Dishwalla, which emerged out of the early stages of post-grunge, is composed of J.R. Richards (vocals), Scot Alexander (bass), Rodney Browning Cravens (guitar), Jim Wood (keyboards), and George Pendergast (drums). They spent the mid-'90s touring with the likes of Sheryl Crow, Blind Melon, and the Goo Goo Dolls in support of Pet Your Friends. Prior to making a second album, the band was caught in the middle of the Polygram/Universal merger and such a move left Dishwalla pondering what to do next. Their second album, And You Think You Know What Life's About, was released in 1998; promotion and sales were lackluster due to label downsizing. Dishwalla's time with A&M was short-lived and exhausting because of such corporate behavior, but they stuck it out to contribute their cover version of "Policy of Truth" for the Depeche Mode tribute album For the Masses. By the new millennium, Dishwalla left behind major-market America for a third album. They signed with Immergent while Pendergrast parted ways with the band. Pete Maloney, a drummer picked up on the 1998 tour, resumed percussion duties. In 2002, Dishwalla issued their experimental third album Opaline (Immergent), quickly followed by 2003's Live... Greetings from the Flow State. A self-titled album produced by Sylvia Massy (Tool, System of a Down), Bill Szymczyk, and Ryan Greene (NOFX, Nerf Herder) followed in 2005 before the band went on indefinite hiatus.
Three years passed before Dishwalla would return in 2008. Debuting a lineup that joined original members Alexander, Pendergast, Cravens, and Wood with new vocalist Justin Fox, the band hit the road, touring sporadically over the following years. They would not return to the studio until 2016, when they began recording their first album in a decade. Juniper Road arrived in 2017.
Biography by MacKenzie Wilson
Counting Blue Cars
Dishwalla Lyrics
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I could tell by how far the child's shadow stretched out
And he walked with a purpose in his sneakers down the street
He had many questions like children often do
He said, "Tell me all your thoughts on God
And tell me, am I very far?"
Must have been late after noon
On our way, the sun broke free of the clouds
We count only blue cars skip the cracks in the street
And ask many questions like children often do
We said, "Tell me all your thoughts on God
'Cause I'd really like to meet her.
And ask her why we're who we are."
Tell me all your thoughts on God
'Cause I'm on my way to see her
So tell me, am I very far
Am I very far now
It's getting cold, picked up the pace
How our shoes make hard noises in this place
Our clothes are stained, we pass many cross eyed people
And ask many questions like children often do
We said, Tell me all your thoughts on God
'Cause I'd really like to meet her
And ask her why we're who we are
Tell me all your thoughts on God
'Cause I'm on my way to see her
So tell me am I very far
Am I very far now?
Tell me all your thoughts on God
Tell me all your thoughts on God
The lyrics of Dishwalla's "Counting Blue Cars" describe a conversation between two individuals, one of whom is a child, about their thoughts on God. The song begins with the singer noticing a child's shadow stretching out in the late afternoon. The child is walking down the street with purpose and begins to ask the singer various questions about God. The child wants to know the singer's thoughts on God and whether they believe that they are far from God.
As the song progresses, the singer and the child count only blue cars and skip the cracks in the street while continuing their conversation about God. They talk about wanting to meet God and ask her why they are who they are. They continue their journey, passing by various individuals and continuing to ask questions like children often do. As the sun sets and it becomes colder, they pick up the pace and continue their conversation, asking the same questions about God.
The lyrics of this song leave room for interpretation and reflection. Some might see it as a commentary on how curiosity and a sense of purpose can lead human beings in their search for understanding and connection with a higher power. There is a sense of wonder and childlike innocence in the conversation between the singer and the child that is captured by the gentle, acoustic melody of the song. The theme of searching for answers about God is one that resonates with many people, and this song provides a space for listeners to reflect on their own beliefs and experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Must have been late after noon
It was probably late afternoon
I could tell by how far the child's shadow stretched out
I could tell by the length of the child's shadow that it was late afternoon
And he walked with a purpose in his sneakers down the street
The child walked purposefully down the street in his sneakers
He had many questions like children often do
The child had many questions, as children often do
He said, 'Tell me all your thoughts on God
The child asked me to tell him what I think about God
And tell me, am I very far?'
The child also asked if he was far from God
On our way, the sun broke free of the clouds
As we were going, the sun came out from behind the clouds
We count only blue cars skip the cracks in the street
We counted blue cars and avoided the cracks in the street
And ask many questions like children often do
We asked many questions, like children often do
We said, 'Tell me all your thoughts on God
We also asked for thoughts on God
'Cause I'd really like to meet her.
Because I really want to meet God
And ask her why we're who we are.'
And ask God why we are who we are
It's getting cold, picked up the pace
It's getting colder, so we walked faster
How our shoes make hard noises in this place
Our shoes made loud noises in this place
Our clothes are stained, we pass many cross eyed people
Our clothes were dirty and we passed many people who were cross eyed
Tell me all your thoughts on God
Again, we asked for thoughts on God
'Cause I'm on my way to see her
Because I'm on my way to see God
So tell me am I very far
So tell me, am I far from God
Tell me all your thoughts on God
Once more, we asked for thoughts on God
Tell me all your thoughts on God
Again, we asked for thoughts on God
Lyrics © DistroKid, BIGGER THAN PEANUT BUTTER MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, JOHN ROBERT RICHARDS, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: GEORGE PENDERGAST III, GEORGE EDWARD III PENDERGAST, GREGORY JAMES KOLANEK, JOHN RICHARDS, JOHN ROBERT RICHARDS, RODNEY BROWNING, SCOTT ALEXANDER, SCOTT PRESTON ALEXANDER
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