I could write a piece pretending to have gained some sort of superior insight over the years of listening to Elliott Smith's music. I could try and flatter myself by saying that pouring over his words time and time again allowed me to know the man in some form or another, but the truth is all I have taken from his songs is a collection of impressions and points of reference in my own life, remembering moments where I could relate to his songs in my own way, nothing more, nothing less. So the only type of tribute I could conjure up is to share with you what his songs meant to me, and how he affected my life just by doing what he did best.

Truth be told, I can't exactly recall when I was introduced to his music, but it was some time around '97 or '98. His music has the effect of blending into one's life rather seamlessly, as though you've known the songs forever, so for that reason, it's difficult to remember the exact moment his music became important to me.

He'd always had the knack of choosing just the right words to perfectly articulate his feelings, so when coming across a song of his that had some personal relevance to me, the resulting feeling or impression was so pure and accurately represented that it really hit deep. Combine that with a voice that seemingly carried his very heart and soul with it, and you have songs that make an immeasurable impact. It made me feel as though he put absolutely everything, even his very being, into every album, every song, and every word.

His songs span just about every emotion imaginable, from sadness, to anger, love, elationŠ His words were candid, revealing, vulnerable.

His ability to make his guitar echo his feelings was uncanny. His fingers seemed to effortlessly glide amongst the frets and strings like it was second nature, and perhaps like it was a second voice, one that never required words to convey his emotions.

Never in my life have I been so deeply impacted by the death of someone I didn't even know personally.

He always struck me as an incredibly sincere and nice person, and the fact that I found so much to relate to in his music made his death so very difficult. I can no longer listen to his songs without feeling sad. He was perhaps the greatest songwriter of the nineties and beyond. He's certainly my personal favorite.

I just keep asking myself "why him?". How could someone who wrote such beautiful songs have been so tormented by depression? It seems the most beautiful souls are unfortunately the most tormented as well.

Just as flowers always wilt fast and sunsets are always gone in a last blast of brilliance, perhaps that's the way of all of God's greatest creations. It didn't last long, but he was truly great, and I hope you were able to find life at least a bit more enjoyable through the discovery and enjoyment of his music over the past few years. I'll always miss him terribly, but I take comfort in the thought that his music will live forever.