"Say Yes" is the final track of

Elliott Smith Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of hi ...

's 1997 album '' Either/Or'', and one of three tracks from ''Either/Or'' that was used in the soundtrack of '' Good Will Hunting''.

Background and content

"Say Yes" is one of Smith's widely recognized songs. It is considered happy and optimistic in both instrumentation and lyrics in comparison to the dark tone in most of his other songs. In an interview, Smith said that the song was written about "someone particular, and I almost never do that. I was really in love with someone."

Live performances

Smith performed the song often, even during full band shows, in which he would play the song solo on an

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

Reception

'' Pitchfork'' said, "It's a straight-ahead love song, one that dares to hope. Listen closely and you'll hear just how fragile that hope is: Smith whispers most of the song. He wavers. His fingers pluck out a simple question on the acoustic."

Legacy

"Say Yes" has been used in a wide variety of movies, including ''

Hurricane Streets ''Hurricane Streets'' (also known as ''Hurricane'') is a 1997 American coming-of-age drama film directed and written by Morgan J. Freeman in his feature directorial debut. It shows the story of Marcus (Brendan Sexton III), a teenage inner-city ' ...

'' and '' American Pie Presents: The Book of Love'', as well as being covered by Death Cab for Cutie and live by

Ben Folds Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and composer, who is the first artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., since May 2017. Folds was th ...

. It was also covered in an episode of ''

One Tree Hill One Tree Hill may refer to: * "One Tree Hill" (song), a 1987 song by U2 referencing One Tree Hill, New Zealand volcanic peak * ''One Tree Hill'' (TV series), a 2003–2012 American drama series named for the U2 song ** ''One Tree Hill'' (soundtr ...

'', when Bryan Greenberg sings to his daughter Jenny.

Cover versions

References

Elliott Smith songs 1997 songs 1997 singles Song recordings produced by Tom Rothrock Songs written by Elliott Smith {{1990s-US-single-stub