Tracks

Elliot Smith: "Abused"

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By David Greenwald | 10 January 2008

Two weeks ago, a compilation of 22 Elliott Smith songs was released onto the Sweet Adeline discussion boards as From A Basement On The Hill II. The name is misleading: many of the tracks, like “Placeholder” and “See My City Dead,” were previously leaked in the Either/Or Sessions. A few of the songs are (as far as we know) new, but perhaps the most intriguing track of all is a reworked Either/Or-era song entitled “Abused.”

It’s hard to say in what period this version was actually recorded. It’s the only song on this release with production akin to his later material, building to an electric, full-band chorus. An admittedly haphazard biography of the songwriter singled this song out as evidence for his abuse as a child, and the lyrics don’t go far beyond the recurring line, “you’ve been abused now.” Controversial assumptions aside, Smith’s charity was, and is, Free Arts for Abused Children, and perhaps this was written in tribute to them.

For all we know, “Abused” (Peter Hepburn: "It sounds like a b-side from the Team America soundtrack") was never meant to be released. While melodic enough, it lacks the complexity and lyrical insight of his best compositions. It’s a rare, revealing instance of the devoted musician letting his guard down musically; it reminds us that Smith, like all of us, was only human, and it makes the two-year anniversary of his death all the more painful.