Introduction to Elliott Smith

Someone's always coming around here
Trailing some new kill
Says "I've seen your picture on a
Hundred-dollar bill"
What's a game of chance to you,
To him is one Of real skill

So glad to meet you, Angeles

Picking up the ticket shows there's
Money to be made
Go on, lose the gamble that's the
History of the trade
Did you add up all the cards left to play
To zero

And sign up with evil, Angeles?

Don't start me trying now
Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh

'Cause I'm all over it, Angeles

I can make you satisfied in
Everything you do
All your secret wishes could right
Now be coming true
And be forever with my poison arms

Around you
No one's gonna fool around with us
No one's gonna fool around with us
So glad to meet'cha, Angeles

I'll fake it through the day
With some help from johnny walker red
Send the poison rain down the drain
To put bad thoughts in my head

Your two tickets torn in half
And a lot of nothing to do
Do you miss me, miss misery
Like you say you do?

A man in the park
Read the lines in my hand
Told me I'm strong
Hardly ever wrong I said man you mean

You had plans for both of us
That involved a trip out of town
To a place I've seen in a magazine
That you left lying around

I don't have you with me but
I keep a good attitude
Do you miss me, miss misery
Like you say you do?

I know you'd rather see me gone
Than to see me the way that I am
But I am in the life anyway
Next door the TV's flashing

Blue frames on the wall
It's a comedy of errors, you see
It's about taking a fall
To vanish into oblivion

Is easy to do
And I try to be but you know me
I come back when you want me to
Do you miss me miss misery

Like you say you do?

Drink up, baby, stay up all night
With the things you could do, you won't but you might
The potential you'll be that you'll never see
The promises you'll only make

Drink up with me now and forget all about
The pressure of days, do what I say
And I'll make you okay and drive them away
The images stuck in your head

People you've been before that you
Don't want around anymore
That push and shove and won't bend to your will
I'll keep them still

Drink up, baby, look at the stars
I'll kiss you again, between the bars
Where I'm seeing you there, with your hands in the air
Waiting to finally be caught

Drink up one more time and I'll make you mine
Keep you apart, deep in my heart
separate from the rest, where I like you the best
And keep the things you forgot

People you've been before that you
Don't want around anymore
That push and shove and won't bend to your will
I'll keep them still

You walk down alameda shuffling your deck of trick cards over everyone
Like some precious only son
Face down, bow to the champion
You walk down alameda looking at the cracks in the sidewalk

Thinking about your friends
How you maintain all them in a constant state of suspense
For your own protection over their affection
Nobody broke your heart

You broke your own because you can't finish what you start
Walk down alameda brushing off the nightmare you wish
Could plague me when I'm awake
And now you see your first mistake was thinking that you could relate

For one or two minutes she liked you
But the fix is in
You're all pretension
I never pay attention

Nobody broke your heart
You broke your own because you can't finish what you start
Nobody broke your heart
You broke your own because you can't finish what you start

Nobody broke your heart
You broke your own because you can't finish what you start
Nobody broke your heart
If you're alone it must be you that wants to be apart

I'd say you make a perfect
Angel in the snow
All crushed out on the way you are
Better stop before it goes too far
Don't you know that I love you
Sometimes I feel like only a cold still life
That fell down here to lay beside you
Don't you know that I love you
Sometimes I feel like only a cold still life
Only a frozen still life
That fell down here to lay beside you

Last Call
He was sick of it all
Asleep at home
Told you off and goodbye

Well you know one day it'll come to haunt you
That you didn't tell him quite the truth
You're a crisis
You're an icicle

You're a tongueless talker
You don't care what you say
You're a jaywalker and you just just walk away
And that's all you do

The clap of the fading out sound of your shoes
Made him wonder who he thought that he knew
Last call
He was sick of it all

The endless stream of reminders
Made him so sick of you sick of you sick of you
Sick of your sound
Sick of you coming around

Trying to crawl under my skin
When I already shed my best defense
It comes out all around that you won
And I think I'm all done

You can switch me off safely
While I'm lying here waiting for sleep to overtake me
Yeah yeah you're still here but just check to make sure
All you aspired to do was endure

You can't ask for more ask for more
Knowing you'll never get that which you ask for
So you cast your shadow everywhere like the man in the moon
You start to drink you just want to continue

It'll all be yester year soon
You start to drink you just want to continue
It'll all be yester year soon
Church bells and now I'm awake and I guess it must be some kind of holiday

I can't seem to join in the celebration
But I'll go to the service
And I'll go to pray
And I'll sing the praises of my maker's name

Like I was as good as she made me
And I wanted her to tell me that she would never wake me

I wanted her to tell me that she would never wake me
I wanted her to tell me that she would never wake me
I wanted her to tell me that she would never wake me
I wanted her to tell me that she would never wake me
I wanted her to tell me that she would never wake me
I wanted her to tell me that she would never wake me
I wanted her to tell me that she would never wake me
I'm lying here waiting for sleep to overtake me