Anna Begins
Counting Crows Lyrics

My friend assures me "It's all or nothing"
My friend is telling me that I have to give it all or nothing.

I am not worried, I am not overly concerned
I'm not worried or concerned about anything.

My friend implores me "For one time only, make an exception"
My friend is begging me to make an exception this one time.

I am not not worried
I'm not really worried, but I'm not completely unworried either.

Wrap her up in a package of lies, send her off to a coconut island
Deceive her, then take her away somewhere.

With the status of my emotions "Oh" she says "You're changing"
She tells me that I'm changing emotionally.

But we're always changing
But it is normal to change.

It does not bother me to say this isn't love
It doesn't trouble me to say this isn't love.

Because if you don't want to talk about it then it isn't love
If she doesn't want to speak about it, then it isn't love.

And I guess I'm going to have to live with that
I suppose I'll have to accept that.

But, I'm sure there's something in a shade of grey or something in between
But I'm confident that there is a middle ground.

And I can always change my name, if that's what you mean
And if that's what she intended, I can always change my name.

You try to tell yourself the things you try tell yourself
You attempt to convince yourself of the things you try to convince yourself.

To make yourself forget
To make yourself forget.

"If it's love" she said
As she confirmed it was love.

"Then we're gonna have to think about the consequences"
Then we have to contemplate the consequences.

But she can't stop shaking, and I can't stop touching her and
But she can't stop shaking, and I can't stop touching her.

This time when kindness falls like rain
Now when acts of kindness occur.

It washes her away and Anna begins to change her mind
Anna is swayed by the kindness and begins to change her mind.

"These seconds when I'm shaking leave me shuddering for days" she says
She says seconds fill her with shuddering anticipation for days.

And I'm not ready for this sort of thing
I'm not prepared for this kind of relationship.

But I'm not gonna break and I'm not going to worry about it anymore
But I'm not going to give up, and I won't worry anymore.

I'm not gonna bend and I'm not gonna break
I'm not going to be flexible, and I'm not going to give up.

No, no, no, no
No, no, no, no.

It seems like I should say "As long as this is love"
I feel like I should say, "As long as it's love."

But it's not all that easy so maybe I should just
But it's not that straightforward, so maybe I should simply

Snap her up in a butterfly net and just pin her down on a photograph album
Capture her and keep her like a specimen.

I am not worried, 'cause I've done this sort of thing before
I'm not worried, since I've done this before.

But then I start to think about the consequences
But then I begin to contemplate the consequences.

That I don't get no sleep in a quiet room and
That I won't be able to sleep in a quiet room.

She's talking in her sleep (rain falls down)
She talks in her sleep (as the rain falls).

It's keeping me awake and Anna begins to toss and turn (rain comes falling down)
It keeps me from sleeping and causes Anna to toss and turn.

And every word is nonsense but I understand and (rain falls down)
And every word seems like nonsense, but I comprehend (as the rain falls).

Oh lord, I'm not ready for this sort of thing (rain comes falling down)
Oh, lord, I'm not prepared for this kind of thing (as the rain falls).

Her kindness bangs a gong (rain falls down)
Her kindness rings loudly (as the rain falls).

It's moving me along and Anna begins to fade away (rain comes falling down)
It's moving me forward, and Anna begins to vanish (as the rain falls).

It's chasing me away (rain falls down)
It's driving me away (as the rain falls).

She disappears and
She disappears and...

Oh lord, I'm not ready for this sort of thing
Oh, lord, I'm not prepared for this kind of thing.