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.
@Scammed Where can I find this interview? I think you're correct in the sense that this song is about the bottle (also could be a person) persuading Elliott to drink. I really want to see Elliott talk about this!
@Scammed Where can I find this interview? I think you're correct in the sense that this song is about the bottle (also could be a person) persuading Elliott to drink. I really want to see Elliott talk about this!
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.
@Scammed Where can I find this interview? I think you're correct in the sense that this song is about the bottle (also could be a person) persuading Elliott to drink. I really want to see Elliott talk about this!
@Scammed Where can I find this interview? I think you're correct in the sense that this song is about the bottle (also could be a person) persuading Elliott to drink. I really want to see Elliott talk about this!