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)
Los Angeles
Counting Crows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I seem to know the ghosts who like to run
I got a call to go to a late night picture show
So I traded in the darkness and I'm already there
I'm already there
[Chorus]
And I'm tryin' to make some friends
If you see my picture in a magazine
Or if you fall asleep by the bedroom TV
Well honey I'm just tryin' to make some sense
Outta' me
I left a lot of ghosts in San Francisco
And now you wanna say you see through me
But what you wanna see ain't your memories of me
So why you turn around tonight
But I'm already there
I'm already there
[Chorus]
Or if you fall asleep while you're watching TV
Well honey I'm just trying to make some sense
Los Angeles
Boston gets cold this time of year
Seems like each day just leaves me numb
I gotta get out of here
Go walking in the sun
Well if you see that movie star and me
Or if you should see my picture in a magazine
Or if you fall asleep by the bedroom TV
But honey I'm just trying to make some sense
Honey I'm just trying to make some friends
Well baby I'm not trying to make amends
For coming to Los Angeles
Oh Los Angeles
No more Boston, no more Nashville, no more Oakland
Oh baby come on out to the sea
Come on take a walk down Sunset with me
Oh we gonna get drunk, find up some skinny girls, and go street walking
In Los Angeles!
And man its a really good place to find yourself a taco
In the song Los Angeles by Counting Crows, the lyrics explore the idea of a person trying to find their place in the world. The first verse mentions Nashville and the ghosts that the singer knows, indicating that the singer has been wandering or traveling for some time. The second verse, however, references San Francisco, suggesting that the singer has left a lot of things behind and is trying to start anew. This idea of starting over is reinforced in the chorus, where the singer expresses a desire to make friends and make sense out of themselves.
The song seems to be about the struggle of finding oneself in a new city, and the desire to connect with others while still maintaining an individual identity. The references to movie stars and magazine photos suggest that the singer may be in Los Angeles specifically to pursue a career in show business. However, the desire for connection is not just about meeting famous people or achieving fame, but about finding a sense of belonging and identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Dancing like the nights are down in Nashville
I am dancing as if I am in the vibrant nights of Nashville.
But I seem to know the ghosts who like to run
I feel like I'm familiar with the people who have left their trace and moved on.
I got a call to go to a late night picture show
I received a phone call inviting me to a movie screening at night.
So I traded in the darkness and I'm already there
I got out of my gloomy mindset and I'm at the movie show already.
[Chorus]
I am trying to seek companionship and make some sense out of life.
Or if you fall asleep by the bedroom TV
Even if you fall asleep while watching TV in bed.
I left a lot of ghosts in San Francisco
I left behind many memories in San Francisco that haunt me.
And now you wanna say you see through me
You claim to know me now, but you cannot truly understand me.
But what you wanna see ain't your memories of me
What you want to perceive is not my past self that you remember.
So why you turn around tonight
Why do you question my presence here tonight?
Los Angeles
The city of Los Angeles, California.
Boston gets cold this time of year
Boston experiences a cold weather during this time of year.
Seems like each day just leaves me numb
Every day feels monotonous and uninspiring.
I gotta get out of here
I need to escape this dullness and sameness.
Come on take a walk down Sunset with me
Let's take a walk together on Sunset Boulevard.
[Chorus]
I'm striving to create meaningful relationships and a sense of belonging for myself.
Well honey I'm just trying to make some sense
I'm simply trying to make sense of my place in this world.
Oh we gonna get drunk, find up some skinny girls, and go street walking
We will drink, find some attractive women, and walk around the streets of LA.
In Los Angeles!
In the city of Los Angeles!
And man its a really good place to find yourself a taco
It's an excellent location to find delicious tacos.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM DURITZ, DAVID R GIBBS, RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind