Classical composers traditionally supplied music for dancing when required, and Schubert's waltzes were written for household dancing, without any pretense at being art music. However, Chopin's surviving 19 waltzes (five he wrote as a child), along with his mazurkas and polonaises, were clearly not intended to be danced to. They marked the adoption of the waltz and other dance forms as serious composition genres.
Other notable contributions to the waltz genre in classical music include 16 by Brahms (originally for piano duet), and Ravel's Valses nobles et sentimentales for piano and La Valse for orchestra.
The waltz style is found in nearly every kind of European and Euro-American folk music and also in classical music. Although waltzes are often associated with the dance of the same name, not all waltzes were composed as dances: some were written for concert performance.
The waltz had once held so much importance in European music circles that great waltz composers received the honorary title of “Waltz King”. The title came with an accompanying “royal staff”, a decorated silver baton which was passed from musician to musician. Johann Strauss Junior, the most famous “Waltz King”, received the title frequently.
Waltz #2
Elliott Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Singing, "Cathy's Clown"
That's the man she's married to now
That's the girl that he takes around town
She appears composed, so she is, I suppose
Who can really tell?
She shows no emotion at all
Stares into space like a dead china doll
I'm never gonna know you now
But I'm gonna love you anyhow
Now she's done and they're calling someone
Such a familiar name
I'm so glad that my memory's remote
'Cause I'm doing just fine hour to hour, note to note
Here it is, the revenge to the tune
"You're no good
You're no good, you're no good, you're no good"
Can't you tell that it's well understood?
I'm never gonna know you now
But I'm gonna love you anyhow
I'm here today and expected to stay
On and on and on
I'm tired
I'm tired
Looking out on the substitute scene
Still going strong
XO, mom
It's okay, it's alright, nothing's wrong
Tell Mr. Man with impossible plans to just leave me alone
In the place where I make no mistakes
In the place where I have what it takes
I'm never gonna know you now
But I'm gonna love you anyhow
I'm never gonna know you now
But I'm gonna love you anyhow
I'm never gonna know you now
But I'm gonna love you anyhow
The lyrics of Elliott Smith's "Waltz #2" explore themes of love and loss, showcasing the feelings of confusion and bitterness after the end of a relationship. The opening lines refer to a performance where someone is singing "Cathy's Clown." The singer then proceeds to introduce Cathy's clown as the man that the woman he loved married, with Cathy being the girl he takes around town. The singer observes Cathy's seemingly composed demeanor, though he doubts that she is really as put-together as she appears. He describes her as emotionless, with her expression blank like a china doll. The chorus, "I'm never gonna know you now, but I'm gonna love you anyhow," suggests that the singer has come to terms with the fact that he will never truly understand this woman, but loves her anyway.
Line by Line Meaning
First the mic, then a half cigarette
He picks up the microphone and takes a quick drag of his half-smoked cigarette.
Singing, 'Cathy's Clown'
He starts singing a cover of 'Cathy's Clown,' a classic song by The Everly Brothers.
That's the man she's married to now
The girl he was once in love with is now married to another man.
That's the girl that he takes around town
The girl's new husband takes her around town, showing her off as his wife.
She appears composed, so she is, I suppose
She seems calm and composed, but it's hard to know for sure.
Who can really tell?
It's difficult to know what's going on inside someone's mind.
She shows no emotion at all
She doesn't display any emotions, giving the impression of being unfeeling.
Stares into space like a dead china doll
She stares blankly into the space in front of her, resembling a lifeless porcelain doll.
I'm never gonna know you now
He is resigned to the fact that he will never know the girl he was in love with.
But I'm gonna love you anyhow
Despite not knowing her, he will continue to love her.
Now she's done and they're calling someone
The girl's performance is over and they're calling for the next act.
Such a familiar name
The name they're calling is familiar to him.
I'm so glad that my memory's remote
He's relieved that he doesn't have to remember any more painful memories.
'Cause I'm doing just fine hour to hour, note to note
He is coping with life one hour at a time, and focusing on his music to help him get through.
Here it is, the revenge to the tune
He is about to take revenge through his music.
'You're no good
He sings the words 'You're no good.'
You're no good, you're no good, you're no good'
He repeats the line, emphasizing the point.
Can't you tell that it's well understood?
He hopes that the person he's targeting understands the message he's sending.
I'm here today and expected to stay
He is present in the moment, but also looks towards the future.
On and on and on
He feels like time stretches on endlessly.
I'm tired
He's exhausted from the effort of living.
Looking out on the substitute scene
He surveys the world around him, which is full of replacements for what he truly wants.
Still going strong
Despite everything, he is still moving forward and persevering.
XO, mom
He ends the song with a reference to his mother, who had recently passed away.
It's okay, it's alright, nothing's wrong
He reassures himself that everything is fine, even though he's hurting.
Tell Mr. Man with impossible plans to just leave me alone
He won't let anyone else dictate how he should live his life.
In the place where I make no mistakes
He seeks a place where he has complete control over his life.
In the place where I have what it takes
He wants to live in a place where he feels capable of facing life's challenges.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Steven Paul Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind