---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wondered if I would talk about drug…"
description: "\"I wondered if I would talk about drug use. But I guess, why hide it?\" — Elliott Smith"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/elliott-smith-8566_drug_i-wondered-if-i-would-talk-about-drug-us_1788499.jpg"
---

#  I wondered if I would talk about drug use. But I guess…

![“I wondered if I would talk about drug use. But I guess, why hide it?” quote by Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/elliott-smith-8566_drug_i-wondered-if-i-would-talk-about-drug-us_1788499.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/elliott-smith-8566_drug_i-wondered-if-i-would-talk-about-drug-us_1788499.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/elliott-smith-8566_drug_i-wondered-if-i-would-talk-about-drug-us_1788499.jpg)

> “I wondered if I would talk about drug use. But I guess, why hide it?”

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The artist contemplates honesty about drug use, questioning why concealment is necessary, suggesting openness as a form of authenticity.

**In simple terms:** He wonders why he should hide drug use.

Key Takeaway

Be honest about personal struggles.

Themes

authenticity vulnerability substance use self‑reflection

Mood

introspective confessional raw

Type

artistic psychological

When to use this quote

- interviews
- songwriting
- public discourse

Key Concepts

personal truth addiction artistic expression

Questions to Reflect On

- What does honesty achieve in art?
- How does society view disclosed drug use?

A Different Perspective

Openness may invite stigma or legal issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Drug use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug-use/)

## Related quotes

> [Tally wondered if you could talk somebody out of their brain damage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/tally-wondered-if-you-could-talk-somebody-out-of-their-brain-damage/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [There's so much talk about the drug generation and songs about drugs. That's stupid. They aren't songs about drugs; they're about life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-elliot/there-s-so-much-talk-about-the-drug-generation-and-songs-about-drugs/)

[Cass Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-elliot/)

> [It touches on drug use. I got caught up in that for almost two years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/it-touches-on-drug-use-i-got-caught-up-in-that-for-almost-two-years/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [One of the drivers of heroin has been the misuse of pain medication. If we're gonna deal with heroin and heroin use in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-botticelli/one-of-the-drivers-of-heroin-has-been-the-misuse-of-pain-medication/)

[Michael Botticelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-botticelli/)

> [Drug use and procrastination often go hand in tourniquet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-self/drug-use-and-procrastination-often-go-hand-in-tourniquet/)

[Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-self/)

> [Love is a drug Use it wisely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie/love-is-a-drug-use-it-wisely/)

[Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie/)

> [“I don’t fundamentally understand why people give a shit about what other people put up their noses or what other people put in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-molyneux/i-don-t-fundamentally-understand-why-people-give-a-shit-about-what/)

[Stefan Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-molyneux/)

> [I can't think of anything off the top of my head that seems more important than something designed to raise money to keep something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-can-t-think-of-anything-off-the-top-of-my-head-that-seems-more/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [“I'd felt the pop of the needle sliding into my veins, like a fang into flesh. I'd been enveloped in the golden haze where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-rhodes/i-d-felt-the-pop-of-the-needle-sliding-into-my-veins-like-a-fang-into/)

[Taylor Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-rhodes/)

> [“People are dying because of ignorance. They are dying because unremitting propaganda is denying them essential safety information. They are dying because legislators and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-milton-trott/people-are-dying-because-of-ignorance-they-are-dying-because/)

Dominic Milton Trott

> [ “With drug use related harms, explanatory models are often presented as predictive tools, even though they ‘are \[rarely if ever\] predictive of consequent behavior’… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-waterman/with-drug-use-related-harms-explanatory-models-are-often-presented-as/)

[Daniel Waterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-waterman/)

> [When Stevie and I joined the band, we were in the midst of breaking up, as were John and Christine. By the time Rumours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-buckingham/when-stevie-and-i-joined-the-band-we-were-in-the-midst-of-breaking-up/)

[Lindsey Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-buckingham/)

> [Thomas Chong is a bad influence on children because of his drug use and crude humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/thomas-chong-is-a-bad-influence-on-children-because-of-his-drug-use/)

Unkown

> [“When the black thing was at its worst, when the illicit cocktails and the ten-mile runs stopped working, I would feel numb as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-jamieson/when-the-black-thing-was-at-its-worst-when-the-illicit-cocktails-and/)

[Alice Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-jamieson/)

> [“Addictions are just symptoms of underlying issues, and in my view Nikki self-medicated the emotional pain of his childhood, and being away from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/addictions-are-just-symptoms-of-underlying-issues-and-in-my-view/)

[Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/)

## More by Elliott Smith

> [Somewhere where people aren't so mad would be nice, but I don't know if there is anywhere like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/somewhere-where-people-aren-t-so-mad-would-be-nice-but-i-don-t-know/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [I actually don't think that I'm gonna sell a lot of records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-actually-don-t-think-that-i-m-gonna-sell-a-lot-of-records/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [Because God only knows why people like what they like and don't like something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/because-god-only-knows-why-people-like-what-they-like-and-don-t-like/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [My girlfriend at the time convinced me to send these songs to Cavity Search. When they wanted to put out my record I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/my-girlfriend-at-the-time-convinced-me-to-send-these-songs-to-cavity/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [People think they know all these things about other people, and if you ask them why they think they know that, it'd be hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/people-think-they-know-all-these-things-about-other-people-and-if-you/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [I didn't think I was gonna be playing on the Oscars or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-didn-t-think-i-was-gonna-be-playing-on-the-oscars-or-anything/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [All your secret wishes could right now be coming true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/all-your-secret-wishes-could-right-now-be-coming-true/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [I can't think of anything off the top of my head that seems more important than something designed to raise money to keep something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-can-t-think-of-anything-off-the-top-of-my-head-that-seems-more/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [I went walking around the city some more, people watching with a cold, blank stare. And I saw your face in everyone, I swear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-went-walking-around-the-city-some-more-people-watching-with-a-cold/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [There are lots of things I like about playing in a band, the things I can't do by myself you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/there-are-lots-of-things-i-like-about-playing-in-a-band-the-things-i/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [The band's filter, but playing live is a lot of fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/the-band-s-filter-but-playing-live-is-a-lot-of-fun/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [Well, I try not to think about the general public since I have no idea what the general public is and I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/well-i-try-not-to-think-about-the-general-public-since-i-have-no-idea/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [People can be chaos but it's hard to fit it into some creative piece that you made. It's hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/people-can-be-chaos-but-it-s-hard-to-fit-it-into-some-creative-piece/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [“Tired of dancing on a pot of gold flake paint”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/tired-of-dancing-on-a-pot-of-gold-flake-paint/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

> [A lot of people are kind of depressed. I'm happy some of the time, and some of the time I'm not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/a-lot-of-people-are-kind-of-depressed-i-m-happy-some-of-the-time-and/)

[Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

[Explore all 80 Elliott Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/)

## More Drug quotes

> [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [If I had to guess and put a name on it, I'd say that at some point, the drug war was as much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/if-i-had-to-guess-and-put-a-name-on-it-i-d-say-that-at-some-point-the/)

[David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/)

> [The only way to make sure that the Hand didn't get to you would have been to kill your brother. I could've done it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/the-only-way-to-make-sure-that-the-hand-didn-t-get-to-you-would-have/)

[Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/)

> [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/)

Robbin Crosby

> [I saw this anti-drug commercial that showed a kid smoking pot in his dad's room with his friend. This kid finds a gun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-saw-this-anti-drug-commercial-that-showed-a-kid-smoking-pot-in-his/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/)

[Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/)

> [The miracle drugs (neuroleptics) cause the worst plague of brain damage in medical history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-breggin/the-miracle-drugs-neuroleptics-cause-the-worst-plague-of-brain-damage/)

[Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-breggin/)

> [I've always considered making it legal for Americans to import their prescription drugs a free-trade issue. Imports create competition and keep domestic industry more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-grassley/i-ve-always-considered-making-it-legal-for-americans-to-import-their/)

[Chuck Grassley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-grassley/)

> [There is a nationwide shortage of drugs for Attention Deficit Disorder. The FDA says they're not sure how it happened. I guess somebody wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/there-is-a-nationwide-shortage-of-drugs-for-attention-deficit/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Antidepressants are the biggest fraud in the world. Number one, Prozac gives you a royal soft-on like you wouldn't believe, and number two you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-evans/antidepressants-are-the-biggest-fraud-in-the-world-number-one-prozac/)

[Robert Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-evans/)

> [That surely must be a concern to anyone who decides this drug must be given to stop transmissions, again from mother to child, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/that-surely-must-be-a-concern-to-anyone-who-decides-this-drug-must-be/)

[Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/)

> [Who’s to say that it takes something like a drug to mess with your perception of reality? How did Hitler deceive a nation? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/who-s-to-say-that-it-takes-something-like-a-drug-to-mess-with-your/)

[Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/)

> [You find out so many interesting things when you're not on drugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boy-george/you-find-out-so-many-interesting-things-when-you-re-not-on-drugs/)

[Boy George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boy-george/)

[Browse all 3,904 Drug quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I wondered if I would talk about drug use. But I guess, why hide it?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Elliott Smith"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-wondered-if-i-would-talk-about-drug-use-but-i-guess-why-hide-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Drug"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-wondered-if-i-would-talk-about-drug-use-but-i-guess-why-hide-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/elliott-smith-8566_drug_i-wondered-if-i-would-talk-about-drug-us_1788499.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/elliott-smith-8566_drug_i-wondered-if-i-would-talk-about-drug-us_1788499.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/elliott-smith-8566_drug_i-wondered-if-i-would-talk-about-drug-us_1788499.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I wondered if I would talk about drug use. But I guess, why hide it?” — Elliott Smith",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Elliott Smith",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I wondered if I would talk...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-wondered-if-i-would-talk-about-drug-use-but-i-guess-why-hide-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-wondered-if-i-would-talk-about-drug-use-but-i-guess-why-hide-it/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
