“Alameda” is the second track off of Smith’s album, Either/Or—in a 1997 interview with JimZine, Elliott clarified that the title of the song was a reference to Alameda Street in Portland, where he spent most of his adolescence. This also ties in with the fact that a part of the album was recorded in Portland, Oregon.

The song finds Smith recollecting his memories of an event while walking down Alameda Street—he also discusses his struggles of letting people get too close to him, as expressed in the chorus:

For your own protection over their affection
Nobody broke your heart
You broke your own ‘cause you can’t finish what you start