The Random iTunes Fairy chose an Elliott Smith song exactly one week ago, and now she’s back with another.
Hearing those songs back-to-back gives a great glimpse at how much Smith’s sound evolved over the three years between his acoustic self-titled 1995 album and XO, the expansive album featuring today’s SOTD. His Figure 8, released in 2000, went even further down a path of baroque instrumentation and production.
This is the 10th Elliott Smith song selected on Random Weekends, out of only 93 in my iTunes library. Nice representation of an artist who should have given us so much more.
(Rose City on the 409)
But the city’s been bled white
(White city on the yellow line)
And the doctor orders
(Drinking to distraction’s just a waste of time)
Drinks all night to take away this curse
But it makes me feel much worse
Bled white
So I wait for the F-Train
(White city on the yellow line)
And connect through a friend of mine
(White city to a friend of mine)
To a yesterdaydream
(Yesterday’s dream was just a waste of time)
Because I’d have to be high to drag the sunset down
And paint this paling town
Bled white
So here he comes with a blank expression
Especially for me, ’cause he knows I feel the same
Because happy and sad come in quick succession
I’m never going to become what you became
Don’t you dare disturb me
(Don’t complicate my peace of mind)
While I’m balancing my past
(Don’t complicate my peace of mind)
Because you can’t help or hurt me
(Faith in me, baby’s just a waste of time)
Like it already has
I may not seem quite right
But I’m not fucked, not quite
Bled white
Bled white
Meet Me In Montauk 
Definitely gone too soon.