Perfect Blue Buildings
Counting Crows Lyrics
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I stay at home with my disease
And ain't this position familiar, darling
Well, all monkeys do what they see
Help me stay awake, I'm falling...
Down on Virginia and La Loma
Where I got friends who'll care for me
I got an attitude of need
Help me stay awake, I'm falling...
Asleep in perfect blue buildings
Beside the green apple sea
Gonna get me a little oblivion
Try to keep myself away from me
It's 4:30 A.M. on a Tuesday
It doesn't get much worse than this
In beds in little rooms in buildings in the middle
of these lives which are completely meaningless
Help me stay awake, I'm falling...
Asleep in perfect blue buildings
Beside the green apple sea
Gonna get me a little oblivion
Try to keep myself away from myself and me
I got bones beneath my skin, and mister...
There's a skeleton in every man's house
Beneath the dust and love and sweat that hangs on everybody
There's a dead man trying to get out
Please help me stay awake, I'm falling...
Asleep in perfect blue buildings
Beside the green apple sea
Gonna get me a little oblivion baby
Try to keep myself away from me
"Perfect Blue Buildings" by Counting Crows is a song about two people in different places in their lives, but still feeling a deep sense of loneliness and despair. The first verse describes the singer's situation, as he stays at home with his disease while his partner is off staying in a hotel. The line "all monkeys do what they see" suggests that the singer and his partner are following the same patterns of behavior that they learned from their families, even if that behavior is causing them pain. The second verse shifts to a different location - Virginia and La Loma - where the singer has friends who will care for him. However, he still feels a deep sense of need and longing, while recognizing that his partner has everything he ever wanted.
The chorus of "Perfect Blue Buildings" further emphasizes the sense of desolation and hopelessness that permeates the song. The singer is falling asleep in "perfect blue buildings," which could be interpreted as a metaphor for the idealized life that he thought he wanted, but which has turned out to be unfulfilling. The "green apple sea" could be seen as a symbol of temptation or the unknown.
In the last verse, the singer acknowledges that he has his own skeletons in the closet - there's a dead man trying to get out of every person. The final plea for help in staying awake suggests that the singer and his partner will continue to repeat the same habits and patterns of behavior that have led them to this point unless they can find a way to break the cycle.
Line by Line Meaning
Just down the street from your hotel, baby
I am close to you, but not physically with you.
I stay at home with my disease
I am stuck at home, lonely and sick both physically and mentally.
And ain't this position familiar, darling
This feeling of loneliness and despair is not new to me or to us.
Well, all monkeys do what they see
We humans tend to emulate behavior that we see in others, even if it's not good for us.
Help me stay awake, I'm falling...
I am struggling to keep myself present and alive in this situation.
Down on Virginia and La Loma
There are people and places in my life where I feel more cared for and understood.
Where I got friends who'll care for me
These are the people who help me through my tough times.
You got an attitude of everything I ever wanted
You have qualities that I strive for and admire.
I got an attitude of need
I recognize my own flaws and weaknesses and need help from others.
Asleep in perfect blue buildings
I am numbing myself to the pain and boredom of my existence.
Beside the green apple sea
I am trying to find solace and escape in nature.
Gonna get me a little oblivion
I am seeking some form of relief or release from my problems.
Try to keep myself away from me
I am avoiding my own thoughts and feelings, trying to escape from myself.
It's 4:30 A.M. on a Tuesday
This is a particularly bleak and lonely moment in my life.
It doesn't get much worse than this
My current situation feels like the lowest point possible.
In beds in little rooms in buildings in the middle
We are all trapped in our own little spaces, disconnected from each other.
of these lives which are completely meaningless
Our lives feel empty and without purpose.
I got bones beneath my skin, and mister...
I am a complex being with many layers and hidden depths.
There's a skeleton in every man's house
Everyone has secrets and dark parts of themselves that they keep hidden.
Beneath the dust and love and sweat that hangs on everybody
We are all covered in layers of experience, emotion, and physicality.
There's a dead man trying to get out
My inner demons and darker impulses threaten to overwhelm me.
Please help me stay awake, I'm falling...
I am reaching out for help to stay conscious and present in my life.
Gonna get me a little oblivion baby
I am desperate for some form of escape, even if it's temporary.
Try to keep myself away from me
I am trying to avoid confronting my own fears and pain.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ADAM FREDRIC DURITZ, BEN G MIZE, CHARLES THOMAS GILLINGHAM, DANIEL JOHN VICKREY, DAVID LYNN BRYSON, MATTHEW MARK MALLEY, STEVE BOWMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MagicalPhi
This is my favorite Counting Crows song, hands down! I love the passion and tone of his voice, I love the melancholy and soothing background melody, I love the lyrics, I love it all!
TGA
One of my favorite songs by the Counting Crows during my hospital stay, kept me sane during this period! Thanks Counting Crows.👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼💞
Silent Witness
i think its about a hospice?
Jeffrey Feinstein
@Silent Witness YAS!
Also, 'perfect buildings', 'apple', ' beside the seas' (port), 'up at four thirty AM on a Tuesday', waiting for the buildings to?
released '93
Fadingheadlights
Counting crows are the foundation of my childhood. Seeing them in 06 with Bob Dylan was one of the best days of my life. One of the most underrated bands of the 90s and early 2000s. Timeless! 'I'm trying to keep myself away from myself and me'.
I am Gauty
I got bones beneath my skin Mr.
Ryan Barrington Cox
This song’s been killing me for a quarter of a decade and I love it.
Barbara La Placa
Me too my friend me too
Ryan Barrington Cox
@Barbara La Placa I just realized I meant to say a quarter of a century
Barbara La Placa
I knew what you meant! Ditto here!