But I was also doing odd jobs around Portland, like spreading gravel and transplanting bamboo trees. Elliott Smith More Quotes by Elliott Smith More Quotes From Elliott Smith Playing things too safe is the most popular way to fail. Elliott Smith failure risk fear I got tired of doing battle with people thinking I was a little weird because I wasn't in a band making happy, stilted music. The only people who really seem weird to me are people who think they're normal. People who think it's possible to be normal just by doing the same things that most people do. Is there a most people? I don't know. Television makes it seem like there is, but I think that might just be television. Elliott Smith tired people thinking Theres a bunch of Elvis Costello records that made all the difference between feeling like a total freak and feeling like ... only a freak. A freak among other freaks Elliott Smith records differences feelings I didn't have a hard time making it. I had a hard time letting it go. Elliott Smith let-it-go hard-times letting-go I liked the idea of a self-contained, endless pursuit of perfection. But I have a problem with perfection. I don't think perfection is very artful. But there's something I liked about the image of a skater going in this endless twisted circle that doesn't have any real endpoint. So the object is not to stop or arrive anywhere; it's just to make this thing as beautiful as they can. Elliott Smith real beautiful thinking Everything means nothing to me Elliott Smith mean I truly hope the future will bring me something to feel nostalgic about, because there's really nothing much so far I can remember fondly. Elliott Smith nostalgic feels remember Music is worth doing just because. It doesn’t have to be justified by some political point of view, and it’s kind of insulting to the music to make it a tool for something else. Elliott Smith insulting political views Everybody gets a tag. If you listen to a Velvet Underground record, you don't think, 'Godfathers of Punk.' You just think, 'This sounds great.' The tags are there in order to help try to sell something by giving it a name that's going to stick in somebody's memory. But it doesn't describe it. So 'depressing' isn't a word I would use to describe my music. But there is some sadness in it -- there has to be, so that the happiness in it will matter. Elliott Smith depressing sadness memories Somewhere where people aren't so mad would be nice, but I don't know if there is anywhere like that. Elliott Smith mad nice people Haven't laughed this hard in a long time. I better stop now before I start crying. Go off to sleep in the sunshine...I don't want to see the day when its dying. Elliott Smith sunshine sleep long A lot of people are kind of depressed. I'm happy some of the time, and some of the time I'm not. Elliott Smith kind people I'm happy some of the time, and some of the time I'm not. But like when I see a movie, for example, that I really like, that moves me or whatever, it's usually happy and sad at the same time. Elliott Smith example moving There's always that argument to make - that you're in better company historically if people don't understand what you're doing. Elliott Smith argument music people It's just that a lot of songs that are popular right now, they don't have any meaning Elliott Smith right-now song reality Doing battle with themselves that way, every day, all the time and sometimes it sucks, but other times it results in people making sort of a dream comprehensible to someone else. Elliott Smith battle dream people I think the suggestion that all my songs are personal is insulting because that assumes that I have a bunch of issues that I feel the need to unload on strangers. That is not the case. It also assumes that I just talk about myself the whole time which, again, is not true. Elliott Smith issues song thinking It's a lot easier to tell the truth usually. Elliott Smith easier telling-the-truth If you play acoustic guitar you're the depressed, sensitive guy. Elliott Smith depressing guitar play People think they know all these things about other people, and if you ask them why they think they know that, it'd be hard for them to be convincing. Elliott Smith convincing people thinking
