Little One
Elliott Smith Lyrics


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One more little one
I'll go down and stay down
Sleep the rest of the day
Dreaming music to calm down

And stay down and keep evil away
I can see you asleep
Changing your shape
Dissolved in some dream

As a new one appears
To take you along where you've never been
The moonlight tonight seems to belong to me
'Cause I never go to sleep
I keep it company

One hit wouldn't matter a bit I'll
Stay down and think
What's here to find
If it's good or?

And I won't know the fact that I'm dying
If I seem to be reckless with myself
It's the fault of no one
All things have a place

Under the moon as well as the sun




One more
Little one I love you

Overall Meaning

In "Little One," Elliott Smith sings about finding solace in music and dreaming as a refuge from the troubles of the world. Smith's melancholy voice draws the listener into his introspective and contemplative state of mind. He shifts from the present to the future in the opening verses, promising to take one more step down to stay down for the rest of the day. The dreamer in him takes over, and he drifts off into a deep sleep, weaving a musical dream to calm down. He can see a loved one asleep, changing shape, and dissolving in a dream, allowing a new reality to take hold. A reality that takes the listener on a journey where they have never been before.


Smith sings about his deep connection with the moonlight that seems to belong to him. It's a place where he can find comfort and company, and he vows to stay down and explore it more. In the second half of the song, Smith contemplates his own mortality. He acknowledges that he is willing to live recklessly with himself and that his actions are his own responsibility. He also acknowledges that everything in life has its place, both under the moon and the sun. Even though he acknowledges that our time is limited, he still ends the song with "one more little one, I love you," implying that we should cherish every moment we have with our loved ones.


Line by Line Meaning

One more little one
Addressing a child, likely the singer's own, as they prepare to lay down


I'll go down and stay down
The singer is determined to rest and not rise again


Sleep the rest of the day
The singer intends to sleep for a prolonged period of time


Dreaming music to calm down
Hoping to have peaceful dreams, the singer thinks of comforting melodies


And stay down and keep evil away
By remaining still, the singer can ward off malevolent influences


I can see you asleep
Addressing the child again, the singer imagines them sleeping peacefully


Changing your shape
The child's body may be curled up or wiggling as they slumber


Dissolved in some dream
The child is lost in a subconscious world


As a new one appears
More dreams will come as the child sleeps


To take you along where you've never been
Dreams can transport an individual to novel experiences


The moonlight tonight seems to belong to me
The light of the moon feels personal and even intimate


'Cause I never go to sleep
The artist admits to insomnia or some other condition that keeps them awake


I keep it company
Staying up late allows the singer to be alone with their thoughts


One hit wouldn't matter a bit I'll
The singer considers taking drugs or drinking to pass the time


Stay down and think
Instead of substances, the singer plans to ruminate


What's here to find
Perhaps the artist could discover something new in their own mind


If it's good or?
The contemplation may lead to darkness or insight, and there's no way to know ahead of time


And I won't know the fact that I'm dying
There's a sense of nihilism or apathy; the singer wouldn't sense their own mortality


If I seem to be reckless with myself
Relatives or friends might worry about the singer's self-destructive tendencies


It's the fault of no one
The singer believes that their behavior is their own responsibility


All things have a place
This might suggest a belief in fate or spirituality, but the meaning is somewhat ambiguous


Under the moon as well as the sun
There's no point in searching for meaning or putting too much emphasis on any one time of day or state of being-- everything coexists in its own way


One more little one I love you
Returning to the original addressee, the singer affirms their affection one more time




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GIL GEORGE, PAUL SMITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

knuckle12356

Like nothin'. It's PRECISELY a junkie's lullaby.

Near as I could ever tell, Elliott was never truly a "Stickman," remanding his outrageous (at times,) habits to smoking, snorting, and maybe even boofing from time to time..🤷

But this song feels very much like the spike wielding junkie, already starting to feel bad. One of those weird psychosomatic cascades, where if you had a pocket full of dope, you could probably wait until morning to fix. But say you're at the same blood gas level when you've got NO DOPE cached; you're already WELL on ur way to pushing into full-blown withdrawal.

The mind is a Terrible thing. So, this lament of just one more little one is the classic junkie refrain. Like discussing getting clean directly after getting loaded.

He does not feel great, but he needs to monitor stash levels for overnight and mornings, since withdrawal hasn't fully sunk its icy claws into his spine...

Just a small top-off would be all it takes to quiet down the screaming from every cell in your body.

And there's the rub. It's a complete lie, and "He" knows it. One little taste would be perfect to JUMP START THOSE GODDAMN CRAVINGS >>>NOW<<<< WHERE IS THE REST OF THAT Bag?

The only way to get a successful one more/one last hit is the hot one that kills, mentioned in the lyrics. It's the singer, knowing the end of every story, and telling us absolutely none of that understanding changed anything.

Tragic. Beautiful. DEFINITE shades of the Beatles energy. Heartbreaking.



Samantha

One more little one
I'll go down, stay down
Sleep the rest of the day
Dream new music to calm down
Stay down and keep evil away
I can hear you asleep
Changing your shape
Dissolved in some dream
As a new one appears
To take you along where you've never been
One, two, three, four, five, six...
The moonlight tonight seems to belong to me
'Cos even though some can't sleep
They need some company
One hit wouldn't hurt a bit at all
Slow down sleep
What's there to fight?
If it's good shit you won't know
And I won't know the fact that I'm dying
If I seem to be reckless with myself
It's the fault of no one
All things have a place
Under the moon as well as the sun
One more little one
I love you



Roiy Benkel

One more little one
I'll go down, stay down
Sleep the rest of the day
Dream new music to calm down
Stay down and keep evil away
I can hear you asleep
Changing your shape
Dissolved in some dream
As a new one appears
To take you along where you've never been
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven
The moonlight tonight seems to belong to me
Cause I even though some can't sleep
I need some company
One hit wouldn't hurt a bit at all
Slow down, see
What's else to find
If it's good shit you won't know
And I won't know the fact that I'm dying
If I seem to be reckless with myself
It's the fault of no one
All things have a place
Under the moon as well as the sun
One more
Little one I love you



All comments from YouTube:

Jonathan Webb

This is sooo beautiful. ❤️ I know people compare Elliott to the Beatles, but the Beatles managed to write lots of bad songs as well as great ones. I don't think Elliott could write a bad song if he tried.

bae bald

just lost my dad and am finding some comfort in elliott's music. pure genius, he was. <3

no gradient riffs

dumbfounded by how brilliant this man was. may he live forever through his music.

Bradly S.

It's like a disturbing junkies lullaby, it's haunted yet beautiful.

knuckle12356

Like nothin'. It's PRECISELY a junkie's lullaby.

Near as I could ever tell, Elliott was never truly a "Stickman," remanding his outrageous (at times,) habits to smoking, snorting, and maybe even boofing from time to time..🤷

But this song feels very much like the spike wielding junkie, already starting to feel bad. One of those weird psychosomatic cascades, where if you had a pocket full of dope, you could probably wait until morning to fix. But say you're at the same blood gas level when you've got NO DOPE cached; you're already WELL on ur way to pushing into full-blown withdrawal.

The mind is a Terrible thing. So, this lament of just one more little one is the classic junkie refrain. Like discussing getting clean directly after getting loaded.

He does not feel great, but he needs to monitor stash levels for overnight and mornings, since withdrawal hasn't fully sunk its icy claws into his spine...

Just a small top-off would be all it takes to quiet down the screaming from every cell in your body.

And there's the rub. It's a complete lie, and "He" knows it. One little taste would be perfect to JUMP START THOSE GODDAMN CRAVINGS >>>NOW<<<< WHERE IS THE REST OF THAT Bag?

The only way to get a successful one more/one last hit is the hot one that kills, mentioned in the lyrics. It's the singer, knowing the end of every story, and telling us absolutely none of that understanding changed anything.

Tragic. Beautiful. DEFINITE shades of the Beatles energy. Heartbreaking.

Samantha

One more little one
I'll go down, stay down
Sleep the rest of the day
Dream new music to calm down
Stay down and keep evil away
I can hear you asleep
Changing your shape
Dissolved in some dream
As a new one appears
To take you along where you've never been
One, two, three, four, five, six...
The moonlight tonight seems to belong to me
'Cos even though some can't sleep
They need some company
One hit wouldn't hurt a bit at all
Slow down sleep
What's there to fight?
If it's good shit you won't know
And I won't know the fact that I'm dying
If I seem to be reckless with myself
It's the fault of no one
All things have a place
Under the moon as well as the sun
One more little one
I love you

Miss Lemon

OH MY GOD. This is Sooooooooooo unbelievably good!!! Oh my god!!! I'm having a braingasm. What true skill and art. Beyond belief... Beyond this world... Just plain soul... Just pure soul... Thank you Elliott

Rob Maddison

An amazing idea and amazing production. It's like being encased in a heavenly bubble where you can bare your soul in the presence of a loving spirit.

Sienna O’Brien

Beautiful..... I'm gonna immerse myself in his music.

knuckle12356

My first thought was "submerge," not that there is anything wrong with immerse, it's just when I think of Smith's music, sinking is definitely a sensation that comes along with the tunes. I picture your statement as floating along a river, and I just feel more like the river rushes over me and im staring up from the bottom. With any luck I'll drown soon.

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