Status

Elliott Smith Song

Written By

Elliott Smith

Recording Sessions

March - July 1996 (The Shop, Humboldt County, CA - Primary Either/Or Sessions) - 2 versions circulating, one officially released and one unofficially circulating
March-May 1996 (Smith Residence, Portland, OR - Either/Or Sessions at Elliott’s House) - uncirculating

Availability of Official Release

Either/Or

Lyrics (Alternate lyrics from demo in parentheses)

A wallflower/(*wallpaper*) Punch talks to Judy
In a crowded corner where anybody can listen in
They don’t read page to page, or speak easy
Now they’re gonna go say the words
In the wrong order again
They walk in a circle
Through all the sidewalk scenes they used to be a part of one time
Now everybody just stares and whispers
Driving around/(*Withdrawing round*), up and down Division Street
I used to like it here
It just burns/(*blow*) me out to remember

Can’t you ever treat anyone nice?/(*Can’t be careful with any advice*)
Think I’m gonna make the same mistake twice?/(*Dreaming you don’t even know what you like*)

They draw the curtain
Wait for a call
Pretty lucky if they get any kind of response at all

Can’t you ever treat anyone nice?/(*Can’t be careful with any advice*)
Think I’m gonna make the same mistake twice?/(*Dreaming you don’t even know what you like*)
Gonna make the same mistake twice/(*You don’t even know what you like*)

Notes

In live performances and in several recordings, Elliott would occasionally substitute the line “poison arms” with “broken arms”.

Audio