he was into drugs and alcohol and he was constantly stating suicide and death. So, it's all formal that it's about all the hard feelings when one is alone, depressed, isolated and how situations turn up wrecking you in a state of despair. Anyways, the point is the song is superb melts you to a miserical situation. and last but not the least, elliot smith forever lives through his songs, his words and his music. So soft and smooth yet so violated, torn...
    HL works
    Flag ninetinon October 12, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain