Echo Park
Status
Elliott Smith Song
Written By
Elliott Smith
Recording Sessions
March 1998 (Location Unknown - Mystery XO Session) - uncirculating
Availability of Official Release
N/A
Lyrics
Version 1 (written between Jan - Feb 1997):
The strangers stop and stare
and stay behind the yellow line
the parent show up looking scared
and everyone could read their minds
they were in love
echo park protects its own
but it takes away the weakest ones
who just can’t make it by themselves
in a city with a million suns
who all belong to someone else
who wants them more
echo park protects its own
but its destroys people who like you
can’t be alone
so help yourself
echo park protects its own
So Johnny Law says please step back
we’re doing everything we can
then everything bled out to black
makes you start to understand
that’s the way
echo park protects its own
and the ones it won’t you’re better off
to just leave alone
Version 2 (written shortly after, also in 1997):
I saw you stop and stare
from behind the yellow line
and the boys in blue who put it there
lead(?) you ask and then declined
to let you in
echo park protects its own
and the scene was packed with flashing lights
so you had to shield your eyes
it’s a city with a million suns
but they’re individualized
it can’t be helped
echo park protects its own
but it destroys everything except the middle tone
the body’s badly bleeding
but I’m a captive to the crowd
and I’m seeing its sadistic streak
I know that I can help
but I’m not allowed
so help yourself
‘cos echo park protects its own
so johnny law told you get back
we’re doing everything we can
but to him all this is matter fact
‘cos he himself has killed a man
Audio
N/A