Status

Elliott Smith Song

Written By

Elliott Smith

Recording Sessions

March - May 1995 (Fremont Rental Residence, Portland, OR - Pre-Either/Or sessions) - instrumental of this recording is unofficially circulating over the vocals from the officially released version
March - July 1996 (The Shop, Humboldt County, CA - Primary Either/Or Sessions) 

Availability of Official Release

New Moon

Lyrics

The ghost of your smile’s always looking for new bodies to haunt,
And it’s been here and disappeared.
It’s hanging around aloofly for awhile, gradually gone-it’s pleasing and freezing.

Well, I wonder what it is you’re after, keeping company with this disaster.

You looked all over town, got turned around to walk back through the mud,
The kind you had left behind you.
Everybody is the same in this long no-win game where every new blood gets time to become resigned.

Now I wonder what it is you’re after, keeping company with this disaster,
Why you never tried to tame your master.

You just blow through the coals, blow through the coals,
Blow through the coals till everyone knows that your smile is just a ghost.

The ghost of your smile was seen on a body in the park.
It’s old news. You see that it’s no use waiting to start, waiting till light, waiting till dark.
I told you, man, I told you.

Well, I wonder what it is you’re after, keeping company with this disaster,
Why you never tried to tame your master.

First known live performance

No known live performances.

Notes

Vocals and music are from different takes. Vocals are from the reel that provided From a Basement on the Hill with “Last Hour”, but the tape reel flange scraping sound (which you can hear on “Last Hour”) was even more distracting on this song. Music was from a later instrumental take, with organ and drums but no vocals. This is the only istance on this record [New Moon] where we combined takes in this manner. (Larry Crane)

Audio