Elliott Smith - No Name #1

[Unremarkable1000]

This song always cheers me up when I'm feeling like a loser.

[whiskerswendy]

fuckk. i can't not love this song

[lvacqua]

Anyone else hear "Good to Go" in this? At least bits of it..."wouldn't need a hero, if I wasn't such a zero..."

[momovomo]

does anyone else find that elliot wrote his songs about "you" even though alot of the time he was talking about himself? like regrets hmmmmm

[LawlessRick]

I've never seen him with short hair before. He looks really cool

[Malocclusiontenfour]

The title is especially appropriate, since the character in the song is feeling pretty nameless. Elliott certainly knew how to turn pain into art.

[MiGrandeCazzo]

This has to be quite possibly the most beautiful song Ive heard in in a long while!!! Rose City Pride right here! rip es

[sicfuc66]

The name of this song should be "bad ass jam by a bad ass man"!

[alwayssunnyjk]

i was so upset! i was there a few weeks ago and it was totally ruined by the graffiti! :-(

[irishsassenach]

There was/is a wall, look up figure 8 wall, but it's been pretty heavily graffitied.

[alwayssunnyjk]

is there some kind of elliott memorial in LA? I would just love to see a tribute to him. Such a wonderful artist, music so meaningful and heartwrenching.

[chickenlicken]

@alwayssunnyjk sunset blvd theres a memorial wall

[V3ritas46]

thank you elliott

[LennonSmithGirl]

Elliott was so beautiful...

[avitalthealien]

Elliott Smith had a beautiful soul

[bringbackthe1960sppl]

man i must say that the 20th centure had too have been the best music ever invented! and lyrics! i mean first we had the blues players in the 20's-40's then the 50's was rock and roll, then the 60's with artist like jimi hendrix and bob dylan, the the 70's with zeppelin and such, then the 80's-90's with kurt cobain and others, then the late 90's-early 00's. whats next?? lol

[heyjude97]

He was such a beautiful man.

[davie1981doc]

i dont just like it :i fuckin love it:

[davie1981doc]

i dont just like it :i fuckin love it:

#

[LESNYHC]

This music is like spiritual medicine for junkies, that burns going down.

[LESNYHC]

This music is like spiritual medicine for junkies, that burns going down.

[samesamething]

im a tough bitch so i dont cry much but i almost just cry i had that look on my face majorly as if i was about to cry and of course i could feel it tear inside. WHAT A AMAZING SONG THIS IS. I Love You ELLIOTT Smith. IF MY COMPUTER HAD EYES.

[riotact90]

@samesamething

being tough has nothing to do with crying

[guinnes842]

@samesamething

elliott supposed to make you dry...dont fight it...dont be such a pu**y and just cry already

[samesamething]

@guinnes842 my comment was something i felt and thought that i choose to share but its obvious to me you dont understand what i was saying.May GOD bless you.

[guinnes842]

@samesamething

i was just making a joke...hope i didnt offend you.

[samesamething]

@guinnes842 don't worry, I'm fine. GOD loves you!

[daddycubjudah]

just curious is that nick drake at 2:47 on elliotts shirt??

[mymayapapaya]

@daddycubjudah if you mean 2:37 it's steve martin :) ... in an interview he said he hadn't heard of nick drake until people compared them

[friendofthedevil]

@mymayapapaya That's crayzy...I believe it, but he and Nick Drake seem so much in he same vein! Jangly, eerie guitar, each very distinctive but also very simple. And then there's the depression...

Anyway, both are great to listen to.

[taoinmusic]

@friendofthedevil dude elliott smith and nick drake do not have simple songs at all

maybe nick drake has some simple stuff still with that wierd tuning but elliott smith songs are basically all very difficult and complex

[friendofthedevil]

@taoinmusic I didn't really mean musically simple....I meant simple-sounding, pure. that said, they're not like bach or something. (much prefer them both to bach, haha.)

[friendofthedevil]

@mymayapapaya actually meant to ask....is that video somewhere on youtube, or do you know where its from?

[mymayapapaya]

@friendofthedevil well it might be on youtube but I may have read it ... sorry but I've read way too much on elliott to keep track, if I find it I'll let you know

[portraitphenomenon]

@mymayapapaya wow, really!? only Elliott smith could write songs of his calibre without ever knowing of nick drake...

[daddycubjudah]

@daddycubjudah Ok I can just make out martin now, good lookin out and interesting to know that he had never heard of Drake until the comparrisons...

[misfitsg17]

@daddycubjudah No, it's Elliott

[houstonveer]

c 1994 Cavity Search. By permission from Frontier Records. Under license to Domino records. Perfect melody.

[genericsavings]

"Go home and live with your pain"

Tears my heart asunder. XO

[icec0rpse]

I wish very much (as do the rest of us) that i could have had at least one conversation with Elliott Smith.

[StarvingForTruth]

The more time I spend with Elliott's music, the more grateful I am for what he shared with us. When I listen, it's like when you finally break down and tell somebody you're close to about something that's been tearing you apart, but you haven't dared to let anyone touch it, because it's stuck like a bullet only millimeters from your heart, and you're afraid to make a move.

I always return to it when I feel the most alone, and it makes me feel like I'm connected to something beautiful.

[gbianezzi]

@StarvingForTruth That was beautiful.

[lmbyn570]

Great video and pictures thank you.

[GSarovich]

his music speaks volumes

[pjwinterstealth]

arguably the best song ever. i love this song. i cant believe he got the guitar so clear with this cheap recording. just amazing this whole album is outstanding

[Hamsaouahamsine]

me song

[visioncommission]

one of the best songwriters of the 20th century

[deadgreenroses]

of any century!

[kevo1264]

@visioncommission

I cant help but agree 100%.

[Somethingpower]

i wonder where his soul is now

[creepske]

ah whatever man anyone that likes elliott must be ok, forget it.

[creepske]

i cant find him playing this song live. lamee.

[mymayapapaya]

I will send you a link

[johnnymeagher]

@mymayapapaya

what's the link? :)

[creepske]

i know alot of Elliotts songs are sad, but this one i feel is alot more personal, instead of drug and alchol abuse its about normal life. i went to a club the other night and was in the middle of the dance floor drinking (i wasnt dancing lol) and watched all these young kids my age dancing and felt exactly like he does in this song. It really got to me.

[thwrldsgr8st]

amen

[RobyHawkins]

Unfortunately, I bet they weren't playing this song at da club...

[creepske]

man i would pay 1000 entry to a club that plays just elliott... if anyone is in sydney there is an elliott tribute in newtown around the 5th of november! i cant wait to go there ill finally feel like i fit in.

[TheLoopsicle]

if only there was one in Melbourne. Thanks for making me feel less alone in this massive country. I didn't realise anyone in Australia cared so much about him! :) He is almost perfect. I hope it was a beautiful night.

[creepske]

hahaha its this coming thursday, get a plane up haha, we can have a drink and talk about elliott hahahaha.. yea im obsessed with him, he is perfect 100%

[TheLoopsicle]

I wish I could, and I would if i didn't have uni exams... oh well, you can have one for me. I hope it is brilliant. (how could it not be??). :) Man, I wish I could go. Maybe next time! Have a great time.

[creepske]

will do mang

[PpPayton379]

agreed.

[creepske]

hey man, it was fucking amazing, best night ever. sorry you couldnt be there lol was def worth a plane trip to sydney

[blunts4brekfast]

hahaha Im from Portland, Oregon. Same town and neighborhood as Elliot. Im surprised in Sydney love him as much as I do.

[creepske]

@blunts4brekfast yeah man im moving to portland soon just for elliott :D

[Smdylan]

@creepske i know EXACTLY what you mean, i've never related to a song so strongly

[creepske]

does he play this live anywhere !! please inbox me if u know.. thanks guys!

[foamy1graff]

hes dead..he dont play anything?

[creepske]

im not that dumb lol... i mean is there footage of him playing this song live..

[RobyHawkins]

Yeah, Nick Drake and Smith are going on tour next month...should be a great show.

[creepske]

dont be a rude fuckhead...

[RobyHawkins]

Jeesh man chill the fuck out. Smith is my favorite artist ok, don't take life so seriously; and if you do just an hero yourself; a couple swift self inflicted stab wounds to your chest perhaps?

[creepske]

what the fuck are you talking about. "and if you do just an hero yourself; a couple swift self inflicted stab wounds to your chest perhaps? " that doesnt make sense at all. You joked about someone i care about, dont be a rude dickhead and just enjoy the song.

[apackofgum]

ohmyfuck

/b/tard detected

gtfo mah elliott

[darucon]

uhm hate to brake it to you but elliott smith has been dead for the past 6 years....

[ixchaos]

sweetass song, eh?

[bronco3250]

I wll sing this to myself all day long. I love my taste in music : ).

[PennyRoyaleTea]

One of the best.

[bacardi119]

He was not like anybody, he was like him, a unique musician, period.

[bacardi119]

This song reminds me of a time when I was struggling with deppression and wanted to leave my parents' house and live by myself. I sat one day at the computer and stumbled upon this song and when I heard the lyrics I felt as if elliott was talking to me. He is talking about what i was going through at the time, that is one of the reasons why he is my favorite singer.

[halfbaked44]

this song deserved a title

[DiGreggs]

Actually, I think the title "No Name" is relevant to the song. If you listen to the lyrics, it could imply that he feels as if he's not there, doesn't have a name. That's how it struck me anyways.

[karlycatherine]

I never thought it was about him...it seemed like it was about a girl...a one night stand girl with low self esteem..lol im not trying to be shitty-thats jsut how i always took it

[Hamsaouahamsine]

@halfbaked44 I suppose, a lo-fi (or punk or whatever) attitude includes this sort of things. Honestly, I like it like that.

[staphinfection]

@halfbaked44 It has a title: No Name #1

[jcupsmells]

i wonder if elliot knew how good he was. he seems unsure of himself. hes the best.

[xfearbeforexx]

Such a beautiful song. Elliott Smith was truly our generation's Nick Drake.

[taxi909]

he was nothing like nick drake. nothing at all like him

[xfearbeforexx]

What? He was exactly like him. They were both tortured suicidal acoustic guitar players. How can you possibly not see the similarities?

[taxi909]

Well, ok so they both played a guitar and both died. But their music was totally different, their life stories totally different, their "messages" via the music they wrote totally different.

[xfearbeforexx]

Both are prone to soft, acoustic folk, both share the same themes of depression and alienation. Besides, when I called him "our generation's Nick Drake", I didn't mean it as a literal musical comparison. I meant it in the way they both played soft acoustic folk/pop, and are both percieved by listeners as very depressed figures. I realize Smith used to say that he didn't know why people called his music sad because he was always happy playing it, but it's all about perception man.

[taxi909]

Fair enough. I just think it's pretty lazy to lump them both together. I think they're worthy of a bit more thought. And anyway, Nick Drake never made an impression on his own generation. If anything he is as much of "our generation" as is/was Elliott Smith.

[livehighjive]

also i hate to be douchebaggy cause he's dead and all, but I don't know he just doesn't really compare much to Elliott.

[dressrehearsalrags]

Drake isn't a patch on elliott. I make murky acoustic folky numbers, but wouldn't compare myself to elliott. I wouldn't compare any musician to elliott - his music is so delicate, skilled, beautifully melodic and evocative. Streets ahead of anything i've heard in the genre.

[creepske]

good comment, 100% correct..

[ganuenen]

i think he was mainly talking about the music, just because nick and elliott both played guitar and were tortured souls that commited suicide, doesnt mean they are very similiar, because i love e smith and dont think nick drake even compares to elliott's musical skills!!!

[graysandblue]

this song is metaphor for not feeling like you belong in the world. it is deeply sad to hear. he had suicide idealogy. ii used to be in love with it too. i always felt like he really knew despair. it was comforting.

[hellollove]

god i wish he was still alive and making music.

[MrHavoksWifeAndLover]

I love this song.

The way he wrote itl, it just seems to be raw emotion. Like the first words that came to mind to describe how he's feeling. And it really turned out to be a beautiful song.

[jlaw666]

its meaning is whatever you want it to be

[davidmvquez]

but there's a certain pleasure taken when you listen to this song. It has such an endearing quality to it and makes you love the outsider and empathize with him.

Go home

and live with your pain.

And if it's you whose the outsider, it could make you love and empathize with yourself.

[davidmvquez]

At a party he was waiting

Looking kind of spooky and withdrawn

Like he could be underwater...

If you've ever shown up to a dance, party, or any kind of festive social gathering feeling uncomfortable, out-of-place, unsure about what to do or who to talk to, or that you simply did not belong there in the first place, this song could take you back there. It doesn't really sound like a place you'd want to return to,

[davidmvquez]

The chord arrangement reminds me of the kind of song you might hear at a 1950's highschool dance. However, the delicate understated strumming of the guitar combined with the pitch bends in the melody submerges an otherwise pleasant social event into this uncomfortable, disorienting, somewhat nauseating atmosphere. When the ride cymbal starts playing after the first bar with the snare, it sounds alot like the chatter and movement of a crowd of people talking amongst eachother.

[SqueakCKY]

Wow dude, you are totally right.

[davidmvquez]

haha thanks, i was really caffinated when i wrote that, as you can tell, thanks for reading that though, I wasn't sure if I was looking too deep into it

[buttonsputon]

a very sweet timid sweet sigh song

[lucythewhitelady]

my favourite song by my favourite musician RIP elliott I love you

[theleaders01]

5 years today... RIP... We miss you so, Steven Paul Smith...

[isolationeitheror]

i would give anything to be able to play this

[lurrefisk]

lol its not a hard song to play. common chords with a hammer with the pinky, thats all :P

[Joelk20]

Then give 1-2 hours of practise every day :)

[wewtwewt25]

elliott didn't die he chillin with 2pac!!!

[tonikmajor]

LOL

[kennybis03410]

elliott smith is like kurt cobain in a way that no one knows if he really killed himself or his girl did it.

[CryxInnocence]

i cant find the words to describe how his music makes me feel.

[flealoaf]

beautiful

[RawFitTeeSt]

the courtney song

[giannpls]

he looks so weird with short hair

[Bunnymen]

You look weird with short hair.

[evee059]

heartbreaking.

[lykndamuzic]

fun song to learn...

[streetsiswatchin]

Absolutely beautiful song.

[PJ132112]

"Go home And live with your pain Leave alone Leave alone, cos you know you don't belong You don't belong here And when I go Don't you follow Leave alone" i think it might have been a message. no matter how bad life may get, stick around because things can always turn around. thats my interpertation.

[brodycrider]

you are aware he killed himself right?

[PJ132112]

yeah, im very aware.

its an interpertation,

nothing more, nothing less.

it doesnt mean im right about the meaning of this song in any respects.

chances are im totally off base.

its terrible that he died, and the way that it all happened.

thanks for the reply to my comment though,

it made me laugh, in a bitter but good way.

:)

[bobfenster]

He wrote the song years prior to his death, so your interpretation is certainly possible. Of course it could easily be interpreted as the exact opposite of what you took from it.

[wotsherface]

he had greenish eyes...<3

[sk8tolive123]

It's kind of hard just to quote one phrase from this song, because every word is pure genius.

[catjoyyoung]

His music breaks my heart, I can barely listen to it. I used to listen to it back in the early days. Now it just hurts.

[graemeislord]

It is hard, but embrace it, it's beautiful, and so are all our experiences that are liked to it, he's part of our lives..mine anyway

[OKEYETHIN]

nice film

[lardo3000]

He actually looks good at 47''

[JALSPS]

...I think of You with hesitation...I think of You too hard...

[tutacom]

ES was a real person, with real feelings that he couldn´t hide.

[DarknessFalls34567]

"i forgot her name ashamed, go home live with your pain" so much emotion for one person.

[DarknessFalls34567]

reminds of a beatlesque song. next to no name #3, it's my fav.

[livelylunatick]

this song is so me, i cry everytime i sing it, and really feel it. so much sadness in this one man

[epicvelocity]

I absolutely love the guitar rif...

[DUBtheTIGER]

its one of his easiest songs try it out

[MissMissery]

amzing song :)

[aca94030]

i love the picture of him as a little kiiiiiiiiiiid!!

such a fantastic song,

i can never find the right words to describe him or his music

[tosaytheleast]

Thank you for this.

[siyuanzhou]

sry for my gayness

[mymayapapaya]

Don't apologize. I love him too.

[siyuanzhou]

I LOVE YOU ELLIOTT

[lordrisingham]

nice video. it put a tear in my eye. =)

[misseryme]

I LOVE YOU .e.

[Stillillgal]

RIP :{