All is forgiven (parts 1 & 2)

[@Auzzie015]

One of the most talented poets and artists of the last 50 years and you ask him, 'Are you a sad sack?' What the fuck?

[@TheDreamingJune]

Unfortunately many obnoxious interviewers of that ilk were like this towards Elliott. It's absolutely abhorrent.

[@knuckle12356]

It's a real shame... I'm thinking about those interview medley clips, such as when Hugh Laurie is asked over and over and over about his dad being a doctor in real life... and hey, you're _playing_ a doctor now on TV... 🙄 like 30×'s... approved questions. Boring. Processed food of interviews. Meanwhile you've got this musical genius at your disposal - before being ripped away from the world... And they don't bother to ask him ANYTHING real, instituting their own processed shit limitations when no one is forcing them into that mediocrity. Just, well, your mother and I aren't mad. We're just disappointed with your interview...

[@Jess-wj2xb]

I listen to Elliott when I feel like shit to feel better. His music gets me through a lot of crap, & it has no genre. It's heavenly. I owe a lot to this man

[@revalone3944]

yeah idk what genre i would call it either some of his stuff is super orchestrated and sounds like something a classical composer would make and some is super raw basic but beautiful

[@CM-sd1rw]

you just summed up how i feel about elliott smith.

[@snowydove6510]

Amen same here

[@mwell420]

When he finishes "I didn't understand" at the end and just has the misery of his memories flood through his head.....and the look in his eyes.....it gives me the chills. I know that look of hurt and disappointment and it's a shitty thing to feel....somehow he manages to capture it onto paper and through his music he somehow makes everything okay just for the few minutes you listen to it. What a timeless genius....

[@timbuckley321]

Elliot's soft singing was a mask the whole time... I can feel him screaming every word

[@summerblack314]

his smile is so beautiful

[@sade7777]

ugh hes so beautiful i cry

[@mjarre100]

"What's the point of playing a song badly? It'd be better to play it and mean it than to just walk through it" EXACTLY!

[@rafaelmadferit]

Man...It kills me to see Elliott playing Waltz #2 perfectly and then say he stopped it because he was playing it wrong... I can't handle to watch all those mega-confident untalented singers that get so much credit.Elliott was on an all other level, he was so good, he deserved so much better... This whole story is so depressive.

[@gian3008]

I love that about Elliott too. He could be playing his songs as lucidly as he does and it'd be so hard to notice but he'd admit there was a mistake and would refuse to continue.

[@janlappalainen]

His end is depressing, I guess. At the same time Elliott Smith's story has some wonderful parts, like how he kept it completely real even after he was noticed during the Oscar spectacle, he didn't lose the foundation of why he made music in the first place, like so many have once they "make it". I guess where it went wrong was when music wasn't enough for him to channel his pain through, which lead him down the wrong road.

[@ciaraskeleton]

That's what it is for me too. I think that's why I put Elliot up on such a pedestal, BC there are people out there with 0.01% of his talent, topping charts, making bank, thriving off of fame. He just loved music, there was no ulterior motive with him. No gimmick.

[@lukemei5ter]

Not depressive. Cool. Thats what cool used to be. Something not afraid. Not overconfident . Something raw and beautiful in imperfection. Real music

[@buckhenry8712]

He puts it all out there for us to hear/see. The pain on his face and in his voice is so heartbreaking

[@veronicaestes]

he is the most beautiful person i have ever seen to this day.

[@houssemehsn]

Any updates?

[@precious7562]

@@houssemehsn he passed away years ago

[@houssemehsn]

@@precious7562 was asking if she met a more beautiful person during the last 8 years, but thanks, he sadly passed away when i was 8. Thanks tho 😊.

[@wolfgangpoole1482]

brilliant chord progressions, lyrics, melodies, emotion...

[@cjhatesu]

I love how Elliott handles interviews.

[@joshmusic9766]

His live performances make me think he is very shy and awkward and depressed but this documentary shows a really confident and goofy side of Elliot, not just the sad one.

[@waz3128]

An honest, humble and beautiful man with exceptional talent and not a single vain bone in his body. I know famous / successful people are prone to false modesty but you believe this guy really means it when he says stuff like 'I'm the wrong kind of person to be really big and famous'

[@thefuninlife]

It breaks my heart to see Elliott beat himself up like that

[@mellowaite]

"Cross between Nick Drake, Curt Cobain, and Lou Barlow... sad sacks." That's such a limited comparison, in my view. There are stronger connections to The Beatles; I also hear Paul Simon and Brian Wilson in there at times, as well as classical composers. Elliott had such a wide and exhaustive collection of influences. Check out the ZZ Top t-shirt he's wearing in this video (think he's being ironic? I don't). He's also known to have been a fan of Willy Nelson and Hank Williams Jr. And Rush! Anyone new to Elliott Smith should know that he's not just a clone of Curt Cobain.

[@johnarundell7951]

mellowaite This drivel from the interviewer was surely one of the most pathetic and disrespectful questions I have ever heard from a talentless idiot thrusting a microphone in the face of a great artist. She deserved a slap in the face, but Elliott being the patient and graceful soul that he was, politely answered her as best he could without wanting to seem rude or worn down by such typical trash. Rest in peace Elliott. I love you.

[@sidmicheals9739]

100% the most humble/skilled musician of the 90s was Elliot and not nirvana

[@simzocker]

He's elliot smith nothing more nothing less

[@TheGman858]

I never understood why people compared cobain to smith two completely different approaches to music both great but elliot had music flowing through his veins Personally I always viewed elliot as a punk rock kid that had the spirit of claude debussy trapped inside his body the melodies and chord progressions he composed are not of this world

[@bpeck131313]

I compare him to classical composers and some people don't get it. This guy was an absolute powerhouse of talent. It truly boggles the mind. His melodies were complex and transcendent, but they were also simple in the sense that they were memorable (like so many of the Beatles melodies) and his lyrics belong in the heart of the pantheon of singer-songwriters. And he just seems like such a pleasant to guy be around. You just wanna hug him.

[@dpclerks09]

"...not become a connoisseur of yourself." I love that idea. There's a good deal of wisdom within that, I think

[@SethMacLaren]

how can one body shine with so much beauty and wonder?

[@muscovy5000]

He's a one-man Beatles. Miss him every day.

[@sachauittenbogaard2778]

I never even knew he existed until like 2 years ago, but all I can do is thank him, I won’t say he actively saved my life but he definitely has a become a big part of my life

[@awesomeianmarco]

5:18 I like it how the next line is "I'm tired"

[@greenmanfly]

That Waltz #2 is incredible! I love seeing him playing it on an electric.

[@Jess-wj2xb]

Elliott was just too good for this world

[@nolz4life533]

Definitely!

[@parto18]

Brilliant stuff here. Never saw him talk about the Oscars before (haven't seen a lot of his interviews). So painfully shy. Really seems like he had no idea what an influence he had on so many people.

[@buskingforlife]

''But then again i dont really know what a sad sack is'' God i love that line!

[@shonenlad]

He wrote some sad songs, but i'd NEVER call his music "depressing." I actually find a lot of his music uplifting and inspiring. But i guess in this time where everything on the radio is about clubs and partying, ANYTHING remotely serious would be depressing. Funny enough, i find most music now, including the club/party movement, even more depressing.

[@DownBadDonk]

"Everything Means Nothing to Me" isn't depressing?

[@shonenlad]

You obviously didn't read before commenting. I suggest doing that now.

[@DownBadDonk]

I did. And my comment still holds.

[@shonenlad]

Devin Lay Congratulations on finally figuring out how opinions work, then.

[@shonenlad]

Devin Lay Lmao. Butthurt in stereo. You children have tantrums so easily. Now, that's depressing. You sure you're an Elliot Smith fan? You come off more like an Emo fan?. Go listen to your Linkin Park kid. Leave the grown up discussions, to people that have gotten laid before.

[@TheDreamingJune]

Asking such an amazingly sensitive and talented songwriter like Elliott if he's a "sad sack" is just so disrespectful. I hate how many obnoxious interviewers treated him this way and thought it was acceptable to be this rude to someone whom they didn't even know was struggling with his own demons. Elliott deserved so much better. 💔

[@edpoe1108]

Yeah, that was out of line and insensitive as hell. I did like the fact that Elliott didn't give her the answer she wanted though.

[@tangibleblockofwisdom6386]

This man worked his arse off for years. He's one of the most amazingly talented and underrated songwriters of this generation. Taught me so much. Cat Stevens vs Paul Simon closer to the mark

[@tangibleblockofwisdom6386]

vs the Beatles best material.

[@codadeo]

That's hilarious. 5:20 he just gives up. I was fortunate to see him play in Austin at Liberty Lunch in March of 1999. He did this like five times during his set. He would just stop in the middle of the song and sulk to the crowd. It was really hard to watch live. His music is amazing but I felt in the end the fame was his demise. Rest in peace Mr. Smith.

[@opheliajade1986]

"Sulk"?

[@CM-sd1rw]

yikes.

[@callixvision6481]

@@opheliajade1986 yeah

[@dylonbangss2804]

The fact he stops right when he says im tired in the song. He might play dumb but I don’t think a single thing this guy did or said wasn’t thought out first.

[@SethHesio]

I think it's a very subjective thing, but there is definitely music that can accentuate mood and I'm sure there are certain people that could listen to Elliott Smith all day and not feel depressed/ uplifted. I personally think his songs are so honest, sincere and have this intense emotional quality to them that they're extremely moving. Someone once said a great movie is one that changes depending on what the audience brings to it, I believe that. I do think that Elliott Smiths music is powerful

[@nan4011]

he is so beautiful on the inside it also makes him beautiful on the outside,its in the eye of the beholder,or in the sight of the listener. Just my personal view of him,RIP Mr. smith, c u someday, someday.....Luva luva*

[@vincenthamilton2828]

No matter if he thought otherwise: He was one of the biggest and justified famous too. He will not be forgotten, I love this guy. I don't say that very often.

[@sbingham1979]

This is excellent footage - thank you so much for posting it.

[@SethHesio]

Do you find they make you feel depressed or uplifted? I used to fin them really really overwhelming.. elevating in a strange way. I always feel altered after listening to Elliott Smith, which I think is as great a complement as you can give to any form of art.

[@shakeyjake3125]

"The thing I liked about punk in the first place is still alive in my head. But it's not like the style of music that it is and was it's just that kinda angle on things that it is... have to keep changing and not get stuck in a little box and not become like a connoisseur of yourself."

[@maravivas]

Brilliant, thanks for transcribing this!

[@rayraysvoboda]

the only person who can completely silence the whole audience at the oscar nominations. his talent should of made him the winner.

[@shaggymexican12]

He was truly an amazing musician.

[@CarmenPerez-pq3ml]

oh god... that last song and HIS FACE! I know im tender-hearted, but that made me cry!

[@SethMacLaren]

Here come the sidewalk boss again Telling me how I can't cave in That I'm a study in black Need a pat on the back I look up and smile A picture of dissatisfaction That he can only see as a junkie

[@MatticusFinch83]

Wow. What a fantastic find. Thank you for posting this. His music and life will never be forgotten. Gone way too soon. Rest in peace man and know that you are missed more than you ever thought possible.

[@cheripennell7719]

We love you beautiful boy RIP Elliott

[@strangeclimate411]

i love you so much, elliott. there are so many photos in this video that i've never seen before! what a beautiful boy

[@swaggerlord02]

elliott is the master of creation, and his critics are authors of none. keep being punk in heaven elliott!

[@tomitstube]

elliott smith reminds me so much of david foster wallace. you can tell elliott wasn't into the waltz number two, it sounded stale and he knew it. both foster wallace and smith could reach and explain levels of consciousness that few are able to grasp, and in both cases it led to deep depression and suicide.

[@theuberman7170]

They even look similar.

[@spiritlevel8]

i've thought this a lot. i imagine they would have had a lot to say to each other

[@devil_pls]

Oh my god... this is exactly what i thought for so often. They are so much alike in ways that i can't even express

[@strangeclimate411]

agreed about the depression but elliott didn't kill himself.

[@opheliajade1986]

He was just too pure for this hell on earth!

[@bushbuddyplatypus]

What a sweet fellow

[@thebends28037]

Great footage! Always fun to learn whatever you can about this brief ENIGMA.....Thanks for posting!

[@HavanaClueTv]

You're not bursting my bubble, when it comes to Elliott there are no bubbles that can be burst. Yes, he had coping mechanisms, like any of us who mentally suffer.

[@SunShine-sv8vx]

He was so fucking beautiful.

[@silvertip23]

The music scene wasn't so bad after all compared to now, looking back. I can't imagine another Elliott Smith ever coming out again. Sort of like Nick Drake.

[@waynefitzpatrick1562]

Death is not putting out the light, but extinguishing the candle cause the dawn has come...the after glow of Elliott Smith will always remain...sleep softly

[@oldaccount5217]

I just looked into sad sack comics. Calling him a sad sack is a pretty big insult. How immature of that interviewer.

[@REDYELLOWGRASSGRASS]

+1 for including the full song when referenced.

[@anonymousconflict2881]

😂 I love the reaction to the weird "sad sack" comment. And I love you, Elliot ❤️

[@Mr6stringchaos]

such a beautiful person who was taken from us too soon!!!

[@tangibleblockofwisdom6386]

I miss the era when musicians were actually approaching this art like it meant a goddamn motherfuckin thing beyond selling pez flavoured pop tarts. This man is a fucking elite songwriter

[@kak16910]

"I'm the wrong kind of person to be really big and famous" Oh Elliot, if you only saw how the world sees you now. You inspire me, you tortured soul. R.I.P.

[@LeahLeahLeahLeah]

I love when he stops playing in the middle of the song.

[@ChristmasOnMars]

He should have won the Oscar.

[@diorme7510]

R.I.P. sweet Elliott

[@KMurderful]

miss him though i never really knew him...

[@nessihoi]

Elliott you are in my dreams.

[@MsGingersrock]

I miss Elliott Smith so much.

[@12ljw]

I really want to know what it would be like to know him personally, in all the interviews he always seems really uncomfortable so that definitely isn't the real him, I guess all we have left to base ideas off of is his music.

[@REDYELLOWGRASSGRASS]

+1 for including the full clip of a referenced performance.

[@count3rcultur3]

Elliott Smith was big and famous. He was just big and famous to a knowing minority, he was a giant and a legend to us few.

[@dylangeneau1067]

I don't think Music causes someone to feel either depressed or uplifted. Instead the person feels that way and then listens to the music that suits their mood. I think people feel good from music, but that comes from relating to and feeling connected to another human being through lyrics or music that you relate to.

[@rex_lol1]

“Some sort of punk as well?”😂

[@LeahDyson-kq4bd]

Yeah what was that lol

[@goldwold]

Thanks for putting both parts together! You rule!

[@astrozombie548]

Elliott Smith, Criminally Underrated!!.. REST IN PEACE ELLIOTT SMITH 🙏

[@chamataka]

im so glad that you uploaded this...

[@gnarr]

One person was watching this with his screen turned up side down?

[@Spencerxo]

Elliott Smith was a supreme talent and he is sorely missed

[@og_tokyo]

As gay as it is... I kinda choked up when he said "Well I said it because I think that's true, but i'm not trying to avoid anything, I just, I would have to be more, I'm not, i'm the wrong kinda person..., to be really big and famous", you can tell he's writing music for himself and just expressing as opposed to writing for an audience. He knows that to be really big and famous you'd have to give up your self to the media. I remember driving to school and hearing he passed... RIP ELLIOTT

[@kevinryan1359]

BBBOOIII U FECKIN GGGGHEEYYEYEYEYEYE

[@Dbzmad34222]

@Franz Kafka no one truly knows

[@tzzzzt6857]

lmaoooooooo how is that gay is your masculinity that fragile

[@duck97]

this is great, thank you so much =)

[@gentleeyes]

"...guy in the white suit, dirty hair" - His hair doesn't even look dirty, but I think he is indicating he feels dirty

[@LeahDyson-kq4bd]

Dirty comes from the childhood abuse

[@BobbyFireRadio]

His music is beautiful

[@edwintorres5539]

genius!!!

[@raheedgupta4597]

Out of the "three popular ways to fail" as Elliott put it... "Playing it safe" was the only way he didn't "fail" in the end...

[@kristinangelique]

yay for this! thankxs and peace

[@exclude7936]

I'll never be a big rockstar. I'm the wrong kind of person. He said everything with these lines.

[@nicholasdawson4002]

elliott you still make me smile

[@SethMacLaren]

so much beauty hidden amongst so much sadness still won't believe he's gone love him, love you all "i'll fake it through the day..." xoxo

[@astaticdecay]

well thank you all so got damn much for shaming me with the thought that i too am a little bit totally in love with Elliot Smith. i know shame.

[@Jkbox1]

'tickets torn in half"....possiblly a nod to classis iv?

[@PatCat]

awesome vid~

[@dangermouse2990]

My sister turned me on to elliott smith:) I love him!

[@christopherwalker6056]

Love this man's music. So emotional and beautiful. I discovered him late, and then suddenly I found out he passed away. I think it was back in 2003? I heard conflicting stories. Can anyone tell me the truth on how he passed?

[@stiiffyrabbit]

The headline is that he stabbed himself in the heart, during a row in which his girlfriend locked herself in the bathroom. The conspiracy wonders how he managed to stab himself in the heart, twice.

[@dextroisdead8357]

stiffyrabbit jr As much as I hate to think Elliott killed him self, some one who is intent on ending their life will do it. I think its best to let his spirit rest, whether he did or he did not kill himself, he is still gone for ever, we need to let him rest in peace, no more arguing about how he died, lets discuss his life.

[@christopherwalker6056]

***** Yes, I agree with you. I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder several years ago but I think I was misdiagnosed. I would say I have depression. I finally tried several different meds from Risperdal to Lithium which made me lethargic and tired. Finally I convinced my doc to let me try Cymbalta and my life has been great every since. I never used to believe in the whole 'chemical imbalance' thing but I am now convinced it is absolutely real and wish I would have got on Cymbalta much sooner. Sorry, didn't mean to go on about myself, but I guess I just wish Elliot Smith was still here. Anyway, yes let us remember him as a beautiful soul and may he rest in peace. God bless.

[@MiloTheCat79]

Christopher Walker I was also diagnosed with Bipolar/Manic-Depression & I think perhaps it is a misdiagnosis. I also suffer with Drug Addiction (have been self-medicating since I was 12 years old & I'm in my early 30s now.) I am currently sober & have been working the program pretty hard...I have been through every depression med in the books & nothing seems to help (Abilify seemed to help...but so damn expensive, even with insurance.) I am also a musician & I am always impressed with how productive Elliott was able to be & write/record such amazing material.

[@christopherwalker6056]

Milo, have you tried Cymbalta?

[@DanRelayer_Ukraine]

where can I get this on DVD????

[@joshuahenderson5847]

what’s the song at 1:47??

[@dylonbangss2804]

Independence Day from XO

[@christianattridge4344]

man, injusto absultely love ELliot, I wish he had grown a beard, seems silly, but in every single video hes always clean shaved. Whiy..?

[@nan4011]

Does anyone know where he is buried? Just wondering,hadn't heard anything about that at all...don't mean no disrespect,just curious. RIP E.S.,God bless,we all love u.

[@tcorp12]

where is the rest of the interview from the beginning? i've never been able to find it..

[@emmaphilo4049]

Impossible not to like..

[@mckiepstein]

James franco was in Heatmiser?!?!

[@katrinawallis-king1540]

Journalists, or whatever they call themselves, quite often seem to think that by asking the most inane or provocative questions they are being edgy or doing jourNalism imaginatively when the reverse is true. If I’d have been asked if I’m a ‘sadsack,’ I would have asked her why she felt The need to be that predictable for a wage?

[@tinfoilhatcovidiot]

Well he was a sad sack and it was enlightening to see Eliot not see that in himself...

[@youthofyesterdayrecords]

Mary told me the same thing.

[@timjmoran]

I would have to TOtally disagree w/ that..however sad & tragic the end of his life was, ES left us a LOT of great music... it's all we have... the quality of albums like XO cannot be denied.NOT a failure...to be sure.

[@mitjadrab6529]

Does anyone know the name of the song at 1:45? Thanks

[@stiiffyrabbit]

Give me a real challenge! That is 'Independence Day' from the beautiful album 'XO'. He remains amazing because his songs are fundamentally strong. The production on the album is great but, his acoustic work stands up on its own. I genuinely wish he was still here. It makes me sad to know that I've heard all that he had to say.

[@suchende83]

Independence day

[@stiiffyrabbit]

Giuseppe Gambardella No, no, wait! I answered that one, a week ago.

[@giovannilp03]

That first interview kills me every single time man

[@reeceyburt1093]

would of been more cool to say (then waltz through it hahaha. melody maker