Elliott Smith

Early life

Steven Paul Smith was born on August 6, 1969, at the Methodist Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, the only child of Gary Smith, a student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and Bunny Kay Berryman, an elementary school music teacher. His parents divorced when he was six months old, and Smith moved with his mother to Duncanville, Texas. He had half-siblings through his mother, Darren Welch and Ashley Welch, and a half-sister Rachel Smith through his father. Smith later had a map of Texas tattooed on his upper arm and said: "I didn't get it because I like Texas, kind of the opposite. But I won't forget about it, although I'm tempted to because I don't like it there."

Musical style and influences

Smith respected and was inspired by many artists and styles, including the Beatles, Big Star, the Clash, the Who, Led Zeppelin, the Kinks, Pink Floyd, Rush, Bauhaus, Elvis Costello, Oasis, Television, Motown and flamenco records, AC/DC, Hank Williams, Scorpions, Fugazi, and Built to Spill. Smith mentioned his admiration for Bob Dylan in several interviews, citing him as an early influence. He once commented: "My father taught me how to play 'Don't Think Twice, It's All Right'. I love Dylan's words, but even more than that, I love the fact that he loves words." Smith covered Dylan's "When I Paint My Masterpiece" several times in concert. Smith also had an early connection to classical music, recalling that he was playing works by Sergei...

Legacy

Since his death, Smith has been regarded as one of the most influential artists in indie music. Many artists have either cited Smith as an influence or covered his music, including Frank Ocean, Beck, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, Adrianne Lenker, Alex G, Beabadoobee, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, Danielle Haim of Haim, Madonna, Billie Eilish, Phil Elverum of The Microphones, Clairo, and Brad Mehldau.

Say Yes

"Say Yes" is a song by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith from his third studio album Either/Or, and one of three tracks from Either/Or that was used in the soundtrack of Good Will Hunting.

Background and content

"Say Yes" is one of Smith's widely recognized songs. It is considered happy and optimistic in both instrumentation and lyrics in comparison to the dark tone in most of his other songs. In an interview, Smith said that the song was written about "someone particular, and I almost never do that. I was really in love with someone."

Reception

Pitchfork said, "It's a straight-ahead love song, one that dares to hope. Listen closely and you'll hear just how fragile that hope is: Smith whispers most of the song. He wavers. His fingers pluck out a simple question on the acoustic."

Legacy

"Say Yes" has been used in a wide variety of movies, including Hurricane Streets and American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, as well as being covered by Death Cab for Cutie and live by Ben Folds. It was also covered in an episode of One Tree Hill, when Bryan Greenberg sings to his daughter Jenny.

Miss Misery

"Miss Misery" is a song by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. Featured in the closing credits and the soundtrack of the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, the song was nominated for Best Original Song in the 1998 Academy Awards.

Music video

A music video was directed by Ross Harris, and features Smith walking around in a white suit, being followed by a policeman. The musician inserts change into expired parking meters so the policeman cannot write up tickets. The video was shot in the Silverlake neighborhood of Los Angeles; it opens in front of the Smog Cutter dive bar, then follows Smith down both Virgil Avenue and Hoover Street.

Needle in the Hay

"Needle in the Hay" is a song released in 1995 by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. It was the sole single from his second studio album, Elliott Smith.

Recording

Trumpet and harmonica were recorded for the song but were omitted from the final mix. A mix featuring the extra instrumentation was released in March 2012.

Release

"Needle in the Hay" was released as a 7" vinyl single on January 1, 1995, by record label Kill Rock Stars. It is the lead track on the album Elliott Smith, released that July.

Legacy

Pitchfork Media ranked the song 27th in its list of the 200 best songs of the 1990s.

Cover versions

The song has been covered by numerous artists, including punk band Bad Astronaut for their 2001 album Acrophobe; drone metal duo Nadja on their 2009 covers album When I See the Sun Always Shines on T.V.; Mélissa Laveaux on her 2006 album Camphor & Copper; and Juliana Hatfield in 2014's I Saved Latin! A Tribute to Wes Anderson, a tribute album of songs used in the director's films. It was also covered in a viral video of a parody of The Muppets character Kermit the Frog, referencing the use of the song in The Royal Tenenbaums.