Courtney Barnett on the “only song that isn’t about” herself
Courtney Barnett set a precedent for herself and for the future of indie rock with her debut LP Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit. Characterised by blunt vocals and witty, matter-of-fact lyrics, the record immediately defined Barnett’s continuing style of abrasive indie rock, which has endeared her to audiences ever since.
Thematically, the record is informed by Barnett’s experiences and musings – ‘Pedestrian At Best’ charts her struggles with being put on a pedestal in her new-found fame, ‘An Illustration of Loneliness (Sleepless in New York)’ finds Barnett rambling about her love and the mundanities of her life, and ‘Debbie Downer’ ponders her insecurity and neuroticism. Despite the specific, personal nature of much of Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, one track was inspired by an external source.
Speaking on her opening track, ‘Elevator Operator’, Barnett noted: “It’s the only song that isn’t about me and my feelings, but about someone else’s”. The song was inspired by a friend who used to take the elevator to the top of a building to enjoy the view. She shared the story with Nothing But Hope and Passion, noting that, “One day he got into the elevator with this lady, and she freaked out because she thought he was going up to the roof to kill himself”.
Barnett continued to explain: “He told me the story, and it seemed to be such a crazy kind of story to me, just a crazy situation. She must have assumed that something was wrong with him, because he was young and had scruffy hair or something – I don’t know”.
The craziness inspired Barnett to write ‘Elevator Operator’. Specificity and mundanity are still at the heart of the track, as Barnett begins her lyrics following “Oliver Paul, 20 years old” down the 96 tram-line, dropping soy linseed Vegemite crumbs as he goes. She takes on the voice of her friend to tell the story, casually stating: “I think you’re projecting the way that you’re feeling, I’m not suicidal just idling insignificantly”.
The lyrics follow on from each other naturally, in a stream-of-consciousness style that often dominates Barnett’s work. She pairs the mundane with the meaningful through lines like “I come up here for perception and clarity, I like to imagine I’m playing SimCity, all the people look like ants from up here.” Her distinctively deadpan vocals are punctuated by a regular beat and discordant guitars.
It’s a powerful beginning to the album, which sets the tone for Barnett’s entire style going forward. Reflecting on her decision to place the song first, she cites the track’s distance from herself as well as its immediacy: “The lyrics come in straight away, right in your face. It seemed like a good way to set the tone for the album.”
Barnett may have dubbed ‘Elevator Operator’ the “only song that isn’t about” her on Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, but it’s still profoundly illustrative of her style and priorities in music.
Listen to ‘Elevator Operator’ below.
