Between the Bars

For the American blog, see Between the Bars (blog).

"Between the Bars" is the fourth track of Elliott Smith's 1997 album Either/Or. It is written as a short ballad in the key of G Minor.^[1] It is one of three tracks from Either/Or that was used in the soundtrack of Good Will Hunting (1997). It is also featured in the 2012 indie film Stuck in Love and in the seventh episode of season two of Rick and Morty. A cover version of the song performed by Chris Garneau was used in Pedro Almodovar's film La piel que habito (The skin I live in) in 2012.

"Between the Bars"
Song by Elliott Smith
from the album Either/Or
Released	February 25, 1997
Genre	Indie folk lo-fi
Length	2:21
Label	Kill Rock Stars
Songwriter(s)	Smith
Producer(s)	Smith, Tom Rothrock, Rob Schnapf

Reception

Pitchfork said the song, "conceals its desperate melancholy within a lilting melody that never stops moving forward. Like all of the late songwriter's best songs, this one contains layers; what seems at first like a comforting lullaby to a troubled lover reveals itself, on repeated listens, to describe the seductive promise of alcoholism."^[2]

Additionally, Elizabeth Newton’s 2010 thesis, Between the Bars: The Early Musical Language of Elliott Smith (University of Puget Sound), examines the song’s musical style, influences, and significance, providing an in-depth academic analysis that underscores its enduring artistic and cultural resonance.^[3]