Pictures Of Me
Elliott Smith (album) Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stupid acting smart
Flirting with the flicks
You say it's just for kicks
You'll be the victim of your own dirty tricks
You got yourself to tease and displease
Doors swinging wide
Looking at your feet
Failure's complete
Saw you and me on the coin-op tv
Frozen in fear every time we appear
I'm not surprised and really, why should I be?
See nothing wrong
See nothing wrong
So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
Completely wrong
Totally wrong
Go walking by
Here come another guy
Jailer who sells personal hells
Who'd like to see me down on my fucking knees
Everybody's dying just to get the disease
Hey hey hey hey
I'm not surprised and really, why should I be?
See nothing wrong
See nothing wrong
So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
Completely wrong
Totally wrong
I'm not surprised and really, why should I be?
See nothing wrong
See nothing wrong
So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
Oh everybody's dying just to get the disease
Everybody's dying just to get the disease
Everybody's dying just to get the disease
The song "Pictures of Me" by Elliott Smith appears on his album "Either/Or" released in 1997. The lyrics are introspective and describe a person who is being judged and put under scrutiny by the public eye, in this case, through pictures. The opening lines, "Start stop and start, Stupid acting smart" paint a picture of someone who is unsure of their actions and is trying to play it cool. The line "Flirting with the flicks, You say it's just for kicks" refers to the person's actions being misconstrued as flirtatious when they are only having fun. However, the lyrics imply that this person is not as innocent as they appear, with lines like "You'll be the victim of your own dirty tricks" and "Jailer who sells personal hells, Who'd like to see me down on my fucking knees." The song suggests that this person is ultimately responsible for their actions and should not complain about the consequences.
The chorus of the song has a repetitive verse - "I'm not surprised and really, why should I be? See nothing wrong, See nothing wrong, So sick and tired of all these pictures of me." It conveys the idea that the person is tired of being scrutinized and judged constantly, and is not surprised by it, as if they have come to expect it.
Line by Line Meaning
Start stop and start
Beginning and ending things without reason
Stupid acting smart
Being foolish while pretending to be intelligent
Flirting with the flicks
Showing off and trying to impress others
You say it's just for kicks
Justifying bad behavior with flimsy excuses
You'll be the victim of your own dirty tricks
Facing consequences for your own manipulative actions
You got yourself to tease and displease
Causing your own discomfort and dissatisfaction
Doors swinging wide
Opportunities presenting themselves
You walked in to hide
Entering situations to avoid dealing with reality
Looking at your feet
Being ashamed of oneself
Failure's complete
Having already given up and accepted defeat
Saw you and me on the coin-op tv
Watching ourselves in a cheap, artificial medium
Frozen in fear every time we appear
Feeling paralyzed and helpless whenever we are seen
I'm not surprised and really, why should I be?
Expecting negative outcomes
See nothing wrong
Being in denial about one's problems
So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
Experiencing fatigue and discomfort from constantly having to face oneself
Completely wrong
Being entirely mistaken
Totally wrong
Definitely incorrect
Go walking by
Continuing to move forward
Here come another guy
Being replaced by someone else
Jailer who sells personal hells
Feeling trapped by one's own self-destructive thoughts and behaviors
Who'd like to see me down on my fucking knees
Taking pleasure in seeing someone else suffer and submit
Everybody's dying just to get the disease
Everyone is desperately trying to avoid facing their own problems and negative traits
Hey hey hey hey
A meaningless, dismissive expression
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEVEN P. SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Keiran19
Lyrics :
Start, stop and start
Stupid acting smart
Flirting with the flicks
You say, "It's just for kicks."
You'll be the victim of your own dirty tricks
You got yourself to tease and displease
Doors swinging wide
You walked in to hide
Looking at your feet
Failure's complete
Saw you and me on the coin-op TV
Frozen in fear every time we appear
[Chorus]
I'm not surprised at all and really, why should I be?
See nothing wrong
See nothing wrong
So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
Completely wrong
Totally wrong
[Verse 2]
Go walking by
Here come another guy
Jailer who sells personal hells
Who'd like to see me down on my fucking knees
Everybody's dying just to get the disease
Hey, hey, hey, hey
[Chorus]
I'm not surprised at all and really, why should I be?
See nothing wrong
See nothing wrong
So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
Completely wrong
Totally wrong
I'm not surprised at all and really, why should I be?
See nothing wrong
See nothing wrong
So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
Oh, everybody's dying just to get the disease
Everybody's dying just to get the disease
Everybody's dying just to get the disease
@roiybenkel682
Start stop and start
Stupid acting smart
Flirting with the flicks
You say it's just for kicks
You'll be the victim of your own dirty tricks
You got yourself to tease and displease
Doors swinging wide
You walked in to hide
Looking at your feet
Failure's complete
Saw you and me on the coin-op TV
Frozen in fear every time we appear
I'm not surprised and really, why should I be?
See nothing wrong
See nothing wrong
So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
Completely wrong
Totally wrong
Go walking by
Here come another guy
Jailer who sells personal hells
Who'd like to see me down on my fucking knees
Everybody's dying just to get the disease
Hey hey hey hey
I'm not surprised and really, why should I be?
See nothing wrong
See nothing wrong
So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
Completely wrong
Totally wrong
I'm not surprised and really, why should I be?
See nothing wrong
See nothing wrong
So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
Oh everybody's dying just to get the disease
Everybody's dying just to get the disease
Everybody's dying just to get the disease
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
Pictures of me
내 사진들
start, stop and start
시작해, 멈춰 다시 시작해
stupid acting smart
교활하게 행동하는 바보
flirting with the flicks
채찍으로 후려갈기는 놀이
you say it's just for kicks
너는 그게 그저 즐거움을 위한 것이라고 했지
you'll be the victim of your own dirty tricks
너는 너 자신의 더러운 속임수에 당하고 말거야
you got yourself to tease and displease
너는 스스로 너자신을 괴롭고 기분나쁘게 했어
doors swinging wide
넓게 흔들리는 문짝
you walked in to hide
너는 숨으려고 들어가
looking at your feet
네 발을 쳐다봐
failure's complete
실패는 완결되었어
saw you and me on the coin-op tv
동전넣는 TV에서 너와 나의 모습을 봤어
frozen in fear every time we appear
우리 자신이 나올 때마다, 공포에 얼어붙은채로
I'm not surprised at all and really, why should I be
난 전혀 놀라지 않아, 왜 그래야겠어?
see nothing wrong, see nothing wrong
봐, 잘못된게 전혀 없어, 잘못된 것이 없는데
so sick and tired of all these pictures of me
이 모든 내 사진들이 너무 역겨워
completely wrong, totally wrong
완전히 틀렸어. 완벽하게 틀렸어.
go walking by
옆으로 걸어지나가
here come another guy
다른 남자가 다가온다
jailer who sells personal hells
개인용 지옥을 파는 교도관
who'd like to see me down on my fucking knees
누가 무릎꿇고 있는 빌어먹을 나를 쳐다나 봐주겠어?
everybody's dying just to get the disease
모든 이들은 그저 병에 걸리기 위해 죽어가
hey hey hey hey
헤이헤이헤이헤이
@killrockstars
Check out this rare live footage of Elliott's 1999 New Year's Eve performance at The Knitting Factory: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6KwzgIePF4Dy7347Om6Ijcsr4vh6JJjP
@cjbforever
Y’a d la qq
@BHAKTIBROPHY
I photographed Elliott for Option mag upon the release of this album. What a beautiful man... he was so kind and, after breaking through his shyness, incredibly funny. God, I loved his smile.
@salchaos
He must have been a unique individual. A genius, I would say.
@BM-yr1lc
BHAKTI BROPHY he's absolutely gorgeous when he smiles
@giangarciamusic
elliott has the prettiest smile.
@opheliajade1986
@@BM-yr1lc for sure
@jahread3322
he was a beautiful man...its si easy to see from out here, but that feeling of sickness, the knee jerk cringe when you let your guard down and slipped up, letting a thought of yourself creep in just long enough to snap you back into defense with a shudder and a cringe. the dreadful feeling alone makes working to forget worth not having to remember. shit sux
@appleswithsauce4412
2:45 "So sick and tired of all these pictures of me" Picture goes away
@oddmuch6267
appleswithsauce i love you