Between the Bars-Elliott Smith My good friend sent me this video, describing it as ’surreal’, which doesn’t give it justice. I watched it 5 or 6 times the first time, and it never tires me. Elliott Smith is in my top 5 list of favorite artists, and every time I listen to one of his songs or read his lyrics he teaches me something new. At a first glance this song might seem to be a love song between two people, but I don’t think it is. I think it’s about a girl who he wants to incorporate in his life, but it doesn’t feel right. As they are bar-hopping and drinking, their attraction enhances, but not involving love. He is thinking of someone else; someone who always shows up in his mind when he drinks. He is out with the new girl who obviously doesn’t compare to the one he truly loves, and the new girl thinks everything is fine. If she really knew and understood him she would know that he isn’t ‘half right’…and he just drinks the reality away. It says “I’ll keep you apart, deep in my heart,separate from the rest, where I like you the best”…which I interpret as pretending to take her in for the time being, but his heart is already taken. He doesn’t feel her. It’s just another night on the town with a girl he drunkenly kisses and pretends with, but he knows she isn’t right for him…she’s just another girl…anothe girl who doesn’t compare. “Between the bars” is a pun. As they go bar to bar, and also implying between the bars of alcoholism and being unhappy with this current love interest and not finding anyone he is happy with. It could even go as far to describe jail cell bars-if they got PI’s or something…but whatever.
Another way to look at it, is if the girl has a drinking problem that he is coping with. Any of his songs, you can make your own, or imagine them from his point of view. Each time my depiction changes…so think what you want, it can be right.
