When I first listened to his music and learned that he died, I felt terrible... I was very sad at the fact that he won't be around here anymore making more beautiful music. But now it seems that I just got over that phase. Everytime I listen to his music I felt lift up and comforted. Thank you Elliott! You are still living through your music.
I will NEVER get tired of listening to Elliott Smith. Every song is just an expression of my emotions in a deeper sense. Always there when I need someone to relate to.
Cheers to Elliott Smith with the Sierra Nevada from family and a great night last night at home! Steven Paul Smith will always be one of my favorite people
it takes time to get used to that whiney voice, but it can get adictive fast. After years of being a fan, his stuf music doesn't seem to resonate so much anymore. He has great work. But I think it is songs like these which ilustrate he was more interested in getting his words acros in a pretty way, then he was devoted 2 what I think would have made him truely innovative, which is to focus more on the skils he posesd in physically playing guitar and expresing them in way which his lyrics couldnt
wow, I love how some people get offended just because someone tries to put effort into writing a comment. lol.
On topic of the song, I like it but it's the only 1 off of figure 8 I won't go out of my way to listen to because it's like an island of melancholy in the middle of a sea of uplifting and squeaky-clean-sounding instrumentation that u don't usually get with Elliott.
@greatsea Sorry. I can't rest. I'm not convinced. Are you sure he sings "I got a long way to go getting further away." Why does he make a monosyllabic noise before singing "getting further away"? It sounds a lot like "I'm". Or is he just breathing or singing "mm"? I don't have the lyric sheet from the physical copy of FIGURE 8, so if someone who has it could prove or disprove my claim, I'll certainly be quiet (now). Regards from the South Pacific.
@theunsheep it is "I'm getting further away." you've got a good ear. but grammatically, "i've got a long way to go; getting further away." makes sense. he can leave words out and sung or written on paper, it can be correct. that's kind of the beauty of blues music in general.
@beachsquint Excellent. Thanks very much. You're right: it doesn't have to be didactic to be beautiful. "I got a long way to go; I'm getting further away." is the much cleverer, more ambiguous couplet, in my estimation, boasting two distinct ideas juxtaposed so beautifully. A kind of "I have some improving to do; but, paradoxically, I'm drifting away from all I know." Perhaps? :)
@theunsheep the singing of I'm takes a lot of lip/mouth movement to go from the closed M to the tongue in mouth G. so he's not singing "I'M" he's hinting at it. and elliott's music has a lot of grammatical fragments. don't use it as an English learning tool, only a philosophical one.
On top of all I just replied to, I cannot get over how underrated of a guitar player Elliott was. If you really listen to this particular song, you can hear those little note additions that are very delicate, very intricate and extremely hard to fit into the track. Somehow he managed to pull sophisticated guitar work while singing, and simultaneously keeping a clean sound.
One of the many things I have noticed about Elliott in interviews is that he was always polite to everyone. Sometimes you can hear irritation in his voice and assume he was struggling to be polite, but he never lost it. I think the least we can do is follow his example. If you can't be kind, at least be tolerant. And I'm talking to you, TuMira85. You better be quiet now.
@MrFatKat19 im thinking he was deeply depressed, even though he died without any alchohol in his blood and he was getting better form all his addictions and stuff. it could have been his gf murdering him also........ we will never know. if you look him up on Wikipedia you can read the whole thing.:(
To me, "XO" and "Figure 8" were kind of his Rubber Soul & Revolver albums - not in terms of sounding like those records, but in terms of career/artistic arc. Those are my two favorite records by Elliott, and they are two of the greatest pieces of recorded music in the history of "Rock and Roll"...whatever that is.
"I got a long way to go, I'm getting further away." To me, this perfectly encapsulates the main theme of Figure 8, namely the "image of a skater going in this endless twisted circle that doesn't have any real endpoint."
@theunsheep -- Actually it doesn't say "I'm getting further away", it says "getting further away", which changes meaning significantly. He is basically saying he attached to a girl and he is not even close to getting further away from her. He has a long way to go getting further away.
@greatsea Ah, ah, ah. I see. Makes perfect sense. Thanks for the correction. "Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong." (Oscar Wilde)
They say ignorance is bliss, but whilst auto tuned pop fanatics (90% of the population) might never be graced with these sounds, I say that's their loss.
who possibly can write more evocative lyrics, and play catchier guitar licks as effortlessly, and arrange a whole spectrum of sounds the way he did, while not being pretentious or condescending at all personalitywise? Oh, and what's your problem,tumira85??
@TheMissCorky, your post is a little old I know, but the clash you describe is irony. His music style in fact, suggests irony, because irony really twists the knife (no pun intended). The clash of dark lyrics to pop music, puts an exclamation point on what he portrays in his songs. The irony he portrays in his music is one of the many reasons I listen to Elliott. Elliott's introduction to irony in his musical style is also why the critics loved him.
@MoogleSan I think she's talking about the sort of youthful sweetness of a lot of the music. With different lyrics, this song could be a lullabye for your kids, or a love song for your high school sweetheart.
Wish you gave me a number Wish I could call you today Just to hear a voice I got a long way to go Getting further away If I didn't know the difference Living alone would probably be ok It wouldn't be lonely I got a long way to go Getting further away.
When I first listened to his music and learned that he died, I felt terrible... I was very sad at the fact that he won't be around here anymore making more beautiful music. But now it seems that I just got over that phase. Everytime I listen to his music I felt lift up and comforted. Thank you Elliott! You are still living through your music.
xxDaisuki 1 week ago
There must be a problem here, i'm just seeing syracuse's views!
banshek7 2 weeks ago
sweet you kids have no idea what this song is about.When i was kid im sure music ment something not what chord it was in.
joebstarsurfer 2 weeks ago
It's sad he had no Elliott Smith of his own.
NotMyRealName123123 3 weeks ago
its got the calmness, the echo and southern acoustic of lynyrd skynyrd mixed with the mellowness of pink floyd
DestroX71689 3 weeks ago
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Elliott Smith still inspires us all!
Check out the Skywalker Appreciation Society on youtube, myspace and facebook :)
SkywalkerAS91 2 months ago
this guy was an original, music was genius............ also THE kind of double tracked vocals, with lennon a second.......
bitshred 2 months ago
I will NEVER get tired of listening to Elliott Smith. Every song is just an expression of my emotions in a deeper sense. Always there when I need someone to relate to.
DecodeIndie15 2 months ago 2
@DecodeIndie15 I agree with you.....Elliott is one of my top 5 all time. Thom Yorke/Radiohead is right up there too.
MrElmeromero80 1 month ago
Cheers to Elliott Smith with the Sierra Nevada from family and a great night last night at home! Steven Paul Smith will always be one of my favorite people
GrapevineProduction 2 months ago
it takes time to get used to that whiney voice, but it can get adictive fast. After years of being a fan, his stuf music doesn't seem to resonate so much anymore. He has great work. But I think it is songs like these which ilustrate he was more interested in getting his words acros in a pretty way, then he was devoted 2 what I think would have made him truely innovative, which is to focus more on the skils he posesd in physically playing guitar and expresing them in way which his lyrics couldnt
kixr1 2 months ago
@kixr1 you have no idea what you are talking about
catjoyyoung 2 months ago 6
@kixr1 You think Elliott's guitar melodies could have conveyed more than his lyrics?
This isn't even a matter of opinion, you're wrong.
CuriousWhale 1 month ago
@CuriousWhale
As far as him saying his voice was bad, @kixr1 is dumb, but I still stand by what was said earlier.
TheKenTerry 1 month ago
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"Had a dream as a army man with an order just to march in my place
while a dead enemy screams in my face."
That's dynamite! that's just one of the endless hooks and barbs in Elliott's work that capture the listener.
Plus the crystal clear singing and guitar playing.
It's a worthwhile number.
switz223 3 months ago
Comment removed
switz223 3 months ago
wow, I love how some people get offended just because someone tries to put effort into writing a comment. lol.
On topic of the song, I like it but it's the only 1 off of figure 8 I won't go out of my way to listen to because it's like an island of melancholy in the middle of a sea of uplifting and squeaky-clean-sounding instrumentation that u don't usually get with Elliott.
fryfry377 3 months ago
ive got a long way to go...
aGEEBix 3 months ago
The regret lol Wonder what Eliot Smith would do to my neighbours listening on headphones wonder why.
joebstarsurfer 3 months ago
@greatsea Sorry. I can't rest. I'm not convinced. Are you sure he sings "I got a long way to go getting further away." Why does he make a monosyllabic noise before singing "getting further away"? It sounds a lot like "I'm". Or is he just breathing or singing "mm"? I don't have the lyric sheet from the physical copy of FIGURE 8, so if someone who has it could prove or disprove my claim, I'll certainly be quiet (now). Regards from the South Pacific.
theunsheep 3 months ago
@theunsheep it is "I'm getting further away." you've got a good ear. but grammatically, "i've got a long way to go; getting further away." makes sense. he can leave words out and sung or written on paper, it can be correct. that's kind of the beauty of blues music in general.
beachsquint 3 months ago
@beachsquint Excellent. Thanks very much. You're right: it doesn't have to be didactic to be beautiful. "I got a long way to go; I'm getting further away." is the much cleverer, more ambiguous couplet, in my estimation, boasting two distinct ideas juxtaposed so beautifully. A kind of "I have some improving to do; but, paradoxically, I'm drifting away from all I know." Perhaps? :)
theunsheep 3 months ago
@theunsheep the singing of I'm takes a lot of lip/mouth movement to go from the closed M to the tongue in mouth G. so he's not singing "I'M" he's hinting at it. and elliott's music has a lot of grammatical fragments. don't use it as an English learning tool, only a philosophical one.
beachsquint 3 months ago
On top of all I just replied to, I cannot get over how underrated of a guitar player Elliott was. If you really listen to this particular song, you can hear those little note additions that are very delicate, very intricate and extremely hard to fit into the track. Somehow he managed to pull sophisticated guitar work while singing, and simultaneously keeping a clean sound.
athroughme 4 months ago 5
One of the many things I have noticed about Elliott in interviews is that he was always polite to everyone. Sometimes you can hear irritation in his voice and assume he was struggling to be polite, but he never lost it. I think the least we can do is follow his example. If you can't be kind, at least be tolerant. And I'm talking to you, TuMira85. You better be quiet now.
Malocclusiontenfour 4 months ago 2
Better be quiet now.
AndrewEyedea 4 months ago
OMG sigh* love goes out to his family and friends who actually knew him and shh to the rest of you
Jooghei1 4 months ago
he stabbed himself in the heart with a knife.
whereismyminddd 4 months ago
how did he die??
MrFatKat19 4 months ago
@MrFatKat19 he stabbed himself in the heart with a knife as whereismyminddd said
momovomo 4 months ago
@momovomo oh my god. thats awful. but im wondering how the hell did he do that. strong will....?
MrFatKat19 4 months ago
@MrFatKat19 im thinking he was deeply depressed, even though he died without any alchohol in his blood and he was getting better form all his addictions and stuff. it could have been his gf murdering him also........ we will never know. if you look him up on Wikipedia you can read the whole thing.:(
momovomo 4 months ago
You made my day once again...
Cassavetes24 5 months ago
wish he was still around :/
emilythe11emo 5 months ago in playlist emilythe11emo's Favorited Videos
2 people won't shut the fuck up right now...
peelincaps 5 months ago 4
we fucking miss you Elliott
deSadetheImpaler 5 months ago 4
this is his greatest song...
colorwheel777 5 months ago
I've got a long way to go too...
wendelkin 5 months ago
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this fuckin song man......kills me every time
N05h00b135 6 months ago
Comment removed
N05h00b135 6 months ago
So heartbroken and I can relate to every single word.
caitlinjem 6 months ago 6
but i better be quiet now im tired of waisting my breath carrying on and getting upsett
drewrocks420 7 months ago
ahh it is true that when drinking mr smith is a little too good at summing up the futility and the misery of it all. not to mix with liquer
drewrocks420 7 months ago 5
this song always shuts me the hell up,
can't speak until its run its course...
apt title.
SporadicMovementz 8 months ago 4
Exceptional man
EffilyG 9 months ago 2
Wish I knew what you were doing. And why you wanna do it this way.
Vamphaery 10 months ago 4
To me, "XO" and "Figure 8" were kind of his Rubber Soul & Revolver albums - not in terms of sounding like those records, but in terms of career/artistic arc. Those are my two favorite records by Elliott, and they are two of the greatest pieces of recorded music in the history of "Rock and Roll"...whatever that is.
joe44850 10 months ago 8
"I got a long way to go, I'm getting further away." To me, this perfectly encapsulates the main theme of Figure 8, namely the "image of a skater going in this endless twisted circle that doesn't have any real endpoint."
theunsheep 11 months ago
@theunsheep -- Actually it doesn't say "I'm getting further away", it says "getting further away", which changes meaning significantly. He is basically saying he attached to a girl and he is not even close to getting further away from her. He has a long way to go getting further away.
greatsea 7 months ago
@greatsea Ah, ah, ah. I see. Makes perfect sense. Thanks for the correction. "Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong." (Oscar Wilde)
theunsheep 7 months ago 2
@greatsea wrong
deSadetheImpaler 5 months ago
Easily one of his underrated gems
pourradass 11 months ago 3
@pourradass of the many he left behind.
cosmicrider287 10 months ago
miss you elliott
rossisthebosss 1 year ago
why did you do the things you did ?
weatherbe99 1 year ago
They say ignorance is bliss, but whilst auto tuned pop fanatics (90% of the population) might never be graced with these sounds, I say that's their loss.
syndawg89 1 year ago 16
@syndawg89 Rejoice!!! Redfoo and Skyblu show the way.
EmperorofMu 3 days ago
we miss you elliot, too bad that comercial music is exploding
ill always listen to your music and not to comercial 1s
supemcpc 1 year ago 2
lets all devote the rest of our lives to learning how to play songs like this.
xXTheCalculusManXx 1 year ago
this song is my life right now, sadly. his breakup songs are absolutely.. perfect.
spliggity 1 year ago 2
i do find how his lyrics are clearly written by a tortured soul yet his melodies are so uplifting, its like an oximoronic symphony.
TheMissCorky 1 year ago 76
@TheMissCorky I hope you choke on a bar of soap you dumb bitch
TuMira85 4 months ago
Comment removed
switz222 4 months ago
who possibly can write more evocative lyrics, and play catchier guitar licks as effortlessly, and arrange a whole spectrum of sounds the way he did, while not being pretentious or condescending at all personalitywise? Oh, and what's your problem,tumira85??
switz222 4 months ago
@TuMira85 Aw very mature. I honestly don't see what's wrong with what she wrote.
StandOutSheep 4 months ago
@TheMissCorky Ignore TuMira 85. This is one of the most insightful comments I've read online.
Malocclusiontenfour 4 months ago
@TheMissCorky, your post is a little old I know, but the clash you describe is irony. His music style in fact, suggests irony, because irony really twists the knife (no pun intended). The clash of dark lyrics to pop music, puts an exclamation point on what he portrays in his songs. The irony he portrays in his music is one of the many reasons I listen to Elliott. Elliott's introduction to irony in his musical style is also why the critics loved him.
athroughme 4 months ago
@TheMissCorky A very good way to explain his music!
rumagoo82 2 months ago
@TheMissCorky well said man well said :\
10max1100 1 month ago
@TheMissCorky
I would say the only reason
TheKenTerry 1 month ago
@TheMissCorky You seem to have a warped view of uplifting melodies :/
MoogleSan 3 weeks ago
@MoogleSan I think she's talking about the sort of youthful sweetness of a lot of the music. With different lyrics, this song could be a lullabye for your kids, or a love song for your high school sweetheart.
NotMyRealName123123 3 weeks ago
@NotMyRealName123123 Its still not really 'uplifting' musically. Its all minor chords which are generally downers in music
MoogleSan 3 weeks ago
@MoogleSan Actually there are more major chords then minor ones in this song. In fact it was written in E major, and ends on said chord.
bsauced 2 weeks ago
@TheMissCorky I Love that. "an oximoronic symphony."
TheCanOpenerOfTruth 2 weeks ago
I love this man. Such a shame.
MauiBoyTrav 1 year ago
4,066 views. I wonder how many of those are mine?
dabearsfan123 1 year ago 6
Here's to you Elliott
marlymarlmarl 1 year ago
Shit, I'm too drunk to be listening to this right now. Oh, well. *raises glass*
yourdogsmusic 1 year ago 88
@yourdogsmusic cheers, my wasted soulmate... Cheers to elliott as well, of course.
BilisNegra 1 year ago
@yourdogsmusic Meeeeee, tooo... Cheers... *clink*
edenelisenewman 4 months ago
@yourdogsmusic :(
PoemOf4Letters 3 months ago
artysmokes 1 year ago 4