In which Elliott Smith is the reason for everything good

I think it's a pretty well known fact that I adore Elliott Smith. If it isn't a well known fact, it should be, seeing as I don't think I go a day without listening to at least 3 songs by him. I've listened to nearly everything he released, and know the words to most of it. There isn't a piece that he did that I don't like, and that I can't find meaning in.

However, I really don't think I've explained to everyone just why I love him so much. I figured, though, that I might as well give it a try.

I first discovered Elliott Smith through a video, a cover of his song Angeles, that I will link here. It's actually a very well done cover, and this is coming from someone who hates when people cover songs that mean a lot to them. Upon hearing it, I immediately downloaded the cover, and the original version of Angeles by Elliott Smith. I didn't listen to another song for about a month.

I was in the 10th grade at the time, in my first real, meaningful relationship (doesn't mean I didn't have a teeny bit of a crush of the boy in that video, though ;) ), and didn't quite have a grasp on what kind of person I was yet- including what kind of music I actually enjoyed. It also was right after a major life-changing event for me, which challenged a lot of my preset limits I'd placed for myself. In short, the song was a major impact.

Despite the song affecting me so much, it was still a few months before I looked up more of Elliott Smith's work. It wasn't until January 24th, 2009 that I did. It was the afternoon of the day that the already mentioned boyfriend was going to be flying out to see me for the first time, and I was extremely nervous. I had listened to Angeles a few times, and decided for the first time to look up a few more of his songs on YouTube. I found Miss Misery and Twilight, listened to both of them, and fell in love. I downloaded them and tossed them onto my iPod, and was out the door.

The meet-up definitely did not go as planned, a story that is definitely best saved for a new post. Needless to say though, it was what brought me into the worst two month period of my life. Over the next few days, all I did was listen to the three Elliott Smith songs I had, before I went back to YouTube, typed "Elliott Smith" into the search bar, and listened to new song after new song, clicking "Favorite" as I went. By the time the week was done, I'd found at least half of all of his music, and stopped myself from doing something I'd extremely regret.

So essentially, the reason I really, truly love Elliott Smith so much, is more than just a love for his voice. It's more than a deep connection to his lyrics. It's that without this man's music, I wouldn't even be alive today.

I love you, Elliott. <3