Between The Bars

Elliot Smith's 'Between The Bars' is a hauntingly beautiful song that delves into the complexities of addiction, escapism, and the internal struggle of the human psyche. The lyrics are delivered in a gentle, melancholic tone, which is characteristic of Smith's style, often categorized as indie folk or indie rock with a strong emotional undercurrent.

The song opens with an invitation to 'drink up baby, stay up all night,' suggesting a desire to escape the pressures of daily life through alcohol. The 'things you could do' that the subject 'won't but you might' imply a sense of unfulfilled potential and the broken promises one makes to oneself. The alcohol is personified as a comforting presence, promising to alleviate the weight of life's demands and to silence the haunting memories and past identities that the individual wishes to leave behind.

The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, with Smith singing about kissing 'you again between the bars,' which can be interpreted both literally, as in the bars of a pub, and metaphorically, as the bars of a prison, whether it be emotional or physical. The song speaks to the isolation and confinement felt by those struggling with addiction, and the yearning to be 'caught' or saved from this cycle. The repeated references to keeping the unwanted aspects of oneself 'still' and 'separate from the rest' reflect the internal division and the desire to hide away the parts of oneself that are deemed undesirable.