ELLIOT SMITH - Waltz 2 REACTION - First time hearing

[@dinullr1957]

It really upset me when I realised it was about his Mother. The chorus is so much sadder in that context.

[@pezor]

I'm never gonna know you now, but i'm gonna love you anyhow. 😭😭😭 too real

[@SebGeddy]

Elliott Smith was an angel, so gifted and compelling. I believe his music saved many lives, so sad no one could have saved his. Bless him

[@cochranj24]

Yep it’s about his mother with her new husband, written from the perspective of Elliott as a child. RIP Elliott, please listen to more of his songs, check out the track King’s Crossing!

[@junkyardheaven]

Very special songwriter. Greatly missed.

[@Richardarthur86]

The first time I heard this song, about ten years ago, I immediately fell in love with it. Bless his troubled soul.

[@RustinChole]

Just so you know. He was a really hilarious, fun, generous, kind guy. If he knew people thought of him as a trouble soul, he’d be super bummed. I’ve never since encountered a more dedicated prankster, and for all his ups and downs, he never let it show. Even at the very end, he was clean and doing really well. He was fine before the heroin and crack got him in NYC. That was horrible … we all thought he was lost. But he clawed his way back only to die tragically. But he was ten times more of a goofball than a sad sack. I’m not criticizing you. Just saying.

[@dishields7808]

Elliott was a musical genius. His story is very compelling, deep and both light and dark. I will attach the orchestra version. It really is a beautiful waltz. He is my favorite artist of all time. I could talk about him all day every day. But I won't.

[@loadedorygun]

My cousin Leslie recorded half his first album in her house. :) He’s a worthy obsession.

[@dishields7808]

@@loadedorygun he not only saved my life. He's the reason I started writing. Lyrics, poems, speeches for weddings, funerals, ghost writing, etc. Now I'm a published writer.

[@sixbladeknife44]

I almost went to college with him, I toured the college campus with him where he eventually attended in New England. I ended up going to a different college, was very happy for his eventual success but such a sad outcome.

[@zappafan3473]

@@loadedorygun oh yeah, there's a great audio documentary on the making of that album with leslie and one of the heatmiser guys too up here somewhere on youtube.

[@briangbv1]

One of the best song writers of all time...gone way to early. Thank you for reacting to this. Hope you enjoy the rest of his musical talents and his catalog of songs that speak from (and hence to) the heart. ❤

[@wayne_twentyfive]

My favourite Elliot Smith song .. Loved it from the first time I heard it ! .. That waltz rhythm, the haunting atmosphere, and the emotional lyrics all combine to make this a classic, IMHO .. Thanks to the requester for this .. Great reaction, Harri .. You seem pretty tuned into his music .. Cheers, Wayne

[@elysehfm8797]

Nice to hear more Elliott Smith. RIP.

[@djobiwan47]

Lovely. Elliott Smith was such a brilliant songwriter and he revealed his torment and torture and anguish through his songs. This whole thing isn't fair. That someone with such a gift was so harmed by life.

[@loadedorygun]

I call this “whisper core” along with folks like Nick Drake. Quietly powerful.

[@dishields7808]

He does let lose on some of them. He also sings in a false deeper voice thT is reminiscent of johnie cash. He wrote and recorded shiva opens her arms as a teenager. It's raw and very unpolished and one of my favorites. He also has a school house rock song. Figure 8. There is a wonderful Mashup of tupac and elliott

[@donfatale]

Good connection. Check out Judee Sill if you haven't already.

[@sea1themall]

All that and a beautiful song musically. So incredible

[@zacatecanjack4476]

thankyou good sire for promoting a well deserved and underrated multi-talented musician

[@DawnSuttonfabfour]

Unrequited love Harri. I adore Elliott, so sad he's gone, This is my favourite song by him. Excellent choice. Thank you,

[@chockabout]

You were right on the money.

[@NDStenger]

I’ll never know my mum but I love you anyhow

[@dishields7808]

Harri... he has a waltz 1 also. Also, your comment about it giving you a lot of different thoughts.... his music is why I was able to come back as far as I have from tbi. I was lost the first few years. His music was the only thing that could soothe me

[@jonathonkiner7415]

Gives me chills every time. R.I.P.

[@dishields7808]

I wrote this inspired by this song It's so easy living in the past Sleep walking through each day Living where I saw you last Pretending I'm ok

[@thetek2006]

The first I heard of Elliott Smith was when I saw him performing this on Later... with Jools Holland back in the late 90s, just him and his acoustic guitar. He seemed a little nervous in the spotlight and though raw it was still a magical performance which led to me falling in love with a lot of his work.

[@alisong826]

Elliott smith’s music has got me through some v dark times. My cat even ran out of my room from taking a nap when i was casually listening to him, looking at me like, ‘bish why aren’t you sobbing?!” 😹 but when I listened to him last week it was very much appreciated that my oldest cat equates Elliott with my depression and even though she’s typically non-affectionate…she will sit next to me and lick tears off my fingers 😹😸🫶🏼 2:14

[@webbtrekker534]

A very strong basic waltz beat. I love to waltz. Such a relaxing natural dance. Interesting song.

[@dishields7808]

Check out waltz 2 by vsq. Vitamin string quartet. I put it in the comments. It's so beautiful

[@iamwhoiam7482]

The darkness has a warmth to it that draws me in every time….. I’m tired , so tired ..

[@TheMonolake]

In the place where i make no mistakes In the place wher i have what it takes

[@MrEricgobucks]

Beautiful

[@debbiechang5781]

Thanks for this request Di Shields! Harri, your insights are very perceptive! This artist led a somewhat sad and tragic life and died and the age of 34 of a possible suicide. Such a loss! I want to explore more of his music 🌺✌️

[@dishields7808]

No. Not by suicide

[@elysehfm8797]

Maybe it's the time period, but this is reminding me of Rufus Wainwright's "I Don't Know What It Is." They both played on my radio station in NY. Which is where I heard of Smith's passing. What a gut punch.

[@ealo8747]

I think youre right with everything you said. Im referring to your reasoning on why this song was a waltz and not a ballad.

[@Trifelivin]

Academy Award winner ...

[@jespersahnerpedersen]

The song is about his mother and stepfather. He left Dallas because of his abusive stepfather to live with his father in Portland. One of his most beloved lines to his mother: "I'm never gonna know you now But I'm gonna love you anyhow" Full lyrics: "First the mic, then a half cigarette Singing, "Cathy's Clown" That's the man she's married to now That's the girl that he takes around town She appears composed, so she is, I suppose Who can really tell? She shows no emotion at all Stares into space like a dead china doll I'm never gonna know you now But I'm gonna love you anyhow Now she's done and they're calling someone Such a familiar name I'm so glad that my memory's remote 'Cause I'm doing just fine hour to hour, note to note Here it is, the revenge to the tune "You're no good You're no good, you're no good, you're no good" Can't you tell that it's well understood? I'm never gonna know you now But I'm gonna love you anyhow I'm here today and expected to stay On and on and on I'm tired I'm tired Looking out on the substitute scene Still going strong XO, mom It's okay, it's alright, nothing's wrong Tell Mr. Man with impossible plans to just leave me alone In the place where I make no mistakes In the place where I have what it takes I'm never gonna know you now But I'm gonna love you anyhow I'm never gonna know you now But I'm gonna love you anyhow I'm never gonna know you now But I'm gonna love you anyhow"

[@dishields7808]

I'm so glad to see others in the cult of Elliott.

[@MisterWondrous]

Check out other versions of this masterpiece. You will see why he couldn't take it any more. In one video, he stops in the middle and says he can't do it any more. I'm sure it might be the usual request. I suspect Nick Drake may have felt the same way. Same with David Foster Wallace. You think it will be great, but as Bowie and Lennon sang...what you get is no tomorrow. There is one video where it is just Elliot and his guitar, and it is very touching and sensitive. You can sense his pain.

[@dishields7808]

I'm also a huge fan. The concert in NY is just Elliott and his guitar. I have original wall art in metal, tapestries. I have written a lot of songs and poems about him. My pen name is Lynn Elliott. Anyway, you seem to be all about him too. I have a fb group for the love of Elliott smith... we remember.

[@backbeat44]

genius, just pure genius.

[@PS-zk7dr]

Greetings from Sweden Harri, I really like your videos I think they are great, and they give a good insight and overall review about the songs. I personally love older types of music/artist, like Harry Nilsson, Billy Joel, Roy Orbison,Bread etc. I would like to make a song request if possible. SuperTramp - Fools Overture. This song is my favorite from supertramp and is made in a really unqiue and special way. Anyways I hope you have a great day, and apologies for any spelling errors as english is not my first language. All the best Patrik

[@dishields7808]

This is my favorite reaction. I can tell how you were bracing yourself for something sad. And how you finally heard what I hear. It was probably a poor choice on my part with submitting miss misery. He wrote that for the movie goodwill hunting. When you watch that movie that song is perfect for the last song

[@elysehfm8797]

Hope you're well, Harri! DEFINITELY a waltz.

[@NDStenger]

Clearly talking about mum

[@NDStenger]

Tell Mr man with impossible plans to just leave me alone. It’s his stepfather

[@Daniel-yt6sc]

The song sounds more powerful without those drums patterns

[@dishields7808]

Harri... you are incredibly perceptive. His mom married a man that S A. Elliott as a child. This is the source of his darkness. Also, he did not opt out. He had defensive wounds and his girlfriends story kept changing. She was known to pull knives on ppl and he was breaking up with her that day. "Allegedly " nobody stabs themselves multiple times in the chest and heart

[@henrikibsen6258]

Was she known to pull knives on people? I always thought she did it obviously but I never heard that.

[@TR-yi8up]

Please show any evidence you’ve ever seen presenting ‘defensive wounds’. Thanks

[@dishields7808]

@@TR-yi8up dude that's weird. Feel free to look into it yourself its in the autopsy report.. I'm not here to present evidence

[@TR-yi8up]

@@dishields7808 no, weird is perpetuating a myth that you have zero fucking idea about. At no point in the autopsy are they shown or stated to be defensive anything. But here you are, nearly 20 years later, lying to strangers about your knowledge of the case.

[@davebzen795]

Di, I really enjoyed this performance and the back story that you have provided. I will be checking out other Elliot Smith tunes. Well done, Harri!

[@yorchwww543]

i think it was dedicated to his mother, and the relation she used to have

[@bigchickentime7391]

There’s another song he did with a similar lyrical story called plainclothes man, but flipped in a way. To talk about his step father . You should check it out! The story is a lot darker but I’m sure you’ll pick up on it!

[@jespersahnerpedersen]

Guess you thinking about "No Confidence Man", other examples are "Some Song" and "Division Day".

[@bigchickentime7391]

@@jespersahnerpedersen those work too but I’ve always read plainclothes man as him being confused about why his mom would choose to stay with his stepfather. “I get a sick confusion headache, tryna figure out who’s right” but those are good examples too! Southern belle as well

[@jespersahnerpedersen]

@@bigchickentime7391 Yes, "Southern Belle", indeed, very explicit. "Plainclothes Man" is about drug abuse in the same way that "Between the Bars" is about alcohol (alcohol talking to the alcoholic). In "Plainclothes Man" he's having a conversation with drugs and reflecting on how it's affecting him. In both songs, he's personalizing drugs and alcohol. In interviews, he mentions drugs and alcohol as a metaphor for "dependency" which could also be a person, etc. Not only a musical genius but a lyrical genius as well :) "You’re everybody’s second home Always trying to get me alone An easy way to lose it all Always there when all else fails Over by the west side rails But I don’t really need that now I never really did anyhow I only really needed alcohol Something that’ll treat me okay And wouldn’t say the things you’d say ... Made for each other, that you pay me any mind Just goes to show my continual decline They say that I’ll recover my love of her once in a while But I don’t know I don’t think so"

[@dishields7808]

2:45 is the most obvious one about abuse. Even when he's cursing or talking about the worst things he doesn't sound like he's in the gutter, right?

[@jespersahnerpedersen]

@@dishields7808 Agree, and he often uses anger, e.g. in "Southern Belle", and also alcohol/drugs as an escape/solution: - "No bad dream fucker's (his stepfather) gonna boss me around Christian Brothers (alcohol) gonna take him down" - "I wanna hurt him (his stepfather) I wanna give him pain I'm a Roman candle My head is full of flames"

[@Ryan-zj3ql]

React to A Fond Farewell by Elliott smith! 🙏🙏

[@kilebates6304]

Subbed a year later but this was a great review!

[@caity613]

The song is about his mom who took his abusers side 😢 So sad because he always loved her anyway.

[@antichoice1]

Love Elliott Smith.

[@captainblowheart]

Please Review Todd SnIder's "Just Like Old Times"

[@NDStenger]

Xo mom

[@peach411]

It’s a waltz because of the Tennessee waltz

[@vovindequasahi]

Elliott... ah this treasure of a man. Such incredible talent! He was murdered by his girlfriend. Unless you think it sounds feasible that after an argument with her he took a knife and shoved it into his own heart?! He was happier than ever but she thought nobody would think twice about him killing himself since he projects that sort of energy in some of his songs. It's a terrible tragedy. Same think happened to Kurt Cobain, who somehow (I'm being sarcastic) managed to shoot himself in the back of the head with a shotgun (yes that is the forensic report), and leave a suicide note in somebody else's handwriting (Courtney I would assume).

[@ЙоанИлчев]

Bro please react to lungs by townes van zandt You'll be impressed

[@deeplyblue7299]

His mom was Married to Charlie who was someone Elliott did not get along with for different reasons....some more deeply damaging than others

[@simplethings474]

Please react to Child's Song by Tom rush.

[@donfatale]

Every fan remembers the moment when Elliot Smith hit home hard. Love his music, but it's almost unbearable.

[@ooglemonster]

You caught on to it being about his mom the first listen. Aren’t you perceptive!

[@doobiewonkanooby]

I haven’t found one reaction video for the Elliott Smith song called Say Yes. You really should do a reaction to that song. It’s my favorite ES song along with Tomorrow Tomorrow.