Discover the story of the song > Needle In The Hay – Elliott Smith

The song describes the protagonist's difficult relationship with his partner, who is strung out and unreliable, while he tries to hold things together and keep the relationship going. He feels like he's holding a "needle in the hay" - something small and fragile that could break at any moment - and struggling to keep things from falling apart. In the end, he turns to drugs to cope with the stress and anxiety of the situation.