Elliott Smith - Southern Belle Lyrics

Such a legend of a guitarist

made my day

I can still smell the streets of NYC around 96. Special n evil times

Fingerpicking genius

This song reminds me of my parents fucked up, codependent, & abusive relationship and how I handled it in high school. Every one of his songs on this album is so near and dear to me and you can relate to the stories they tell in different ways.

God, I've got great memories of listening to this album for the first time. It expanded my mind.

Killing a southern belle is all you know how to do
That and give other people hell
It's what they expect from you too
But I wouldn't have you how you want
I don't wanna walk around
I don't even want to breathe
I live in a southern town
Where all you can do is grit yr teeth
But I wouldn't have you how you want
How come you're not ashamed of what you are?
And sorry that you're the one she got?
Ain't nobody talking now
Nobody nothing's said
No one's about to shout
Nobody's seen red
But I wouldn't have you how you want
You're killing a southern belle
Killing a southern belle
Killing a southern belle

L'oeuvre complète d'elliott Smith est tellement belle, que cela en est à pleurer. Vous pouvez dormir en paix Mr Elliott Smith. Vous a) continuez encore à donner du bonheur à des milliers de personnes que vous avez touché avec votre musique. Un grand merci.

Elliott Smith is one of the greatest singer/songwriters of all time.

[C] --- [F] [G#] [G] [F] [Eb] [G] x4 [C]

[C] (C/G#)Killing a south(F)ern [Eb]]be[G]lle
[C]is (C/G#)all you know how (F)to [Eb]d[G]o
[C]that and (C/G#)give other peo(F)ple [Eb]he[G]ll
[C]it's what (C/G#)they expect (F)from [Eb]you [G]too
[C]but I [Cm]wouldn't [F]have [C]you [Cm]how [F]you [C]want [F - C - Ab - G - Eb - G (G7) - C x2]

[C]I (C/G#)don't want to walk (F)a[Eb]r[G]ound
[C]I (C/G#)don't even want (F)to [Eb]br[G]eathe
[C]I (C/G#)live in a south(F)ern [Eb]t[G]own
[C]where (C/G#)all you can do (F)is [Eb]grit yer [G]teeth
[C]but I [Cm]wouldn't [F]have [C]you [Cm]how [F]you [C]want [F - C - Ab - G - Eb - G (G7) - C x3]


[Ab]How [B]come you're [Eb]not a[G]shamed of [Ab]what [B]you [C]a[B]re?
[Ab]and [B]sorry [Eb]that [G]you're the [Ab]one [B]she [C (F - C)]got?

[G#] [G] [F] [Eb] [G] -- [C - C/G - G# - G - F - Eb - G]

[C]Ain't (C/G#)nobody loo(F)king [Eb]n[G]ow
[C]n(C/G#)obody no(F)thing's [Eb]sa[G]id
[C](C/G#)no one's about (F)to [Eb]sho[G]ut
[C](C/G#)nobody's see(F)ing [Eb]r[G]ed
[C]but I [Cm]wouldn't [F]have [C]you [Cm]how [F]you [C]wa[Eb]n[F]t [C] [Eb] [F]

[C - F] C - Ab - G - Eb - G (G7) - C x4]

[C]You're [Ab]killing a [G]southern [Eb]be[G]lle
[C] [Ab]killing a [G]southern [Eb]be[G]lle
[C] [Ab]killing a [G]southern [Eb]be[G]lle

[C - Ab - G - Eb - G - C]

The summer of 1995 and in my late 20s,  I'd just moved to Atlanta.  I had just dropped a friend off north of town and was driving down to my apartment in L5P when I heard this on on Album 88.1 which was Georgia State's now defunct radio station.  I was, and have been, forever transformed. Nothing sounded like this ever before.  Nothing has hit me like this since.   I thought of Nick Drake at the time, but this was much darker and relevant to me at the time. I caught his show in my Atlanta neighborhood of Little Five Points at a small club called The Point.  The show is on YouTube.  Religious.  This is a touchstone moment for me and many other Gen X folks out there.   We're a small generation, but we have Elliott.

Kind of an amazing little read as someone born just a few years before Elliott died. Chills.

Tom Shaw amen brother

This IS the song that introduced me to Mr. Elliott Smith in 96. I cannot express how much it changed my life how much i love this song.

You're killing the southern belle, that's all you know how to do. That, and giving the people hell!

I fucking love this song.

That intro

the guitar kinda has a jewish folk vibe to it

Or flamenco. Something Mediterranean.

Think its his finger-picking, its reminiscent of Spanish flamenco at times, with the strumming patterns and such. Its so much more complex than it sounds, he's basically playing a rhythm, bass and melody on a single guitar

Craziest part about it is that it's just him. One guitar. No looping. Crazy talent. Greatly missed.

This album was one of the most unusual and refreshing things you could hear during the post grunge era. It's almost ethereal.

I always hear Nirvana-like influences in here.

Nirvana isn't shit, but Kurt certainly couldn't play like Elliott. They both had amazing some writing skills though

kurt was just a showman thats really what was great , he could deliver , Elliott got out of that life when he left heatmiser specifically to play his acoustic songs

He has some grungy sounding songs here and there which may have been influenced by the movement in general and not by one guy in particular. They are both good, but elliott was more brilliant in my opinion. Nirvana is not even the best grunge group.

Were you thinking of "on a plain"?

This reminds me of "Pirate Jenny" from The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht.

Amen Nothin. There exists nothing better than Elliott at his best and the entire album is Elliott at his best.

Never out of love with this amazing song

who doesn't like this .. :| . Literally some of the best music in the past many years of humanity. Thanks Elliot.

Yeah, what Matt said. Where's the money going?

hey Kill Rock Stars, who makes the money from fans buying his records? Does any of it go towards charity?

+static disposal disposal I hope a penny doesn't go to his evil step dad

@Lucas Smith his dad was abusive...and the suicide is sketchy as fuck

R.I.P., Elliott Smith. :(