Elliott Smith – Between the Bars

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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

People you've been before that you
Don't want around anymore
That push and shove and won't bend to your will
I'll keep them still

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
separate from the rest, where I like you the best
And keep the things you forgot

People you've been before that you
Don't want around anymore
That push and shove and won't bend to your will
I'll keep them still

Send "Between the Bars" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by EnjOy IncUbus

Track duration: 02:21

"Between the Bars" as written by Steven P. Smith

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Between the Bars song meanings
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  • 0
    Song Meaning:Elliott Smith has actually explained before that he began writing this song one evening when he was getting fairly plastered (with his favorite liquor, Johnny Walker Red), and was watching an episode of "Xena Warrior Princess"....a chick he claims to have had a major childhood crush on. Anyways, although it doesn't directly relate to the experience of the song, he went on in the interview to describe that these lyrics were in fact, and quite literally, the bottle of alcohol PERSUADING him to drink. Giving him false promises and seductive persuasions, the bottle was personified as a human being, and was actively trying to delude and coax him to drink more and forget about all the entanglements of reality for as long as possible. He intends on showing the bottle as genuine solace or protection, "The People you've been before that you don't want around anymore/ they'll push, and shove and won't bend to your will/ I'll keep them still", however the resonance of this song truly lies in the fact that it is so melancholy, as if Elliott knows the bottle is lying to him but he still reciprocates its love so deeply.
    Flag Scammedon April 30, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is about the horrible seductiveness of suicide when you're beyond tired of being the person you are. By far, far, far and away the saddest piece of music I've ever heard; it will be a long time before it's surpassed.
    Flag Jolmlemonon March 24, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:i think that what he is trying to say is that he is trying to change, even though things change around you, deep inside you still lies the very same person you trying to get rid. your worst enemy is yourself.
    Flag teddy624on March 13, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:i think that what he is trying to say is that he is trying to change, even though things change around you, deep inside you still lies the very same person you trying to get rid. your worst enemy is yourself.
    Flag teddy624on March 13, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think this song is about him acknowledging that he was doing certain things to deal with or rid himself of bad memories, and that it's hard transform your waking life into the world you create in your head
    Flag tealeaveson August 31, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:This is one of my favorite, most raw love stories in music. From what I see, the the person in this song is coaxing the girl he loves away from the demons of her past that haunt her, and freeing her from the bars of her own mind that restrain her from openly loving. At first she tries to drink away the pain, but he convinces her to drink with him and share these nightmares. She does and throws her hands in the air so that he can save her and keep all of of her hurts that take her away from him. To him the person that she used to be and isn't anymore doesn't matter. He loves her, and will protect her.
    Flagged aweltyon May 15, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:My interpretation of Between the Bars is that Elliott Smith is stuck in between his love and addiction for Alcohol as well as his love for his girlfriend at the time. The bars represent the two major pillars of his life and the choice that he has to make between them. The line "drink up baby, look at the stars, i'll kiss you again, between the bars" represents Elliott's addiction and trying to balance his love for alcohol and his love for his girlfriend, sadly his love for alcohol appears to trump his love for his girlfriend. He also says things like "the promises you'll only make" , "the potential you'll be that you'll never see" paint this idea that his addiction to alcohol is hopeless and he'll never be able to escape it. When he says "i see you there with your hands in the air, waiting to finally be caught" he recognizes his girlfriends need for attention but he can't really do anything about it. Ultimately, this song is about the hopelessness of Elliott's addiction to alcohol, so much so that he essentially gives up his life for it.
    Flagged Mkickhamon April 23, 2012   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning:Wow, obviously very few here have ever taken a college lit course, or even graduated high school. Elliott Smith is a BRILLIANT songwriter, capable of creating very complex metaphors to convey complicated emotions. This song is one of my favs, and it also happens to be very straighforward... allow me to enlighten all the amateurs here:

    THIS IS A SONG ABOUT ALCOHOLISM. The NARRATOR IS ALCOHOL ADDICTION (or any addiction, really) personified as an warm and comforting intimate partner (aka girlfriend), who also happens to be emotionally manipulative, abusive, and possibly even a sociopath. If you're still having a hard time seeing it, allow me to walk you through...

    First verse: "Drink up baby, stay up all night..."
    She's seducing him by exploiting his insecurities (the "potential...he'll never see"). She says it with a smile and gentle touch (calls him "baby"), knowing he has left her before and the only way she'll win him back is by breaking his spirit first ("the promises you'll only make"... to himself, to stay away from this toxic relationship).

    Second verse: "Drink up with me now..."
    She's offering him company while he's lonely and vulnerable. She's basically saying wouldn't it be nice to "forget all...pressure" and to "drive away" those ugly "images stuck in your head"?? Of course it would be nice, let me "make you okay". ...but you gotta "do what I say", cause I'm a controlling bitch. haha.

    Chorus: "The people you've been before..."
    "the people you've been before" is referring to all the mistakes and bad decisions he has made throughout his life. (his memory of the dumb teenager that sipped booze for the first time, the jerk who broke a former gf's heart with his selfish drinking, etc). He doesn't want them "around anymore", cause he's a good person and the memory torments his conscious ("push and shove and won't bend"). But as painful as they are, that is how you become a better person...by learning from your mistakes. This bitch knows better, but she offers him a shortcut, an easy way out, by offering to "keep them still"

    Third verse: "Drink up baby, look at the stars..."
    Isn't it nice to just forget about your problems, and just stare "at the stars"? Now Elliott brilliantly throws in a metaphor on a metaphor... alcoholism as a manipulative yet seductive ex-gf is also like a cop. Elliott is a fugitive on the run... he's escaped her grasp before but being a fugitive takes its toll. She (the cop) knows he's tired of running, and soon will be "waiting to finally be caught" with his "hands in the air". When a fugitive is caught, they go back to jail. But she is saying its okay, jail won't be so bad because "I'll kiss you again between the bars", (even though she's the one who keeps him locked up). Alcoholism is jail but at least your girl will still come and visit so it's not so bad, right?...brilliant.

    Fourth verse: "Drink up one more time and I'll make you mine..."
    He's drinking again, she kept her promise to "make you mine." She is jealous and possessive, "keeping him apart" from family and friends, "separate from the rest". She really does love him "deep in my heart", but for her love is all about control and dominance. She insists upon being in control of every aspect of his life. Now that she has won him back, the last thing she wants is for him to remember all the reasons why he originally left. That is why she'll "keep the things you forgot"... those things are the "people you've been before" (from the chorus). The only way we improve as humans is by remembering our mistakes. She knows that if she keeps those "things" from him, he will be her pawn forever.
    Flagged drmike123on March 05, 2012   Link
    • 4 Replies
  • 0
    General Comment:I always thought that this was a song about Smith seducing a girl and promising to make her forget about her former lovers. Between the bars has several meanings, obviously, but I always felt like it was reference to performing oral sex on her.
    Flag tawdryhepburnon December 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:DUDE!!!! I got it! It's from the alcohols perspective! The alcohol is persuading him to drink up! It's a romantic song because the alcohol is romanticizing alcoholism in an effort to force Elliot to keep drinking! The song is about himself "do what I say" IT MAKES SO MUCH SENCE! This probably isn't the first time someone's said this but still! hooray!
    Flag theone11on November 27, 2011   Link

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