“Pictures of Me” was the very first collaboration between Elliott Smith and longtime collaborator/producer Larry Crane. In an interview with Pitchfork Crane told the story behind the making of the track:
We were throwing some random party, and everyone was sitting around the backyard having a barbe...
[Verse 1]
Start, stop and start
Stupid acting smart
Flirting with the flicks
You say, "It's just for kicks"
You'll be the victim of your own dirty tricks
You got yourself to tease and displease
Doors swinging wide
You walked in to hide
Looking at your feet
Failure's complete
Saw you and me on the coin-op TV
Frozen in fear every time we appear
[Chorus]
I'm not surprised at all and really, why should I be?
See nothing wrong
See nothing wrong
So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
Completely wrong
Totally wrong
[Verse 2]
Go walking by
Here come another guy
Jailer who sells personal hells
Who'd like to see me down on my fucking knees?
Everybody's dying just to get the disease
[Bridge]
Hey, hey, hey, hey
[Chorus]
I'm not surprised at all and really, why should I be?
See nothing wrong
See nothing wrong
So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
Completely wrong
Totally wrong
I'm not surprised at all and really, why should I be?
See nothing wrong
See nothing wrong
So sick and tired of all these pictures of me
[Outro]
Oh, everybody's dying just to get the disease
Everybody's dying just to get the disease
Everybody's dying just to get the disease
Pictures of Me was written by Elliott Smith.
Pictures of Me was produced by Elliott Smith & Rob Schnapf & Tom Rothrock.
Elliott Smith released Pictures of Me on Tue Feb 25 1997.