I recall Elliott playing me early versions of songs - "True Love" had been brewing for a bit, other songs like "Stickman," "Memory Lane" and "Everything Means Nothing to Me" he would keep chipping away at. The first set of lyrics he wrote really impressed me, they were very personal and he told me he was self-conscious of releasing that version. I suggested he make it third person like Dylan did with Blood on the Tracks. "They sat together in the park" instead of "We sat together in the park." He deduced from that, he sucked in comparison to Dylan!! Fucker knew he was good.

I also have a rough copy on cassette of him playing "True Love" on Valentine's Day... He performed it live at Largo in the middle of a comedy show in front of a stunned audience... and I remember being bummed that he had made the love song into a druggy song. That's where he was then. And as he was playing it live sitting on the floor, pretty much in the dark, I remember thinking that 'I hope this fella makes it through this hell.' I still miss the guy from before all that.