Pretty (Ugly Before)
| "Pretty (Ugly Before)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Elliott Smith | ||||
| from the album From a Basement on the Hill | ||||
| B-side | "A Distorted Reality Is Now a Necessity to Be Free" | |||
| Released | 2003 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock | |||
| Length | 4:40 | |||
| Label | Suicide Squeeze | |||
| Songwriter | Elliott Smith | |||
| Elliott Smith singles chronology | ||||
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"Pretty (Ugly Before)" is a song by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. It was released as a limited-edition 7" vinyl single in 2003 by record label Suicide Squeeze, Smith's final single released during his lifetime. It was later re-released by Domino in 2004, and appeared on Smith's posthumous final album, From a Basement on the Hill.
The song features (post-bridge) backing vocals from Smith's former Heatmiser bandmate Sam Coomes.
The single was also featured on a compilation release from Planned Parenthood that featured songs from musicians such as Björk, Bon Iver, Sleater-Kinney, Foo Fighters, The National’s Matt Berninger and Bryce Dessner. It was a live, unreleased version of "Pretty (Ugly Before)" that had been recorded at the Largo in Los Angeles.