Between the Bars

"Between the Bars" is a song by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith from his third studio album Either/Or. It is written as a short ballad in the key of G Minor. It is one of three tracks from Either/Or that was used in the soundtrack of Good Will Hunting. It is also featured in the 2012 indie film Stuck [in Love (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 The [Skin I Live In|La piel que habito] in 2012.

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