Aesthetic and Ethical Pursuits: The Literary History Behind Elliott Smith’s ‘Either/Or’
Written by Anna Berkheimer
Film Photography by Mindy Welland
Modeled by Ashton Diercks, Kaitlyn Patton, & Anna Berkheimer
Elliott Smith used his melancholic existence to craft intimate lyrics that reflect the complex existential qualities of life. In Søren Kierkegaard's philosophy and Elliott Smith’s music, there are two ways of living: the aesthetic life, which seeks pleasure above all else, and the ethical life, which lives for the greater good. Yet both paths carry emotional despair — they are pain in the extremes and even more so in the indecisions. The answer, however, lies in simplicity: Happiness is found in lowering extremes. Elliott Smith’s album “Either/Or” grapples with these probing questions, exploring the delicate balance between these two ways of living.
Elliott Smith is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is well-known for his reinvention of the indie-folk genre, featuring a whispery voice, intimate lyrics, and resplendent harmonies. He started his career in the band “Heatmiser” before launching his solo career in 1994. Moreover, the author, Søren Kierkegaard, is a Danish existentialist philosopher who often wrote about abstract humanity.
Elliott Smith studied philosophy in college and found the philosopher Søren Kierkegaard particularly interesting. Smith's interest in Kierkegaard's philosophy influenced both his music and livelihood. Specifically, Kierkegaard's moral dilemma with living authentically within the constraints of existential choices. Kierkegaard authors the book “Either/Or” which focuses on the conflict between the aesthetic or ethical life, and produces a tension that questions how individuals find meaning in life. The aesthetic life, centered around self-pleasure and creativity, contrasts with the ethical life, which is focused on civic existence and judgment. Ultimately, Kierkegaard suggests that transcending this choice to a higher synthesis expands a profound human existence with limitless possibilities.
Similar to Kierkegaard's “Either/Or,” Smith’s album alludes to exploring the emptiness and disillusionment that comes from both aesthetic and ethical pursuits, ultimately personifying the main concepts found in the text. Smith frequently highlights the aesthetic desire for passion. For example, “Pictures of Me” describes his rise to fame, a superficial situation that lacks authenticity. This is perfectly exemplified by the opening lines: “Stupid acting smart/Flirting with the flicks/You say it's just for kicks.” This song resembles the passionless aspects of the aesthetic life by channeling the emotional weight of actions and their consequences. Moreover, Smith’s song “Big Ballad of Nothing” describes an ethical life where people are “sitting,” “dragging,” and “waiting.” The people featured in this song are seeking pleasure but become melancholic when they are unable to grasp these feelings. Additionally, the “big nothing” is a point of reckoning, which Smith tells us to confront the futility of pursuits and choose to ascend these binaries.
This is finalized in his ending song, “Say Yes.” Elliott Smith steps into the shoes of a girl with the lyrics “I'm in love with the world/Through the eyes of a girl/Who's still around the morning after.” These lines communicate how optimism can only be achieved through the belief in the possibility of something beyond the extremes, embracing a grounded perspective. Moving beyond the options presented in “Either/Or” allows for simplicity, ultimately leaving an imprint of happiness.
