NO LIFE

Listen to NO LIFE by Elliott Smith.

Elliott Smith: "Oh, I was around 20 or 19 and a lot of straight guys were...you know, just having kinds of conversation that I couldn't really relate to. You know, just like very high school. You know, like not being able to relate to jocks in high school. Sort of like that."

Marcus Kagler: "That was me in High School. I couldn't relate to jocks at all."

Elliott Smith: "Yeah, I couldn't either. Even though I had to play sports in Junior High in Texas because everybody in Texas has to. I played football. I played defensive guard of all things. I was not any bigger and I was always very average. I was always a little on the small side in height and weight.

First I was a wide receiver which is great in junior high when nobody can throw the football. So every play you'd run out ten yards and then bump up against the guy. You hit kind of hard for about the first ten plays then the rest of the game you're just kind of running out there and bumping up against the guy. He doesn't want to hit you very hard either. You're both in kind of a bad situation because he's a corner back and you're a wide receiver in Junior High. Then nobody would pass to me. I was even on the starting team because I could catch with my hands instead of letting the ball bounce against my chest first. Or you can catch it by letting it bounce off your shoulder pads...or your face.

Then they moved me into the defensive line because...I just became aggravated by people who were bigger than me and threatening me and saying some of the things that junior high kids say. You know, when you're down there like inches away from somebody's head and some guy is going, "I'm going to fuck you up!" So the play starts and I'd just sort of dart out and cut him off at the knees and that was that. They'd always put the big guys by me because I was the small guy on the defensive line but I got my guy every time because I was smaller and quicker and I guess angrier in general or something. Yeah, it's not too hard to trip somebody up. I just can't believe I played so much sports. I can tell you it doesn't build character by itself. Except maybe building the character to not play sports because you were forced to."

Photo: All is forgiven (2).