Status
Elliott Smith song
Written By
Elliott Smith
Recording Sessions
1997-1998 (Unknown location - Grand Mal Acoustic Demos) - uncirculating
January-October 2003 (New Monkey Studios, Los Angeles, CA and Smith Residence, Los Angeles, CA - Sessions with Fritz Michaud)
Availability of Official Release
From a Basement on the Hill
Lyrics
From a Basement on the Hill version:
This is the place you end up when you lose the chase
Where you’re dragged against your will from a basement on the hill
And all anybody knows is you’re not like them
And they kick you in the head and send you back to bed
Isolation pulled you past a tunnel
To a bright world where you can make a place to stay
But everybody’s scared of this place, they’re staying away
Your little house on Memory Lane
The mayor’s name is fear
His force patrols the pier
From a mountain of cliche
That advances every day
The doctor spoke a cloud
He rained out loud
You’ll keep your doors and windows shut
And swear you’ll never show a soul again
But isolation pushes you ‘til every muscle aches
Down the only road it ever takes
But everybody’s scared of this place, they’re staying away
Your little house on Memory Lane
If it’s your decision to be open about yourself
Be careful or else
Be careful or else
I’m comfortable apart
It’s all written on my chart
And I take what’s given me
Most cooperatively
I do what people say and lie in bed all day
Absolutely horrified
I hope you’re satisfied
Isolation pushes past self-hatred, guilt, and shame
To a place where suffering is just a game
But everybody’s scared of this place, they’re staying away
Your little house on Memory Lane
Your little house on Memory Lane
1997 Live Version (transcribed by snowballinhell):
this is the place you end up when you lose the chase
it’s the patch or in the pill
to make you easier to kill
and all anybody knows is you look messed up
they inspect you in the head
and send you back to bed
isolation draws into it static into night
builds a little house for you to stay
but everybody’s scared of this place
and staying away
no one comes near memory lane..
it’s just as it appears
and everybody fears
just to see you try to get
a very basic piece to fit
the part they never knew
‘cause they did not want to
you’ll keep your doors and windows shut
and never show a soul again but
isolation draws into static into night
builds a little house for you to stay
but everybody’s scared of this place
staying away
no one comes near memory lane
if it’s your decision to be open about yourself
be careful or else
better be careful or else
i’m comfortable apart
it’s all written on my chart
and i take what’s given me
most cooperatively
i do what people say and lie in bed all day
but i’m never going to cry
under the doctor’s eye
isolation draws into it static into night
builds a little house for you to stay
but everybody’s scared of this place
staying away
no one comes near memory lane..
1998 Live Version:
this is the place you end up when you lose the chase
it’s the patch or in the pill
to make you easier to kill
and all anybody knows is you’re all messed up
they inspect you in the head
and send you back to bed
isolation draws into it static into night
builds a little house for you to stay
but everybody’s scared of this place
and staying away
your little house on memory lane..
it’s him you quickly fear
will eventually appear
with a mountain of cliche
that he dumps right in your way
everyone took it the truth
because they did not know you
you’ll keep your doors and windows shut
and swear you’ll never show a soul again but
isolation draws into static into night
builds a little house for you to stay
but everybody’s scared of this place
staying away
your little house on memory lane
if it’s your decision to be open about yourself
be careful or else
be careful or else
well i’m comfortable apart
it’s all written on my chart
and i take what’s given me
most cooperatively
i do what people say and lie in bed all day
absolutely horrified
i hope you’re satisfied
isolation draws into it static into night
builds a little house for you to stay
but everybody’s scared of this place
staying away
your little house on memory lane
Audio:
From a Basement on the Hill version: