intrepting the meaning of Waltz # 2 (XO) - Elliott Smith

Yesterday, on the way to Venice, before hearing our Venice mix, we listened to XO by Elliott Smith. No one's a bigger Elliott fan than Michelle. She actually saw Smith live twice, that's right TWICE. And has, a now disintegrating, Figure 8 decal on our car from the last show she saw him perform in concert.

I love having discussions about music with Michelle about music. Yesterday in the car while listening to Waltz #2(XO), I brought up the fact that my idea of what Waltz #2 was about had changed by reading the latest 33 1/3 book on XO by Matthew Lemay.

I used to think that Waltz #2 was a song on a dying relationship but what I've learned is that Elliott wrote the song about a memory of watching his mother and stepfather at a karaoke bar in Dallas. I imagine him, the character in the song, being a son seeing his Mom dance with her new husband at their wedding. The son sees this and wants to be nice to his new dad but still is leering about this man marrying his mother. When I hear the lyrics, "I'm never gonna know you now but I'm gonna love you anyhow..." is something a child would say to their new step parent.

Listen to the song again, it sounds like the son trying to convince himself to love this new stranger, father, in his life. By the end he tries to tell his mom, "It's okay, it's alright, nothing's wrong" and then after she pushes him to talk he says, "Tell Mr. Man with impossible plans to just leave me alone..."

I used to think it was about a love that has faded away but hearing the original arrangement I imagine two older people dancing to this waltz while the disapproving child is watching. It makes sense to me. Listen to the lyrics again. What do you think?

If you get a chance pick up Lemay's most excellent book on XO.