Easy Way Out
=Elliott Smith Lyrics
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'Cause without an enemy your anger gets confused
I got stuck on the side you know I never chose
But it's all about taking the easy way out for you I suppose
There's no escape for you except in someone else
Although you've already disappeared within yourself
The invisible man who's always changing clothes
While I watch you making mistakes
I wish you luck, I really do
With the problem, with the puzzle
Whatever's left of you
I heard you found another audience to bore
A creative thinker who imagined you were more
A new body for you to push around and pose
It's all about taking the easy way out for you I suppose
It's all about taking the easy way out for you I suppose
In "Easy Way Out," Elliott Smith writes about a person who chooses to take the easy way out in life. The person uses others until he feels used, and he is confused by his own anger when he does not have an enemy. Smith is stuck with this person even though he never chose to be on that side. The person is always changing and disappearing within himself, finding escape only when he is with someone else. Smith wishes him luck, but he watches him make mistakes, knowing that he will always choose the easy way out. The person has found a new audience to impress, a creative thinker who sees him as more than he is.
Through this song, Smith exposes the emptiness of a life lived without passion, purpose, or accountability. The easy way out starts with avoiding the hard decisions that lead to growth, change, and maturity. Without facing those challenges, we become invisible, our lives without direction, meaning, or connection. Smith's lyrics call on us to be aware of this tendency in ourselves and to resist it, to seek the harder path, even at the cost of comfort or satisfaction.
Line by Line Meaning
You'll take advantage 'til you think you're being used
You exploit others until you feel like you've been taken advantage of in return
'Cause without an enemy your anger gets confused
Your anger doesn't have an outlet unless you have someone to direct it towards
I got stuck on the side you know I never chose
I became involved in your issues even though it wasn't my decision to do so
But it's all about taking the easy way out for you I suppose
Your behavior is motivated by your desire to avoid difficulty and pursue the path of least resistance
There's no escape for you except in someone else
You can only find relief from your problems by projecting them onto someone else
Although you've already disappeared within yourself
You've retreated into a shell and become disconnected from reality
The invisible man who's always changing clothes
You're constantly reinventing yourself, but never showing your true self to anyone
It's all about taking the easy way out for you I suppose
Your modus operandi is to avoid challenges and confrontations in favor of simplicity and comfortability
While I watch you making mistakes
I observe you repeatedly making harmful decisions
I wish you luck, I really do
I sincerely hope that you find success and contentment
With the problem, with the puzzle
In resolving the difficulties you're facing
Whatever's left of you
Even though you've become hollow and unrecognizable as your true self
I heard you found another audience to bore
I became aware that you've found someone new to unload your issues onto
A creative thinker who imagined you were more
This person initially saw you as someone special and talented
A new body for you to push around and pose
You've found someone else to exploit and manipulate to your advantage
It's all about taking the easy way out for you I suppose
Your actions continue to be motivated by your preference for ease and avoidance of challenges or conflicts
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Steven Paul Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind