Status

Elliott Smith Song

Alternative Title/Version

Some (Rock) Song

Written By

Elliott Smith

Recording Sessions

September 1994 (Lash Residence, Portland, OR - Self-Titled session)
March-May 1996 (Smith Residence, Portland, OR - Either/Or sessions) - recording of “(Rock) Song” version

Availability of Official Release

Needle in the Hay
Baby Britain (CD2) (“Some (Rock) Song” version)

Lyrics

It’s a junky dream makes you so uptight
Yeah, it’s Halloween tonight and every night
Hear you scratch your skin
Your sandpaper throat
You’re a symphony, man, with one fucking note
Charlie beat you up week after week
And when you grow up you’re going to be a freak
Want a violent girl who’s not scared of anything
Help me kill my time
Because I’ll never be fine
Help me kill my time
You went down to look at old Dallas town
Where you must be sick just to hang around
Seen it on TV, how to kill your man
Then like Gacy’s scene a canvas in your hand
You better call your mom, she’s out looking for you
In the jail and the army and the hospital too
But those people there couldn’t do anything for you
Help me kill my time
Because I’ll never be fine
Help me kill my time
Help me kill my time
Help me kill my time
Because I’ll never be fine
Help me kill my time

Note

An early draft set of handwritten lyrics was sold by JJ Gonson to an anonymous buyer that included the line “You’ve finally hit the very highest notes,” among others. The sale was centered around Elliott’s Le Domino acoustic guitar used to record Roman Candle.

First known live performance

1994-09-17 (Umbra Penumbra, Portland, OR, USA)

Audio