Elliott Smith "Fond Farewell" 9-2-00 Seattle, WA

[@DirtyDirkDiggler]

one of the greatest songwriters of all time

[@maddoxschneider6885]

he is

[@Skypen123]

It's almost hard to believe he was real.

[@matthewwallace9452]

Lily Kline this comment is the best thing I’ve read today.

[@mynameisjeff8860]

@@matthewwallace9452 true

[@SlowVillageBand]

[@31teeth97]

Such an innocent taken way way too soon. It’s a shame more people don’t know about Elliot

[@Bfrsgjmvdwwerrfg7]

As someone who’s watched a few videos of his, he seems like he’s in another world here. He’s craving whatever drug of choice imo but there are moments where the lyrics match his emotions and you see exactly what he’s reflecting on lmao

[@YargDisease]

A girl I never understood used to love this song. All I have is her memory now. They played this at her Services. I want this played at my services.

[@Iuxinterior]

different parts of this song resonate with problems i have in my life its always oddly comforting how it applies no matter what

[@WYATT35481]

I'm here if u ever need someone dude

[@bambam859]

These lyrics are so so powerful. If you know what addiction and feeling very very suicidal are like you'll understand these lyrics in a certain way. The lyrics on his last album do sound like a suicide note to me, i think he was feeling like there was no other way out for him but suicide, that his only coping mechanism, heroin, was causing him so much pain, but without it he was still in so much pain. I think his original plan was to finish this album and then end it but he couldn't keep going that long, he'd recently got clean and according to the autopsy the only drugs in his system were prescription ones at normal levels, so his depression and demons must have been overwhelming intensely at that moment. I've struggled with all these demons and still do, and if they do overwhelm me and I take myself out, which I'm gonna try not to, but honestly I see it was a realistic possibility, I want this played at my funeral, hopefully those hearing it will hear what I'm hearing, that this isn't my life or what I'm like, just a fond farewell to a friend.

[@seanfogarty8739]

been there too, man, and yeah you suddenly understand the song in a different way. hope things get better for you

[@bambam859]

@@seanfogarty8739 hey man, I wrote that a few months ago, I'm feeling much better now, hope you're well :)

[@seanfogarty8739]

@@bambam859 glad you're doing well, brother - and thanks i am still standing :)

[@stillnessinmovement]

I love it, you can hear him back off on the "a little less than a human being" line, then his voice is cracking a bit, like he's holding back tears or something. I LOVE elliot, he put so much heart into his music. Iit's incredibly hard to be that open emotionally, partiicularly in front of 1000's of people. thank you, and a fond farewell to you too, elliot

[@kayqueenbeanz]

His music is so comforting. I've gotta write down that I want this played at my funeral

[@wasnatehere]

This song is a heavy blanket of comfort. Thanks Mr. Elliott

[@SAK1855]

I know it's cliche for people to say every Elliott song is about drugs, but this one is. It's probably the most poignant song about drug addiction I've ever heard.

[@csterling77]

what a musician he was

[@dleonven]

best artist ever....greets from Chile

[@HBC423]

Still alive?

[@binzing]

One of my fav ES songs, and thats saying something.

[@sumis.3307]

this is my favorite elliott smith song of all time, possibly just my favorite song in the entire world. man, i would give anything to see him live. his music really changed my life. rip to the legend

[@jaymothman]

this was played like 3 years before the album version, the lyrics probably changed a bit

[@zwfwrestling]

@dinkus92 i like how the fact that someone died early ends up creating this whole myth that he was "withering away." first off this performance was 3 years before he died - how is that "right before his death." second off, this show was littered with sound problems. finally, i suggest you go and watch the videos of shows "right before his death." he is in great shape, looks happy, healthy, and was completely sober. let's end these myths.

[@austinr.5526]

Murdered, look it up

[@a_betancourth]

@@austinr.5526 proof?

[@notyoursavior78]

OMG, this is so sad, but I feel this exact way often. Honestly. I became a huge Elliott Smith just after "Basement on a Hill" came out. I miss you soo much Elliott. This songs owns all other singer/songwriters.

[@wsytnik]

i love hearing him perform without 12 year old fans screaming at the top of their lungs

[@lowroad4257]

This song got me through a dark time. RIP.

[@jondro13]

brilliant. his music has helped me get through some tough times. RIP

[@luj12222]

hi

[@redhawk239]

just because it takes some people longer to find elliot doesn't mean they mean any less to them, i mean a lot of people were still pretty young when he died, much less when most of his albums came out wheather when he was alive or dead his music touches people.

[@timms30]

god i love this song

[@caymechristeljoyce9108]

i'm seeing mateo & rufus in him and it's making me cry, i wanna give a tight hug

[@alexanderhardie5192]

Someone like Elliot Smith who is such a beautiful person and feels so much intense emotions is just bound not to last long. Beautiful, sensitive people like him can’t handle this fucked up world. I just hope he’s found some peace now. Such a tortured soul and a beautiful individual.

[@lillyandruben]

Just starting to listen to him now this song and "Between the Bars would be my favourites don't want to dwell on the sad parts about him as we all have options and opinions I just want to enjoy his music for what it is and not dissect so much that it becomes too hard to listen to

[@gotf]

+lillyandruben Which albums have you gotten into so far? He has alot of music to o through. Even many of his unreleased songs are brilliant.

[@Schodboyblves]

+gotf Kings crossing is my favourite Elliott smith song

[@TheEvanBennett]

+batboy same here, I shoot heroin though ; )

[@Schodboyblves]

I just drink a lot

[@jeremy3591]

you should definitely check out his band before his solo work "Heatmiser." mic city sons is a fantastic album, no bad song on there,

[@stillnessinmovement]

@dinkus92 saw yr comment. first, police don't say it was suicide. the evidence actually points to being stabbed by someone else (defensive wounds on the forearms, more than one stab mark to chest). all reports are that he had cleaned up and was healthy and sober before his death. Ihe was, quite possibly, on the verge of really getting it together and sharing his best music with us. im just glad we have these shared recordings, he was stellar.

[@miquel3657]

Richard Shapiro It's definetely weird and we'll never know. But man, this is the 21st century, why should cops hide the truth away from the death of some person? Finding the truth in the death of a famous singer it's actually a bigger deal than hidding it. Police could have come up as a hero for finding out what truly happened, instead of just hidding the truth pointlessly.

[@jomosamify]

One of my faves! But i wish i could have heard songs like memory lane and this earlier. Probably very difficult with all the chord changes and singing live. Thanks for the 4track Les Paul!

[@scoop2230]

holy shit. amazing.

[@fruitbats52]

goddammit now im sad

[@JMascisIsMyHero]

i love you elliott,i really do

[@kennybis03410]

another singer i won't be able to see live. Damn i should habe lived 20 years ago so i could see all of them! Elliott rocks!

[@blinkeratnight]

read the bio "elliott smith and the big nothing". it was more like 1500 in crack and heroin per day. such a sad story and such a haunted man. always my favorite elliott.

[@yesjimmyateit]

i have such a hard time watching this video; he looks so sad that i want to cry :(

[@ajigotto_amygdala]

Same here

[@allmappedout13]

This makes me so sad

[@iiirhd]

this is rough poor elliott :(

[@copsarebastards]

What do you mean this is rough, this is great

[@mzthisuseristaken]

One of the best songs...

[@BeatBy4]

It's a bucket hat.

[@leeorourke91]

Jesus. emotional

[@coolgirl9394]

just a fond farewell to a friend

[@redhawk239]

sometimes when everything gets to be too much, and i just cannot stand it, i can just turn on this song and it all goes away

[@KMurderful]

a friend indeed.

[@jamaicahines]

fucking legend

[@vaginaaaaaaaaaaaaaa1]

Fucking legend

[@benmeltzer]

"Disconnecting from the miissng link" -- is that breaking up with someone whom you once thought to be the love of your life? He just forgot the words on that one line. You can tell by how he smiles and looks over at the end.

[@jomosamify]

It looks like its diffucult for him to sing and play later songs. Given that, It takes him to a new level of songwriting. In my opinion to be able to connect on multiple songwriting levels.

[@shelbypowell5301]

R.I.P.

[@hobieslug45]

my favorite Elliott song if I was forced to pick

[@SAK1855]

It's disconnecting from humanity. The missing link is what separates humans from animals.

[@bessamsam]

valid points

[@VilhelmNielsen]

He really did, a shame he doesn't anymore. Listen to Waltz #2, it's really good too.

[@bourgoisereader]

this is a beautiful song, why do the best people feel so insecure, I guess they fly too close to the sun.

[@schwarzblatt]

have you listened to the whole show? I'd say his chops are pretty good overall. He was never known for being a player without flubs. I think at this particular show the acoustic is EQ'd sort of weird, and he is certainly missing strings here and there.

[@joseespinoza2564]

Una auténtica joya poética que le hubiera envidiado el inmortal Baaudelarie

[@Stillillgal]

well...yeah...

[@bessamsam]

it's really painful to hear these late live performances where his chops are waning because he's so strung out. i don't know why i do it to myself

[@sixxers]

He is wearing some fucking badass pants.

[@XXthewaveXX]

Why does he deliberately miss out one of the lines: "a little less than a human being?"

[@Colgajo]

He just forgot the lyrics

[@thomasbaker5848]

Maybe it was too hard for him to sing it. You can even hear him choke up a little bit in the next line

[@dlevita]

well that martin is a cutaway which tends to take away the fullness of the guitar..and the pickup in the guitar sounds like its under the saddle which typically is cold sounding....he still rocks it tho...

[@peterhartley]

:'( he was quite badly addicted to drugs at this point. so sad...

[@FyodorMyshkin]

but how could he ever go on?

[@Stillillgal]

elliott's art come from a sad place

[@Wodey25]

What about "True Love"?

[@miggsathon]

Most people don't kill themselves. And this particular song is one of the saddest of all of them. I'm not saying all of his lyrics are incredibly sad, but if you don't see that in this song, you're just trying to go against the grain, not listen.

[@Z0OL]

Thats a sweet hat n hair

[@bradennn1]

what kind of hat is he wearing? I like it (:

[@zwfwrestling]

I dont think it was that he wasnt into it, look at the other videos from this show. he seems pretty upbeat about playing his new song. even in the "dark era of shows" (mid '01 - late '02) he tried his hardest to show off his new songs. the twangy string looks like it was pissing him off, a lot.

[@Stillillgal]

i dunno why he's not puting the capo on 4 fret it's much more easy o_o

[@wreklessabandon]

. . .this is not my life.

[@aaronabeling1161]

What do I gotta do to get the Peter Jackson treatment on this?

[@justinwwwalin]

i dont think he killed himself no matter what anyone says.

[@SAK1855]

Great lyrics, though I'd still rank Fond Farewell higher. It's more nuanced and has prettier, more polished lines. I agree that the outpouring in "True Love" is heartbreaking, though.

[@mooninites755]

killer pink pants

[@deadbabyjokes5319]

what is the last chord in the intro icant find it !

[@laughingraven6219]

DONT I KNOW YOU FROM SOMEWHERE

[@deadbabyjokes5319]

@@laughingraven6219 nooo? :s

[@notyoursavior78]

errr huge fan...just after...... no one could ever be Elliott. Damn, bad missed word by me. Shit.

[@7upIsLove]

he sounds great though, the shame is that it sounds like his guitar pickup is having a cold...

[@reeceyburt2211]

aww he hae a martin, what happen to his yammy. 1 lucky soul has that :)

[@JoshSimensky]

chords on this?

[@andrewptob]

Guitar sounds great in this performance, but his voice is a bit off. Either way, love E Smith!

[@ProudAnselmo]

This world is a killer, and it loves to destroy beautiful things.

[@Stillillgal]

it's a gibson isn't it?

[@ohheykevin]

you obviously liked/like them if you know the origin of his name and still i fail to see where liking blink 182 has anything to do with liking elliott smith

[@TheodoreCao]

whos elliot smith o.o

[@wreklessabandon]

hmm, how the fuck is it while this man was alive- the charts were topped with artist like sysco and 3 doors down? dont get it.

[@Stillillgal]

i don't agree... it's a great preformece

[@jaymothman]

or yknow he forgot it maybe hahaha

[@ShadesWade]

not trying to be a jerk, but lets just leave drugs out of the music, you either can be high on something and let it mess you up , or it doesnt effect you at all and it actually cuts the edge off for you, and elliott was one of those types of people, if you read his biography you would realize this

[@Vagabond.utopia]

I hate how most electric-acoustics sound. So whiny.

[@ianmattl]

Just mic it!

[@briane777666]

I love elliott smith but this vid is hard to watch. he sounded pretty bad..he was a broken man indeed R.I.P elliott

[@whitestripebuzz]

elliotts cheap yamaha sounds better than that expensive martin. not nice at all realy buzzy.

[@blinkeratnight]

u should stop trying to figure out all these hidden details about what elliott was about and the shit he got into, and just jam on his music.

[@mizterblack]

Quit trying to magnify and romanticize the very played out and exaggerated image of the dark suffering of an artist in the prime who is falling of the band wagon in the final stages leaving to his death. just enjoy the great performance

[@ThePDXpug]

poignant

[@mooninites755]

he looks terrible...

[@cwruomar]

never seen him play this guitar