Aug 8
Tattoo #40
Tattoo by Clare, Las Vega Tattoo, Ybor City
So, there’s this Elliott Smith song, Placeholder, off his second posthumously released album, New Moon. To me, the song is basically Elliott saying that his work, all the stuff he writes, it’s all just temporary. He’s just a placeholder until something else comes along. Though, he’s talking about himself as a person too, he’s just a placeholder for the people in his life.
I’ve thought about myself the same way many times, the song can remind me so much of me. So, when I was really very dark a few months ago, this tattoo felt very appropriate.
I don’t get the sad tattoos and regret them later. They’re not constant reminders of darkness, but rather, they show me the entire road I had to take to feel something good again. It’s odd, but it’s really kind of spectacular to look back on this lonely place and that empty place from someplace beautiful, seeing times that I could have broken, but didn’t. Then again, they could all add up to failure at the end of everything, but I won’t really know until I got there.
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6 Comments so far
I can say without a doubt this is my favorite of your tattoos. I might have to snag your idea and do the same. I really feel like this song can be taken a number of ways, but I really like your interpretation.
Nice work there from Clare! The lines are very steady and consistent.
Congrats on the Rigor Amortis gig! Looking forward to reading it to Teri.
I’ve been slacking on the writing this summer, but I’m kicking ass on the drinking.
— Bishop
Yeah I don’t see why people regret tattoos especially band names/lyrics! I mean it obviously meant alot to you at one point, you are the same person, and it changed you…..Not entirely you, i mean a person in general
I used to relate to songs, some ideas in the songs I would have tried to get tattoos of if I was of age at the time, lately I haven’t felt a connection to much music at all
My tattoos are the time line of me.
Really enjoyed this post.
Just like my favorite blog
Some pretty words that didn’t last that long
Brian: Like a package sent Priority overnight, placeholder come and take up mine…