Aughts Songs: #16 Elliott Smith - "Happiness" from Figure 8 ('00)

This is as grand as Elliott Smith ever got, in terms of sound and theme. I bought this album in high school (I cannot believe that was this same decade) after hearing this song on the MSU station on the way home from a baseball game. I liked it then, but it took until late 2002 for me to develop a real closeness to this song. I clung to "Happiness" during a sort of recovery phase I was going through, and it became more than just a welcome distraction. It seemed to have an unavoidable favorite song/personal anthem weight to it. It has a general theme that different kinds of people can relate their situations to, while still managing to make the song feel very personal. Which is a big reason why so many people love his music so much.