Author: Erin Erter

hello!! today i will be continuing an older post, my “king’s crossing” literary analysis!

hi, it’s been a while since you saw this title huh? i know i said i was going to post a part two last week but,,,,, things happened. anyways, here are the last two lyrics i’ll be dissecting!

“read the part and we turn out fine, it’s a hell of a role if you can keep it alive”

in many songs and interviews, elliott has described the music business as a slow path to death or self-hatred. here, he compares it to being the main actor in a movie that is slowly killing you. you want to keep the part, but it gets physically harder and harder the more you continue. in the song “fake plastic trees” by radiohead, thom yorke talks about this same theme similarly:

“and it wears me out, it wears me out. if i could be who you wanted all the time”

now, the final lyric. 

“don’t let me get carried away, don’t let me get carried away, don’t let me be carried away“

this is 100% the most powerful and beautiful lyric in the entire song, and lots of people gloss over it. it may seem like a simple repetition, but the contrast between using “get” and “be” in this sentence is drastic. “don’t let me get carried away” almost feels like a request, don’t let me go too far with it. and while “don’t let me be carried away” is also a request, elliott isn’t simply asking you to tell him when he’s going too far, he’s asking you to save his life. don’t let him be carried away.

“king’s crossing” isn’t easy to listen to by any means. but i can’t recommend it enough. go out and listen and form your own opinions about the lyrics seen here. they have depth and are begging to be appreciated. thank you.

*genius was used for some background information on each lyric!

link to song (spotify):

https://open.spotify.com/track/2GsiKnbHHXDpoL7R6cJUTZ?si=7000bff9e908415b

link to live performance (youtube): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D7vRObaTyo

the songs im really into right now! (8/22/22)

hello everyone! im going to start a little *unoriginal* series where i show some tracks that are in rotation for me currently:) now onto the songs,,,,

nero forte – slipknot 

i found this song during algebra II from a conjoined playlist locklyn and i have! i’ve been getting heavily into slipknot recently and i think this song takes the place as my favorite. my favorite part of this song is around the 0:55 part. “wade through hate and fear, i haven’t felt like this in years. not much left, so uprooted, fists clenched tight in the pockets of my hoodie-” i love how he sings these lines so much, i always feel the need to replay them. 

mis- alex g

i love alex g. if you live on my floor and have been in my room, you have probably seen my alex g poster (and my four elliott smith posters-). i love him so much that i’m attempting to buy tickets to see him live in nashville for my birthday this october! as much as i love all his songs, this one never fails to make me emotional. i listen to this song as much as i possibly can, and a literary analysis of it is currently in the works!! look out for that one next week ;).  my favorite part of this song is at 1:17, when alex’s voice cuts out and the instrumental comes in. there’s something so mesmerizing about every little piece of this song. 

tomorrow tomorrow – elliott smith

yes, i’ve been listening to him for years, and yes, i’ve known this song for years. despite that, it’s been one by him i’ve been replaying more than usual. as with all of elliott’s songs, the guitar is absolutely mind-blowing. in live performances of this song, you can hear the crowd gasp as the instrumental comes in. because of that, my favorite part in this song is right at 1:35, when it comes in. i also seriously love the verse at 2:05. there’s so many things to say about this song and elliott, but just know it is a masterpiece. (along with every song he’s ever made). 

decks dark – radiohead

as i am writing this, i am listening to this song. i actually found it today! i decided to finish their album “a moon shaped pool” today as i felt like it matched the rain pretty well. (by the way, it did). my favorite part of this song is right at 1:48. “but it was just a laugh, just a laugh, just a laugh, just a laugh”. i love everything thom yorke does and i especially love the way he sings these lines in this song. 

entombed – deftones

this one might be on here for nostalgias sake, as my mom used to play deftones for me all the time as a kid, but it deserves its place. this song has been helping me cope with a lot of personal issues that have resurfaced recently. my favorite part is at 1:12, “shapes and colors are all i see”. i wouldn’t call it a calming song as it always destroys me mentally, it just seems to be a temporary antidote for me. 

the daily mail – radiohead

this is actually my favorite radiohead song out of their discography!! i found it about a month ago and ever since then i’ve never gotten tired of it. the beginning sounds so desolate and solemn that you never expect the ending when it kicks in. speaking of which, my favorite part of this song is right at 2:00. this song is so perfect and the long intro 100% pays off for that ending.   

bonus song! the tastebreaker:

helmet- steve lacy 

i just love steve lacy really. this song says everything i want to say about so many different things (and uh, people). i’ve also been listening to “bad habit” a lot, but i’m pretty sure everyone has. i don’t have a particular part that i enjoy in this song, it’s more of a general appreciation. but i do love the chorus. like, really love it.

thanks for letting me talk about my favorite thing ever:) (music, in case you didn’t catch it already) let me know if you know one of these songs! i’d love to geek out about them!

current rotation #1 playlist (spotify): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/68qQzmLv4qOm9SNv1W3sHu?si=fa20526ecf0f4629

bring your tissues people. we’re diving into the most heart-wrenching lyrics today from the song “king’s crossing” by elliott smith. (mentions themes of addiction and depression)

if you know me, or even just follow me, you know that i have a special place in my heart for the late singer/songwriter elliott smith. when i tell people this, they ask if i am okay. no. moving on. 

as a music journalist, it’s my job to overanalyze lyrics to the fullest extent. with elliott’s work, it takes longer than usual. there are so many meanings and connotations behind every single word that a single song can have two entirely different meanings at the same time. however, king’s crossing is a song that is one-dimensional in that sense, but not in any other sense. it has a set meaning, and that fact alone makes it hard to listen to as a fan. out of his discography, this has the be the most soul-crushing song he released, especially when you apply it to the context of his life. there are so many lyrics to explain and dissect, but i’ve picked out four of my favorites that i am going to analyze and give some background information about. i have also posted a live performance of this song and the link to the actual song itself, so if these lyrics interest you please do check it out!! now onto the lyric-dissecting.

“the king’s crossing was the main attraction, dominoes falling in a chain reaction“

this is the first line of the song. i know. off to a great start aren’t we? 

the “king’s crossing” is a place in portland (like the replacements song!!)  where elliott resided most of his life. the king’s crossing is a hotspot for addicts, including him. he had a plight with usage for a while but recovered soon before his tragic death. this first lyric along with the background information immediately lets you know that this song is dealing with a lot of themes of addiction and depression, so if that is something you are not comfortable with, i would stay away from this song and/or some of elliott’s music, as there are many songs with themes like this. “dominoes falling in a chain reaction” actually explains the pipeline leading to the king’s crossing. depression is the leading domino, addiction is the reaction. this first line sets up the starting domino that spirals throughout the entire song.

“and i get my check from the trash treasury, because i took my own insides out”

many artists struggle knowing the most vulnerable part of themselves is served on a platter for all to see and critic, including elliott. he despised knowing his own misery was what paid his bills.  “trash treasury” is obviously a snarky remark towards record companies, but there actually is a recording studio in portland called the trash treasury. (established after elliott’s death). “because i took my own insides out” perfectly describes both the mental and physical feeling of being vulnerable. elliott tore out a part of himself in his own misery just to get paid to do it again and again. 

due to our unfortunate and inconvenient word limit, i must separate this into two parts! so i guess you’ll just have to wait to see the rest. oh well. see you next week:D

link to the song (spotify):

https://open.spotify.com/track/2GsiKnbHHXDpoL7R6cJUTZ?si=7000bff9e908415b

link to live performance (youtube): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D7vRObaTyo