Trouble
Elliott Smith Lyrics
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It's the face I wear
And it may invite you in
But I won't go there
Here's a working model
That generates despair
And this baby cranks it out
And I won't care
It's a beauty
It's the mark of someone
Who's beyond repair
He'll refuse to help yourself
Thinking only of himself
Well, it's your job now
There's a conversation
We're about to have
And it's full of twists and turns
From one who never learns
And I never learn
Here's the face of trouble
The lyrics of Elliott Smith's song "Trouble" seem to describe a person who is struggling with their own inner demons and is unwilling to confront them directly. The singer talks about this "face of trouble" that he wears, which seems to have an inviting quality to it, but the singer refuses to go there. The model that generates despair is a metaphor for a dysfunctional thought pattern or behavior that alienates and leads to self-destructive behavior. The baby that cranks it out represents the cycle of negative thoughts that amplify and perpetuate themselves, much like the domino effect.
The "beauty" that is the mark of someone who's beyond repair is a paradoxical description of the destructive forces inside a person. It's something that is both alluring and repulsive at the same time, and yet the singer seems to be resigned to its power, indicating that he does not feel equipped to deal with it. The line "He'll refuse to help yourself, thinking only of himself" implies that the subject is probably running from his or her own problems and not willing to accept any help or support from others. The task of solving this problem is left to the listener now.
The conversation that is full of twists and turns from one who never learns suggests that the subject has been through a similar situation before and yet continues to repeat the same mistakes. The lyrics ultimately describe a sense of powerlessness in the face of one's own demons and a feeling of being trapped in a hopeless situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's the face of trouble
This is my warning to you that things are about to take a negative turn.
It's the face I wear
This is who I am and what I present to the world.
And it may invite you in
My trouble may seem enticing or intriguing to you, drawing you in.
But I won't go there
I won't let myself be consumed by my own despair.
Here's a working model
This is a representation of the way things are in my life.
That generates despair
It's a source of pain that never relents.
And this baby cranks it out
It keeps churning out the misery, relentlessly.
And it will take you out
It's so strong that it will bring you down just as easily.
And I won't care
I'll be too busy drowning in my own problems to notice or care.
It's a beauty
This is how I perceive my own suffering, twisted and perverse.
It's the mark of someone
This is a clear indication that there is something deeply wrong with me.
Who's beyond repair
I'm beyond saving myself from my own self-destructive tendencies.
He'll refuse to help yourself
I won't even try to improve my situation, relying on others to intervene.
Thinking only of himself
My mindset is so self-centered that I can't even think of others or their needs.
Well, it's your job now
It's up to you to save me from myself, because I won't do it on my own.
There's a conversation
This is a dialogue we need to have about my problems.
We're about to have
It's imminent and necessary to address these issues.
And it's full of twists and turns
It won't be a simple discussion, but a complex and difficult one.
From one who never learns
I've been down this road before and yet I still can't seem to break free from my troubles.
And I never learn
I'm stuck in a vicious cycle and can't seem to change my negative patterns of behavior.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Yusuf Islam
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bellathedog-fu8ny
Trouble
Oh trouble set me free
I have seen your face
And it’s too much too much for me
Trouble
Oh trouble can’t you see
You’re eating my heart away
And there’s nothing much left of me
I’ve drunk your wine
You have made your world mine
So won’t you be fair
So won’t you be fair
I don’t want no more of you
So won’t you be kind to me
Just let me go where
I’ll have to go there
Trouble
Oh trouble move away
I have seen your face
And it’s too much for me today
Trouble
Oh trouble can’t you see
You have made me a wreck
Now won’t you leave me in my misery
I’ve seen your eyes
And I can see death’s disguise
Hangin’ on me
Hangin’ on me
I’m beat, I’m torn
Shattered and tossed and worn
Too shocking to see
Too shocking to see
Trouble
Oh trouble move from me
I have paid my debt
Now won’t you leave me in my misery
Trouble
Oh trouble please be kind
I don’t want no fight
And I haven’t got a lot of time
@natmuthify
My brother had "favorited" this video about a year and a half ago, and told my dad about this cover and singer. We lost my brother through an unexpected accident in October of last year. Listening to this song reminds me of those we've lost too soon, as well as the tribulations their loved ones must go through when they are left behind. Nothing is left the same. Elliot must have been a beautiful person. Such a wonderful video, and such an honor to have known this song, even without knowing him.
@bennettwoltz
I lost my brother too last July.
@bnrjnnn1781
Bennett Woltz sorry to hear that dude
@Trenzalore-gn6xq
natmuthify man I can’t even imagine losing my brother, I’m so sorry for your loss
@ronbar4192
I hope we all lost out brothers one day
@_dreamscape
I am here to say elliott’s voice gets us through grief and very special, special people are elliott fans.
@andreawaterstreet3901
Such an apt song of Cat Stevens for him to cover. I only saw Elliott Smith play once. He was sitting in with Grandaddy at a show in SF at the Warfield--some time in the early 2000s. He played, or tried to play a solo acoustic version of Needle in the Hay, but he was clearly out of his head--looked to be smacked out--and he couldn't play the intricate guitar parts--kept starting and stopping. Thankfully, the guys in Grandaddy stepped in and started playing the part for him, allowing him just to sing, which he did like an angel. Such a tortured life--I'm eternally grateful that he gifted us with his brilliance whilst enduring such spiritual pain.
@neilefc877
Thanks so much for this post Andrea. It must have been both wonderful and heartbreaking to have seen him play back then. But at least you got to see him play live :)
@GodInTheMachine
thanks h20st. i got to see him once in Lower Alcatraz and he played like he had already broken the knife off in his heart. it was difficult to watch. thankfully i was in the same boat as he and don't remember much.
@WachaDrop
Thank you for sharing such a heartfelt experience. I love both Elliott and Grandaddy, it would've been a pleasure to have seen them both live.