OT: Elliott Smith has died...

[I'm Painting Again]

theres nothing melodramatic about stabbing yourself in the heart.

(I do understand your pov though i think the situation happens to be the antithesis of melodrama, if the context was different or it was not "real" i would agree. Maybe in the grand scheme of the universe it is, but universe defined by our human experience is much smaller and things are always so subjective)

[thearnicasync]

Yeah, I agree. I watched my pop die a couple of weeks ago. It was a whole lot different than the movies. Putting a blade in your chest takes determination...at least there's probably no question as to his true intention. It's not like he slipped off of the chair.

It's not like you couldn't see it comin'. That doesn't make it any less sad.

kellyd

[AstroDan]

I think what's most sad is that here's a guy who has seemingly attained both creative and financial success, yet obviously could find no justification to stay alive. What is the average person supposed to read from that? Nothing, I guess. Fuck man.

"I think about life, and I think about death, and neither one particularly appeals to me."

THAT is a depressed man. But he's finding some kind of validation for life.

You just can't speculate.

[concubine]

I think what's most sad is that here's a guy who has seemingly attained both creative and financial success, yet obviously could find no justification to stay alive. What is the average person supposed to read from that? Nothing, I guess. Fuck man.

"I think about life, and I think about death, and neither one particularly appeals to me."

THAT is a depressed man. But he's finding some kind of validation for life.

nice Morrissey quote, which is somehow eerily appropriate. although, speaking as a smiths fan, i've felt Morrissey was often being more tongue-in-cheak or ironic, rather than literally depressed.

as for ES, on one level it is baffling to see a man who has attained a kind of success many people on this board probably strive for, yet to be so steeped in emotional turmoil and drug-use, that that success obviously doesn't mean enough to validate his life.

on another level, i don't know what kind of drugs he'd been doing lately, but certain drugs can really drive people to do stuff like that. a friend of a friend recently tried to kill herself by literally carving up every single tendon in her left hand, as well as slashing up her wrist. she had just taken a shitload of valium right on the heels of a long speed binge. this girl was actually pretty perky and digging life, no serious emotional issues, etc... but apparently, absolutely tweaked from the drugs. i guess my point is that drugs can really exacerbate whatever emotional problems one is dealing with, exaggerate any emotional fragility.

[Bear]

This fucking sucks. I'm both sad and pissed here, and it's a very confusing combination. And I'm really regretting not seeing the show that came through for the XO tour.

Shit. None of this is coming out right. I'll just shutup.

[leigh]

A very poetic exit.

There's nothing poetic about it either, Sky. It's just straight fucked. Artistic explorations of depression can be poetic. Depression itself is not. An act of suicide is not an artistic exploration, except under certain Situationist rubric, which is not what was going on with Elliott. His suicide, if that's really what happened, was the end result of a horrible, grinding depression, not of his capacity to make beautiful art.

Leigh

[wing]

His music is desperate and beautiful. He lives on through it ...

definitely. i couldn't have put it better.

Larry, I'd love hearing about your work and time spent with him if you can ever bring yourself to talk about it... It'd be nice to hear about him.

[thewelfareline]

fuck, thats all i can say man fuck

[I'm Painting Again]

A very poetic exit.

There's nothing poetic about it either, Sky. It's just straight fucked. Artistic explorations of depression can be poetic. Depression itself is not. An act of suicide is not an artistic exploration, except under certain Situationist rubric, which is not what was going on with Elliott. His suicide, if that's really what happened, was the end result of a horrible, grinding depression, not of his capacity to make beautiful art.

Leigh

Poetry is art and art is a word.

Out of all the painless ways to do it he did it like this..I feel its an extension of and directly related to the emotions and ideas he has always tried to communicate..its not a common method of suicide..No one may ever know his intentions but I would like to think of it as the last song rather than pass it off as "straight fucked" and the result of "a horrible, grinding depression", even though it was, because it teaches me something about the world and forces me to evaluate my life and actions whithin it..so I look at it as a poetic act..his intent or not..

[Lavahead]

Fuck.

His albums were the soundtrack to my life through tough times (I think many of us share that).

He was one of the few left that could really portray emotion through song.

Fuck.

[smoothmoneyb]

Damn, this is really really sad. I don't think that I've ever been affected so much by the death of a person that I didn't even know. Elliott Smith and Heatmiser were both a BIG influence on my songwriting and my ventures into recording. I think what Astrodan sad about achieving creative and financial success and still being so unhappy is pretty much dead on with what really bothers me most about this . And is what is so hard to understand. It Just kinda leaves feeling you numb.... Man..., Either/Or was a freakin low-fi MASTERPIECE

[omegatr0n]

I am just fucking speechless. This is too fucking sad.

[perhapsthemoon]

sad, sad stuff. my condolences to anyone here who knew him.

[wayne kerr]

I think what's most sad is that here's a guy who has seemingly attained both creative and financial success, yet obviously could find no justification to stay alive. What is the average person supposed to read from that? Nothing, I guess. Fuck man.

You know, that's a great point. I think Elliott's checking himself out really illustrates is that "success," recognition, financial rewards, etc.. are really NOT the stuff that life's made out of. I'm being quite inarticulate at the moment, but my point is that material things don't make up for what ever is missing in a person's life, and that often leads to some pretty dire consequences.

Rest in peace dude. Sorry you had to go out like this.

[jimmyjazz]

I think what's most sad is that here's a guy who has seemingly attained both creative and financial success, yet obviously could find no justification to stay alive. What is the average person supposed to read from that? Nothing, I guess.

Nothing? I'd say your first sentence speaks volumes -- at the very least, it says that financial success is entirely unrelated to happiness, or contentment, or emotional health. I've had vast financial success "on paper", and it evaporated almost as quickly as it came to be. Now that I'm roughly back where I started, I'm as happy as I've ever been. Curiously enough, I wasn't very happy when I was rich as shit, partially because I knew my situation was tenous and my wealth was illiquid, but also because I was shocked that money wasn't "the answer". The bubble burst, the riches vanished, and I took stock of what I did have -- a great family, good health, lots of friends, a nice job -- voila! happiness ensued.

I have a close family member who suffers from mental illness. I can guarantee you beyond a shadow of a doubt that, faced with the choice between the two, I would take cancer over mental illness. Mental illness and addiction are two of the most horrifying diseases imaginable. Personally, I think it's because our mind and its capacity for sentient thought are what separates us from the animals, and we value control over our thoughts and emotions above all else. Lose that control, and we become somewhat dehumanized. I imagine that's what happened to Elliott, and it's a damn shame.

Condolences to all who knew Elliott or who simply loved his music. He was a gifted man.