Elliott Smith – Sweet Adeline

• 0
  General Comment:A guy I met travelling pointed out to me the correlations between this song and the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind". Although I may have been drunk or something at the time, the correlations are a little too frequent and uncanny to be coincidence. Think about it.

  Flag tr1pmanon December 04, 2012   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:Just the title has rich cultural references.
  
  My one note is that I don't think it's any coincidence that Elliott pronounces "Adeline" in a way that makes it sound exactly like "Outta Line." Out of line.
  
  He also throws in wordplay related to the era.
  
  "Brother can you spare sunshine for a brother"
  
  echoing "Brother can you spare a dime."
  
  More wordplay.
  
  "Told me not to worry, you're
  Just a shooting star"
  
  Ha ha. Because he's a star who shoots up, and also, someone who dies young. Elliott Smith was often drily witty about what he apparently already knew was his early demise.

  Flag muldrakeon September 19, 2012   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  My Interpretation:

  Flag tealeaveson August 22, 2012   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  My Interpretation:the first verse, he wants to forget "adeline" who was in his life only briefly, but he doesnt believe he will, so he hopes she will change her mind.
  
  in the second verse, a friendly guy in elliott's apartment building asks to borrow his lighter and asks about adeline. elliott tells him it didnt work out, and the guy replies that elliott shouldnt feel bad, she was only in his life for a brief time, he will get over her
  
  in the chorus, he is remembering the good times with adeline, serenading her.
  
  in the last verse, elliott is watching the sunset,

  Flag tealeaveson August 22, 2012   Link

  • 1 Reply Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
    0

    & has taken something to help him sleep, waiting to sleep disconnect from his emotions

    Flag tealeaveson August 22, 2012  
• 0
  My Interpretation:the first verse, he wants to forget "adeline" who was in his life only briefly, but he doesn't feel he can get over her. he doesnt feel it is possible to get over her, so he hopes she will change her mind.
  
  in the second verse, a friendly guy in elliott's apartment building asks to borrow his lighter and asks about the adeline. elliott tells him it didnt work out, and the guy replies that elliott shouldnt feel bad, she was only in his life for a brief time, he will get over her
  
  in the chorus, he is remembering the good times with adeline, serenading her.
  
  in the last verse, elliott is watching the sunset,

  Flag tealeaveson August 22, 2012   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:But, I do find the beginning lyrics mean, like when you look at a picture of you and a significant other. He wants to burn the picture and then erase time, ie erase the past from ever having happened. That is what I have always thought that lyric meant. I also think the lyric is "cut this picture into you and me, burn it backwards kill this history" .. and when he cuts the picture, separating two people.. separating the tie that he had with someone. then burning the past, erasing the past, removing the history with someone having ever happened.

  Flag emamalyon April 06, 2012   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:"waiting for sedation to disconnect my head"
  
  well, when the chorus starts it honestly feels like a sedation disconnecting my head. I love this song and always will.

  Flag emamalyon April 06, 2012   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• +1
  General Comment:As pointed out previously, the song, on one level, is about a lost or unachievable love quest. More importantly, "Sweet Adeline" became a celebratory anthem for the repeal of Prohibition in 1934, sung together by crowds in cities throughout the nation on that very tipsy and historic night in our history when the 21st Amendment was passed. The generation who lived through that extraordinary era (including my parents) continued to sing that song in unison whenever they partied and reached an appropriate state of inebriation. By the way, don't miss the PBS documentary on "Prohibition." The above piece of information was revealed in that effort along with an absolutely stunning amount of insights on one of the most unusual and relevant periods in American History. The parallels to today's events are uncanny.

  Flag TEMon October 12, 2011   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  Lyric Correction:Absolutely brilliant song, lyrically as well as musically.
  
  I just wanted to add that the final line of the first verse to me sounds more like "or hate'll SING the ending that love started to say", which makes it an even better lyric.

  Flag reverberationon December 12, 2010   Link

  • 1 Reply Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
    0

    Y'know, 'cause it draws in a theme of being aware that writing songs about old flames can be equally fueled by hate and love.

    Flag reverberationon December 12, 2010  
• 0
  General Comment:i think the song is about a guy who is in love with a girl. musically the song has 3 very diffrent parts you have the slow soft first part, then the explosion of the chorus then the "come down" of the last verse.
  
  i belive this telling a story. in the first part before the chorus i think its the guy madly in love with a girl who he cant talk to or cant be with and he is fantisizing about being with her eg "cut this picture into you and me. then i belive is hes asking one of her friends about her "and he says told me not to worry she was just just a shooting star". so the first part is about the guy desperately wanting a girl but to afriad to say anything.
  
  the chrous comes out of no where like a explosion of sound i belive this is the guy who cant take not being with his love anymore is just poring his heart and soul out to his love "adeline" he is just letting out all this bottled up emosion seen in the first verse which is why the chrous is so random and powerfull in sound.
  
  the music then calms right down again for the last verse i belive this is saying his love obviosly didnt feel the same way and it sets the scene for the guy now completly depresed and heart broken wanting to die "waiting for sedation to diconect my head" and thinking to him self is there any other option than to die "or any situation where im better off than dead".

  Flag craw123on July 17, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.

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!