Elliott Smith – Pictures of Me

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  General Comment:"I'm not surprised, and really, why should I be?
  See nothing wrong
  See nothing wrong
  So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
  Completely wrong
  Totally wrong"
  
  I'm reading this as his friends and everyone around him think he's doing okay and isn't hurting, when in reality he's in lots and lots of pain and inner turmoil. I don't know whether this is about depression or addiction, but I feel him.

  Flag fullbloomon September 24, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:Haven't seen anyone throw this interpretation out yet so I figured I'll toss mine in.
  
  It sounds like a psychotic episode. Smith did have a history with mental illness and its not out of the question that he might have met someone who watched movies and thought they were the stories of his 'life'.
  
  "pictures of me" is definitely talking about movies as the line "flirting with the flicks" explains. The rest of the song seems to fit. "jailer who sells personal hells" is probably as most suggested a reference to a drug dealer, and addiction is common among those with mental illness and drugs induce psychotic episodes. "everybody is dying just to get the disease" is almost optimistic in nature because everyone who doesn't suffer this delusion walks through life bored out of their mind, but the guy watching movies and thinking every movie is a story he acted a role in is walking around with an ongoing wild fantasy of an adventure.

  Flag Fermenton July 19, 2011   Link

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    hmm. its funny if i'm reading you right than you equate imagination with hell. and again if im reading you right the tracks that the mind goes through constantly changing their course are what he is fed up with? but then how do you explain 'everybody's dying just to get the disease'? the mob is craving something he sees as meaningless now?

    Flag Fermenton July 22, 2011  
• +1
  General Comment:sweet deity, please speak to me.
  today was the day that i realized that this song was about me.
  as stupid acting smart, it was easy to see everyone else screwing up.
  it gets to the point that you gotta turn off the inner monologue and take a look around-
  stop with the charade, and realize that the stupid front you put up in order to get through the day is adding pictures to the photo album of the world that are just totally wrong.
  those personal hells are every relationship i've been in, and every one of those guys loved to see me on my fucking knees. here i thought it was just for kicks, and now it is obvious that i am the victim of my own dirty tricks.
  i know that elliott had different images in mind when he wrote the lyrics, but holy hell i am certain that i feel what he was feeling- and thats what a song means

  Flag PriscillaTheParanoidWaitresson June 30, 2010   Link

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• +4
  General Comment:I think the "completely wrong/totally wrong" is not only saying that the media's portrayals of him are inaccurate (the obvious interpretation), but also that he just hates seeing pictures of himself... he's fucked up and doesn't like all the attention on him when he's still so unfinished and vulnerable... Not just that the pictures are wrong but that HE'S all wrong and hates seeing it reflected back at him.
  
  I think "everybody's dying just to get the disease" is saying it's weird for him to be so popular when his songs are all about horrible crippling depression... something people should never wish to know.
  
  "Who'd like to see me down on my fucking knees" -- I think this means he knows the media would just love more ways to show how depressed he is, it's almost like they want him to get worse...
  
  How fucked up is it that his whole fame was based on his being miserable, and that that kind of became "cool"? That's what I think this song is about... But he also gave a lot of people who were already depressed the comfort of knowing that they weren't alone. RIP Elliott.

  Flag galaxiaadon July 17, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:Damn I thought the lyrics at the end were "Everyones dying just to get THROUGH disease"
  It had more meaning to me that way.
  
  I'm kinda bummed out that I heard the lyrics wrong.
  Damn it.

  Flag Waiting4Goddoton May 05, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:I think when he says he is "so sick and tired of all these pictures of me." He means he sees hist faults in other people..like other people remind him of himself.

  Flag clickofalighton August 23, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:Every time I listen to Elliott Smith, I get chills. This song is my favorite of his along with Say Yes.

  Flag Pardonme123on June 04, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:Start, stop, and start
  Stupid acting smart
  Flirting with the flicks
  You say it's just for kicks
  You'll be the victim of your own dirty tricks
  You got yourself to tease and displease
  Doors swinging wide
  You walked in to hide
  Looking at your feet
  Failure's complete
  Saw you and me on the coin-op TV
  Frozen in fear every time we appear
  
  Basically documents getting into drugs...flirting with the flicks...trying the drugs, thinking you can't get addicted, but you slowly get on the slippery slope.
  _________________________________________________
  
  I'm not surprised, and really, why should I be?
  See nothing wrong
  See nothing wrong
  So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
  Completely wrong
  Totally wrong
  
  Elliott doesn't see anything wrong with his drug use, but it's seen as horrible by the public.
  "These pictures of me"....the false images the media provide of Elliott. They're "Completely wrong, totally wrong" because they don't show who he is.
  _________________________________________________
  
  Go walking by
  Here comes another guy
  Jailer who sells personal hells
  Who'd like to see me down on my fucking knees
  Everybody's dying just to get the disease
  Hey, hey, hey, hey
  
  The disease is the drug....they'll do anything for a hit. And, as previous stated, the dealer provides Elliott with the drugs, keeping him in the prison and acting as his "jailer". And since Elliott wants the drug, he's willing to get "down on his fucking knees" to beg for it.
  _________________________________________________
  
  I'm not surprised, and really, why should I be?
  See nothing wrong
  See nothing wrong
  So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
  Completely wrong
  Totally wrong
  I'm not surprised, and really, why should I be?
  See nothing wrong
  See nothing wrong
  So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
  Oh, everybody's dying just to get the disease
  Everybody's dying just to get the disease
  Everybody's dying just to get the disease
  
  See Above.

  Flag The1AndOnlyMeon May 11, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:To me, this songs about continuing to do drugs in hopes that it's gonna help, but it really doesn't. "I'm not surprised at all and really, why should I be? See nothing wrong" represents to me the feeling of even though he knows he should quit the drugs, he still does them and after a while doesn't even think about the fact that he continues to use and justifies it anyway, even though deep down he know that it doesn't help. Such a true song that hits me every time I hear it.

  Flag fishmastaon March 18, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:To me I always kind of thought this song referred to those adverts asking to donate money to charity.
  
  From a the pespective of someone with little money, Your trying to pay the rent but these adverts appear making you feel guilty for not donating.
  
  "so sick and tired of these pictures of me" I'm dieing myself, why should I pay. Probably not what it's about, but it was my first impression when hearing it. Has changed somewhat now.

  Flag lostfoundon January 28, 2007   Link

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