For the group's first album, Adam and David added bassist Matt Malley, multi-instrument talent Charlie Gillingham, and drummer Steve Bowman. David Immergluck served as the second guitarist on the first album, but he did not officially join the band until 1999. Guitarist Dan Vickery was added just as the band set out on their first tour. As stated before, 'August and Everything After' provided the band with a surprise yet very welcome success, garnering them critical praise. Released on September 14, 1993 through Geffen Records, the album hit #2 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart, showing that their tunes had tapped into something.
Counting Crows, with their intimate and confessional yet smooth, often catchy musical approach, achieved a large fan base among melodic rock fans over the years. Their 90s acclaim reflected that a significant music scene looked for something different from the raging guitars of the Seattle-based grunge movement as well as from either boilerplate pop music or the budding electronic music subgenres. The group kept on releasing new songs into the new millennium.
The band's more recent successes include the 2004 hit song "Accidentally In Love", which was featured on the Shrek 2 soundtrack (that has sold over 1,000,000 copies). That song has also garnered nominations for a Grammy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award. That same year, the band released their first ever best of set, which they titled 'Films about Ghosts'. That album features songs from every phase of the Counting Crows' recording career. To date, the band has sold over 20 million albums worldwide.
The group made the news when 'Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings' was released on March 25th, 2008. In addition, on January 16, 2008, the band released a digital EP as a free download on their official web site, consisting of the songs "1492" and "When I Dream Of Michelangelo". The lead single from the album was "You Can't Count On Me", which was released for radio play on February 4, 2008.
The album itself is thematically and stylistically divided into two parts: the first, more rock-influenced Saturday Nights, and the second, more country-influenced Sunday Mornings. Theme changes along with style; in the Sunday Mornings portion of the album, songs become more reflective. The iTunes release contains several bonus tracks, including a track-by-track interview with Duritz.
Members of the band:
Adam Duritz - lead vocals, piano, wurlitzer, tamborine
David Bryson - guitars, dobro, vocals
Charles Gillingham - piano, organ, accordion, mellotron, vocals
Dan Vickery - guitars, sitar, banjo, vocals
David Immergluck - guitars, bass, electric sitar, mandolin, vocals
Jim Bogios - drums, percussion loops, vocals
Millard Powers - bass guitar, upright bass, piano, vocals
Ex-members of the band:
Matt Malley - guitars, double bass, vocals
Ben Mize - drums, percussion, tambourine, bulbs, vocals
Steve Bowman - drums, vocals
Ben Ulrich - drums
Marty Jones - bass guitar
Lydia Holly - keyboards
Toby Hawkins - drums
Albums
August And Everything After - (September 14, 1993)
Recovering The Satellites - (October 14, 1996)
Across a Wire - Live in New York City - (1998)
This Desert Life - (November 1, 1999)
Hard Candy - (July 8, 2002)
Films About Ghosts: The Best Of - (November 25, 2003)
*New Amsterdam: Live At Heineken Music Hall - (June 19, 2006)
August And Everything After, Deluxe Edition - (Fall 2007)
Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings - (March 25, 2008)
Somewhere Under Wonderland - (September 2, 2014)
Jumping Jesus
Counting Crows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's got a great big bottle of sunshine
Jumping Jesus why oh why
Take the time to get inside
To get inside
So what's a wall have so much yellow for?
I don't know what it's for
I don't know what it's for
Jumping Jesus my oh my
He's got a great big bottle of sunshine
Jumping Jesus why oh why
Take the time to get inside
Get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside
While in a hammock in Odessa lives with his wife
And his child on a house boat
He likes sunflowers and big picture frames and Van Goghs
Jumping Jesus my oh my
He's got a great big bottle of sunshine
Jumping Jesus why oh why
Take the time to get inside
Oh get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside,
Get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside
Lala la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la laaaaa laaaa laaaa
Jumping Jesus is a catchy yet ambiguous tune by Counting Crows. The repetitive nature of the song's lyrics may lead one to question whether or not they contain any hidden meanings. "Jumping Jesus" is a common idiom that dates back to the 1800s and is used to express surprise, awe or excitement. The main character is described as having a bottle of sunshine, which is a metaphor for joy or happiness. The second line in each verse, "Take the time to get inside," suggests that there is much more to this character than meets the eye. Perhaps there is a sadness or a longing that lies beneath his external facade. This message of taking the time to get to know someone on a deeper level can be interpreted as a message for human connection.
The line "So what's a wall have so much yellow for? I don't know what it's for" is a bit more cryptic. Some interpret it as a metaphor for the meaninglessness of life or the search for significance in the mundane. Others have suggested that it might be a reference to Vincent Van Gogh's famous painting "Starry Night," which features a yellow wall in the background. The third verse introduces a new character, who is described as living in a houseboat with his family. The lyrics describe his love for sunflowers and Vincent Van Gogh. It is unclear what the significance of this character is to the overall meaning of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Jumping Jesus my oh my
Expressing surprise or excitement at the subject at hand.
He's got a great big bottle of sunshine
Referring to someone who radiates positivity and joy.
Jumping Jesus why oh why
Expressing disbelief or confusion at something.
Take the time to get inside
Encouraging someone to take the time to understand something or someone fully.
To get inside
Reiterating the importance of understanding something or someone deeply.
So what's a wall have so much yellow for?
Questioning the purpose or meaning behind something that seems unusual or out of the ordinary.
I don't know what it's for
Admitting a lack of understanding or knowledge about something.
While in a hammock in Odessa lives with his wife
Describing the current living situation of a person in a specific location.
And his child on a house boat
Adding a detail about the person's living situation.
He likes sunflowers and big picture frames and Van Goghs
Sharing information about the person's likes or interests.
Oh get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside,
Repeating the importance of understanding something or someone fully.
Get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside, get inside
Reiterating the importance of understanding something or someone fully.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind