Between the Bars

The track was recorded for Either Or during Elliott Smith solo recording sessions in Portland, with Smith performing the song in a spare acoustic arrangement. The album credits Elliott Smith with production alongside Rob Schnapf and Tom Rothrock. Released on Either Or in 1997, it became one of Smith most widely recognized songs and helped bring his intimate songwriting to a larger audience. Its use in Good Will Hunting gave the recording major cultural exposure outside the independent music scene. It remains one of Smith signature songs and one of the central recordings in his catalogue. The song has been widely covered by later artists and continues to define the public image of his quiet, direct songwriting.