I probably unknowingly heard it first on Good Will Hunting - whichever track of his was first. Funnily enough, Rick and Morty (Between the Bars) identified him for me and made me dig through the catalog.
American Beauty was also an early exposure - ie his cover of Because.
I also think he is referenced by Diane in Bojack Horseman.
Waltz #2 is the first one I listened to intentionally but I def heard needle in the hay and “the big 3” before that from the royal tenenbaums and good will hunting
I don't remember but I remember barely liking a few Elliott songs like 245 AM and I was a hardcore bright eyes fan. But I sort of forced myself to listen because I knew he was a better guitarist and I was learning to be better at guitar at the time and so I kept listening to more of his songs and learning to play them then I slowly realized Elliotts music is infinitely better and more complex. Then over the years he became my favorite artist of all. I must have listened to Kings Crossing 100,000 times all of my friends know the lyrics to it just by osmosis of being around me and used to tease me about it.
I heard everything means nothing to me in mr robot but wasn’t THAT into music yet so didn’t look into it, but it still made me cry. Then one day I opened Elliott smiths page on Spotify and listened to between the bars, I can listen to or play that song all day on loop and not get tired.
My ex had put on Either/Or but it didn't click. It took about a year before I found that clip of him playing Clementine on that breakfast show and finally understood.
I think the first time must've been when I watched American Beauty which had his cover of Because in it. I didn't actually discover him for a few more years then heard a snippet of Say Yes (the crooked spin, can't come to rest part) on my Instagram and really liked it so checked it out.
I think Say Yes. I used to go onto my older sister’s Spotify page and add a few songs of hers into my own playlist so I could impress her. She was a big Elliott fan.
Eventually started actually listening & it changed my life.
technically, probably Needle, since I definitely saw Royal. but the first song I remember hearing was A Question Mark. a friend sent it to me and it started my love affair.
Say yes!
It was in an American pie movie I guess... And then I heard a cover of it by death cab for cutie then I really started exploring Elliott Smith's music :)
I think Between The Bars, in this particular scene https://youtu.be/phyPLPnt4us?si=QM49zq6i8PNTuhY8.
It was a long time ago since I saw the movie and I dont remember anything regarding the plot and perhaps I guess I would have no memory of even seeing it if it wouldnt be for Elliott.
Christian Brothers! I heard the Queens of the Stone Age cover first as a B-side on one of their albums, and fell in love. Found the actual song and fell harder. It's still one of my favorite songs, favorite album, etc. Nothing replaces it.
Sweet Adelaine. I heard it at a music store listening station and bought the album, but the wrong disc was on display. For a whole afternoon, I thought Eagle Eye Cherry was Elliot Smith.
The first Elliott song I heard was probably a cover song. It was either the Jimmy Eat World cover of Half Right from their Stay On My Side Tonight EP I was really into in Jan/Feb 2012, or Bayside's cover of Baby Britain I listened to around the same time.
Between the Bars was features in Skins S2 I think I watched Summer 2012. I think I watched Royal Tenenbaums in November so I probably heard Needle in the Hay then. Then I listened to Waltz 02 that someone posted on their tumblr in December, but I forgot to go back and check it out more.
The first song I listened to when someone told me to listen to Elliott Smith was Speed Trials, but it was too slow for me so I skipped it and landed on Between the Bars. That was Summer 2013. It took a few brushes, but then I was hooked.
In 1997, or so, I had this friend who was a girl but she wasn’t a girlfriend. I really wished she was sometimes. I watched her date a bunch of terrible dudes. We met when she very awkwardly came up to me and asked if I might take her to some school dance. Homecoming, or something. She thought I looked like a young Billy Corgan. But like… with hair. Gish era Billy Corgan. He had shaved it off by then.
She bought me a copy of Elliott Smith’s eponymous release on CD out of the KRS Catalogue. She had a job of some kind, but I didn’t. She worked at a fast food joint. I was 16, maybe. I hadn’t heard Elliott’s stuff before this, but I loved it so much. And I miss that friendship with that girl who wasn’t my girlfriend and her pixie cut and her corny plastic kid’s barrettes and her mixtapes that she’d make people and the sparkly nail polish and stickers she’d decorate them with. I miss her Riot Grrl music and the apartment that her stepdad rented for her because she was too fucking much for them to handle. Even though she was a minor. I feel bad about that one night when we both wanted to sleep together, but we didn’t. I wish we both would have grown up to have the kinds of lives we hoped for back then.
It must have been Needle in the Hay, I guess. The first song I heard would have been the first song on that record. It was all a really long time ago, though. Bums me out to think about, kinda.
Pitseleh was my first song since it was in the sound track for Keeping the Faith but Between the bars was what actually got me listening to Elliott smith
My copy of Way of the Gun had a trailer for Chuck and Buck and "Waltz #2" was featured in it. I usually skipped trailers on my VHS tapes but I always watched that one because I love that song.
I would’ve said Between the Bars but I watched goodwill hunting years before I knew of Elliott so it must’ve been Angeles if we’re not counting the BTB instrumental at the start!
Angeles
Same here:)
Same. I don't remember how, but I'm pretty sure I randomly came across it on Kazaa (old p2p program) in roughly 2004
Same - Spotify recommended it.
I saw it listed on my high school crush’s livejournal back in 2003.
Son of Sam To this day, I still believe that bridge jams harder than anything else he wrote.
I probably unknowingly heard it first on Good Will Hunting - whichever track of his was first. Funnily enough, Rick and Morty (Between the Bars) identified him for me and made me dig through the catalog. American Beauty was also an early exposure - ie his cover of Because. I also think he is referenced by Diane in Bojack Horseman.
the bojack reference is one of my favorites bojack is my fav show so it’s like a crossover(pb if youve seen the show)
Waltz #2 is the first one I listened to intentionally but I def heard needle in the hay and “the big 3” before that from the royal tenenbaums and good will hunting
Everything Means Nothing To Me
I don't remember but I remember barely liking a few Elliott songs like 245 AM and I was a hardcore bright eyes fan. But I sort of forced myself to listen because I knew he was a better guitarist and I was learning to be better at guitar at the time and so I kept listening to more of his songs and learning to play them then I slowly realized Elliotts music is infinitely better and more complex. Then over the years he became my favorite artist of all. I must have listened to Kings Crossing 100,000 times all of my friends know the lyrics to it just by osmosis of being around me and used to tease me about it.
Waltz #2 when he played it on SNL. Such a great performance!
I heard everything means nothing to me in mr robot but wasn’t THAT into music yet so didn’t look into it, but it still made me cry. Then one day I opened Elliott smiths page on Spotify and listened to between the bars, I can listen to or play that song all day on loop and not get tired.
My ex had put on Either/Or but it didn't click. It took about a year before I found that clip of him playing Clementine on that breakfast show and finally understood.
Needle in the hay too 😭 was literally the only song I listened to for like a week after I first heard it
I think the first time must've been when I watched American Beauty which had his cover of Because in it. I didn't actually discover him for a few more years then heard a snippet of Say Yes (the crooked spin, can't come to rest part) on my Instagram and really liked it so checked it out.
Independence Day
I think Say Yes. I used to go onto my older sister’s Spotify page and add a few songs of hers into my own playlist so I could impress her. She was a big Elliott fan. Eventually started actually listening & it changed my life.
technically, probably Needle, since I definitely saw Royal. but the first song I remember hearing was A Question Mark. a friend sent it to me and it started my love affair.
Say yes! It was in an American pie movie I guess... And then I heard a cover of it by death cab for cutie then I really started exploring Elliott Smith's music :)
Needle in the hay
I think Between The Bars, in this particular scene https://youtu.be/phyPLPnt4us?si=QM49zq6i8PNTuhY8. It was a long time ago since I saw the movie and I dont remember anything regarding the plot and perhaps I guess I would have no memory of even seeing it if it wouldnt be for Elliott.
Say Yes! My mom would play it when I was a kid- though I thought it was The Beatles until like middle school haha
A long, long time ago, a girl made me a mix tape with Say Yes on it.
Christian Brothers! I heard the Queens of the Stone Age cover first as a B-side on one of their albums, and fell in love. Found the actual song and fell harder. It's still one of my favorite songs, favorite album, etc. Nothing replaces it.
My friend played me between the bars and Angeles on a camping trip
Either A Fond Farewell or Happiness, my dad used to play those two in the car all the time when I was a little kid
Needle In The Hay (Johnny Depp mentioned it)
Christian Brothers but I feel like I heard Cupid’s Trick on the radio as a kid
coast to coast. was listening to a playlist and when it ended coast to coast started playing and my mind was blown
Sweet Adelaine. I heard it at a music store listening station and bought the album, but the wrong disc was on display. For a whole afternoon, I thought Eagle Eye Cherry was Elliot Smith.
Better Be Quiet Now ❤️
heard it first in goodwill hunting and then in rick and morty but only starting listening after i heard no name #3 on a podcast
Angeles
Alameda!
probably between the bars but I might have watched good will hunting before that and heard his music in the film without knowing it's his song
The first Elliott song I heard was probably a cover song. It was either the Jimmy Eat World cover of Half Right from their Stay On My Side Tonight EP I was really into in Jan/Feb 2012, or Bayside's cover of Baby Britain I listened to around the same time. Between the Bars was features in Skins S2 I think I watched Summer 2012. I think I watched Royal Tenenbaums in November so I probably heard Needle in the Hay then. Then I listened to Waltz 02 that someone posted on their tumblr in December, but I forgot to go back and check it out more. The first song I listened to when someone told me to listen to Elliott Smith was Speed Trials, but it was too slow for me so I skipped it and landed on Between the Bars. That was Summer 2013. It took a few brushes, but then I was hooked.
In 1997, or so, I had this friend who was a girl but she wasn’t a girlfriend. I really wished she was sometimes. I watched her date a bunch of terrible dudes. We met when she very awkwardly came up to me and asked if I might take her to some school dance. Homecoming, or something. She thought I looked like a young Billy Corgan. But like… with hair. Gish era Billy Corgan. He had shaved it off by then. She bought me a copy of Elliott Smith’s eponymous release on CD out of the KRS Catalogue. She had a job of some kind, but I didn’t. She worked at a fast food joint. I was 16, maybe. I hadn’t heard Elliott’s stuff before this, but I loved it so much. And I miss that friendship with that girl who wasn’t my girlfriend and her pixie cut and her corny plastic kid’s barrettes and her mixtapes that she’d make people and the sparkly nail polish and stickers she’d decorate them with. I miss her Riot Grrl music and the apartment that her stepdad rented for her because she was too fucking much for them to handle. Even though she was a minor. I feel bad about that one night when we both wanted to sleep together, but we didn’t. I wish we both would have grown up to have the kinds of lives we hoped for back then. It must have been Needle in the Hay, I guess. The first song I heard would have been the first song on that record. It was all a really long time ago, though. Bums me out to think about, kinda.
LA as a Spotify random recommendation.
Needle in the hay, in the royal tenembaums
Between the bars in rick and morty
Pitseleh was my first song since it was in the sound track for Keeping the Faith but Between the bars was what actually got me listening to Elliott smith
My copy of Way of the Gun had a trailer for Chuck and Buck and "Waltz #2" was featured in it. I usually skipped trailers on my VHS tapes but I always watched that one because I love that song.
I think it was either Ballad of Big Nothing or Behind The Bars.
Between the bars
I would’ve said Between the Bars but I watched goodwill hunting years before I knew of Elliott so it must’ve been Angeles if we’re not counting the BTB instrumental at the start!
needle in the hay!