Elliott Smith-No confidence man

[Oxidized181]

there's not a whole lot of artists out there, where you can actually feel the emotions in your chest from their voice. most try but don't succeed. elliott is/was/always will be the best at it. ::Always missed::

[STCN0B0DY]

I can not stop clicking the replay button.

[cordfluidnevoie]

child abuse sucks we should do more about it

[coconutfever123]

i would never be able to bare my soul like elliott did. he gave so much....

[happytreefriends1fan]

where does he say that gammar? sounds to me like hes talking about tying off (doing heroin)

[crankkinder]

@happytreefriends1fan

No... He was sexually abused by Charlie, who is his step father. He has mentioned this in other songs. As fans most of us know about this incredible artist's background.

[MaybeLasting]

@crankkinder Well as a fan maybe you should be more interested in his music, instead of his personal life, which no one will ever truly comprehend. Or are you just one of these people who feeds on the bad shit that happens in artists lives, instead of all the good things Elliott did for people round the world, through his music, not his life style.

[breeeegs]

The pain really comes through in this song. But its so beautiful that its still enjoyable to listen

[coverasong]

Anyone know where I can get an MP3 of this?

[jakhoggan]

this song is about how he got sexually abused by his step dad :(

[samesamething]

i wanna let everyone know i love this man and his music and when my sentence ends from my mouth for his music to automatically lay in everyone's minds

[samesamething]

we should be able to find elliott stuff all of over as much as one would see bob marley merch. it's a shame, and he's no less a legend.

[JiangZiyaTabooDays]

@samesamething I'm glad he's still relatively underground. Bob's message is cheapened when it gets commercialized, and Elliott's intensely introspective depth would seem wrong in the form of housewives and teenage girls wearing his face on t-shirts. Elliott's music is best appreciated alone, not as "party music" where the lyrics aren't even important, just the "hot beat." He'll never be popular for that reason, and I'm glad for it.

[cordfluidnevoie]

@samesamething Elliott >>>>>>> Bobo Marley don't you dare to compare

[skylash]

great version. never hear this....

[Tarusquee]

this song makes me want to cry bahhh! it's so beautiful.

[tutani]

I wish the production would be better. I like the lo-fi four-track production of Roman Candle and the self-titled, but this could be just slightly better recorded. However, this is one my favorite songs.

[slaughterxsandii]

This song takes me to a new level of depression.

But, I can never stop listening.

I miss you elliot.

[kaka9419]

@slaughterxsandii Elliott*

[ramblesocket]

Previously, I've only heard a live version of this song, which is even more emotional then this one. It's a great song though, I like the harmonica part that's in this. I'll never know how Elliott was capable of singing such personal songs to a live audience. I'd get hammered drunk before shows too just to get through a set.

[samesamething]

that's the way he apparently was to perform and mostly overall.

[gayfarmerboy]

@ramblesocket

well he got hammered drunk too before shows. towards end of his life he was rumouredto have a grand a day crack and heroin habit.

[breeeegs]

Elliott was sometimes drunk when he performed (i've seen a few videos of his performances right before his death where he was intoxicated).I don't mean it as an insult of course, I'm just saying maybe it was his way of coping with the depression/anxiety that comes from performing deeply personal songs before an audience of strangers

[senkaxxx]

so brutal

[mooninites755]

Elliott was actually not sure if his step father, charlie, abused him. Charlie denied it, but Elliott was always suspicious. However, there was physical abuse

[Gammarklar]

yea, that made no sense. i think what u meant to say was that elliott wasnt sure whether or not he was sexually abused, but that in fact he definitely was physically abused..

[mooninites755]

ya, i forgot to add sexual abuse in there

[yalinegurl1]

@Gammarklar

He was sexually abused by his stepfather, that is what he says.

[SandraHeartsRyan]

brilliant

[falcostrife]

Wayward i totally agree

[onlyeyesabove]

is this from roman candle?

[waywardproject]

Its from a split record he did with Pete Krebs. It came out a little after Roman Candle.

[lustforlife15]

Do you know what the record is called?

[mooninites755]

its called no confidence man, it was neveer released on a CD

[waywardproject]

Shytown

[ShokyShrox]

Wayward stole the words from my mouth. Music is what you make it guys. Elliott didn't write music just for himsekf. It's up to you to decide what it means.

[waywardproject]

ShokyShrox didn't misinterpret it. Smith used drug metaphors as a vehicle for talking about dependence. I'm pretty sure Elliott intended for the song to have more then one meaning. I think he's pretty much comparing his experience as a kid with Charlie to heroin usage. He's depending on this person, but he also being extremely harmed by him. Physically and mentally.

[LaDeeDaDeDaDeDa]

How can you be pretty sure Elliott intended for the song to have more than one meaning? Did you ask him?

And what makes you think he was comparing his abusive stepfather to Heroin? Just because he was dependant on his stepfather doesn't mean that he is going to sing about Heroine.

Also, Charlie is slang for crack, not Heroine.

Just because you learnt full stops and capital letters doesn't mean anything you just said was justified.

[fivewerehigh]

You can be sure because once the work is in the public eye, as with all art, the audience has as much say as to its relevance as the artist. Therefore no theory can be disproved unless the theorist misread.

However, there are many symbols in this song which can be interpereted several ways.

[ShokyShrox]

Im just telling you guys my opinion. No need to negatively rate the comment. If you really listen you might reconsider and see what Im talking about. It's not a bad thing to write a song about dependancey.

[LaDeeDaDeDaDeDa]

I think they gave you thumbs down because you misinterpreted the song, buddeh.

[JunkBondTrader007]

this song is about Charlie. Elliott's step-dad

[falcostrife]

its such a sad song

[AMICHIO]

man this is one of elliot smith's most deepest an saddest songs.. the man was a genius a tortured artist

[ShokyShrox]

It's about heroin, "charlie got a band in his hand a ruber loop" for tying off. "Im the man you really want so just act natural" heroin making him feel like the person he wants to be. Im sure that the name Charlie has some signigigents. Even though Smith wasnt using heroin yet he still wrote alot of songs about dependancy.

[Gwiggo9]

Can you tell me what the story behind this song is? It's so sad, but the meaning is just eluding me.

[mymayapapaya]

Charlie was his stepfather who abused him as a child.

[mymayapapaya]

So sad. :(

[DarknessFalls34567]

yea i can't believe he could even muster up the courage to play it live.