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)
Recovering The Satellites
Counting Crows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Guess I'll start it up again
I'm fallin' from the ceiling
You're falling from the sky now and then
Maybe you were shot down in pieces
Maybe I slipped in between
But we were gonna be the wildest people they ever hoped to see
So why'd you come home to this sleepless town
It's a lifetime commitment
Recovering the satellites
All anybody really wants to know is...
When you gonna come down
Your mother recognizes all you're desperate displays
And she watches as her babies drift violently away
'Til they see themselves in telescopes
Do you see yourself in me?
We're such crazy babies, little monkey
We're so fucked up, you and me
So why'd you come home to this faithless town
Where we make a lifetime commitment
To recovering the satellites
And all anybody really wants to know is...
When are you gonna come down
She sees shooting stars and comet tails
She's got heaven in her eyes
She says I don't need to be an angel
But I'm nothing if I'm not this high
But we only stay in orbit
For a moment of time
And then you're everybody's satellite
I wish that you were mine
So why'd you come home to this angel town
It's a lifetime decision
Recovering the satellites
Everybody really knows for sure...
That you're gonna come down
That you're gonna come down
Counting Crows's song "Recovering the Satellites" talks about getting back to basics and starting over again. The first verse mentions falling from the ceiling and falling from the sky, which can be interpreted in many ways. It could mean that the singer and someone else (possibly a lover) have both fallen from their high positions in life, and are now trying to recover. The second verse mentions two people who were supposed to be wild and crazy. However, they ended up in a "sleepless town" and are now trying to recover the satellites, which can be interpreted as the high point of their lives. The chorus repeats the question "When you gonna come down" and also mentions recovering the satellites.
The third verse talks about a mother who sees her children drifting away and recognizes their desperate displays. The line "Do you see yourself in me?" suggests that the singer and the person they're talking about have similar issues. They're both "crazy babies" and "fucked up." The fourth verse mentions shooting stars and comet tails, which the person the singer is talking about sees, and how they don't need to be an angel but they need to be that high. However, they can only stay in orbit for a moment of time before becoming everybody's satellite. The singer wishes that this person was theirs. The last chorus says that "everybody really knows for sure" that the person will come down eventually.
Overall, the song seems to be about recovering from a fall from grace and trying to get back to a point where life was exciting and full of potential. The repeated question "When you gonna come down" suggests that the singer is waiting for a change to happen, for the person to come back to reality and start rebuilding their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Gonna get back to basics
Going back to the simple things in life.
Guess I'll start it up again
Thinking about restarting something that was lost.
I'm fallin' from the ceiling
Feeling out of control and overwhelmed.
You're falling from the sky now and then
Experiencing unexpected setbacks.
Maybe you were shot down in pieces
Could have experienced a hard fall before.
Maybe I slipped in between
Possibly came in to help with the hard fall.
But we were gonna be the wildest people they ever hoped to see
Together, they were going to live a wild and adventurous life.
Just you and me
The adventure was only for them.
So why'd you come home to this sleepless town
Questioning the decision to return to a place that is causing restlessness.
It's a lifetime commitment
The decision to return was intended to be long-term.
Recovering the satellites
Trying to get back on track.
All anybody really wants to know is... When you gonna come down
People are wondering when the situation will stabilize.
Your mother recognizes all your desperate displays
A mother can see when someone is struggling.
And she watches as her babies drift violently away
Seeing a loved one struggle and it's tough to watch.
'Til they see themselves in telescopes
A moment of introspection.
Do you see yourself in me?
Asking if they see a reflection of themselves in their loved one.
We're such crazy babies, little monkey
Acknowledging their chaotic nature.
We're so fucked up, you and me
Acknowledging their dysfunctional relationship.
So why'd you come home to this faithless town
Questioning the decision to return to a place where trust is lacking.
Where we make a lifetime commitment
Committing to staying there for the long-term.
And all anybody really wants to know is... When are you gonna come down
People want to see them recover and stabilize their situation.
She sees shooting stars and comet tails
Seeing the beauty in everything.
She's got heaven in her eyes
Full of life and wonder.
She says I don't need to be an angel
Confident in her own abilities.
But I'm nothing if I'm not this high
Her sense of self is tied to her current state of elation.
But we only stay in orbit
Reminding that this state of mind is temporary.
For a moment of time
A fleeting moment.
And then you're everybody's satellite
Once the high ends, they become aloof.
I wish that you were mine
Wishing they were able to hold on to the high and live in that moment.
So why'd you come home to this angel town
Questioning the decision to return to a place that is extremely pure.
It's a lifetime decision
The decision to stay is not temporary.
Recovering the satellites
Trying to regain control of one's life.
Everybody really knows for sure... That you're gonna come down
People know that eventually, they will have to come down from their current state of being.
Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC
Written by: ADAM FREDRIC DURITZ, BEN G MIZE, CHARLES THOMAS GILLINGHAM, DANIEL JOHN VICKREY, DAVID LYNN BRYSON, MATTHEW MARK MALLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Librocubicularist 1
Recovering The Satellites
Counting Crows
Gonna get back to basics,
Guess I'll start it up again,
I'm fallin' from the ceiling,
You're falling from the sky now and then.
Maybe you were shot down in pieces,
Maybe I slipped in between,
But we were gonna be the wildest, the wildest,
The wildest people they ever hoped to see,
Just you and me.
So why'd you come home,
To this sleepless town,
It's a lifetime commitment,
Recovering the satellites,
All anybody really wants to know is,
When you gonna come down,
When you gonna come down.
Your mother recognizes, all your desperate displays,
And she watches as her babies, drift violently away,
'Til they see themselves in telescopes,
Well listen, do you see yourself in me?
We're such crazy babies, little monkey,
God we're so fucked up, you and me.
So why'd you come home,
To this faithless town,
Where we make a lifetime commitment,
To recovering the satellites,
And all anybody really wants to know is,
When are you gonna come down, down, down, down, down, down,
When are you gonna come down.
She, she, she sees shooting stars and comet tails,
She's got heaven in her eyes,
She says I don't, I don't, I don't need to be an angel,
But I'm nothing, I'm nothing if I'm not this high.
But we only stay in orbit,
For a moment of time,
And then you're everybody's satellite,
I wish that you were mine,
Wish that you were mine.
So why'd you come home,
To this angel's town,
Well it's a lifetime's decision,
Recovering the satellites,
All anybody really knows for sure is,
That you're gonna come down,
That you're gonna come down.
Declan Sykes
I was tasked to create my own version of a song. I was given these lyrics and I can aptly say that they are the most uninspiring, messy lyrics that I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with. As hard as I tried, the lyrics do not fit with any musical theory.
Perhaps I'm wasting my time here, listening to this mess of a song. However, I wanted to see the creative vision of such an artist to create the most appalling vocals. Certainly an eye opener. I can now see that it doesn't require talent to succeed in the music industry. Although, I wasn't in any uncertainty.
All in all, Adam is not a "lyrical genius" I'm afraid. He, as far as I can tell, wrote these lyrics when tripping balls on acid.
Adam seems to be guzzling a large cock during certain moments of this "song". An action I'm sure every person in this comment section is a big fan of.
I don't consider myself a vocalist, however even I could sing this song effectively due to the fact that I would be gagging at the pathetic nature of the lyrics.
Sykes out.
Kevin Bihm
It’s funny, I know full and well that this brilliant song is about addiction and recovery, I’ve known since it came out. But after I went to war a few times and came home I made a mess of my life and relationships, especially with one woman in particular, and I can’t help but draw a parallel and comparison between this song and that. That’s what makes this song resonate decades later, the way the frank yet poetic lyrics can echo a life where you realize the damage you’ve done and how truly bittersweet some moments and memories can be and now you have to rebuild or “recover the satellites” as best you can.
Bobby W.
I understand completely.
joeseph greenwood
Yeah brother...it's more about the fucked emotions that happen when a relationship goes bad and how out of control those emotions can make us feel or act. Recovering that satellites is taking a real good honest look at yourself and trying to find the the good.
Luna DeMort
❤❤❤
Luna DeMort
Thank you for your service. I think it means different things to different people..And still a part of the soundtrack of our lives...
ESL O.G.
Well said original poster. I'm 16-T patriot missile vet myself and a big Crows fan
odinson99m
20 years on and this song still just crushes me.
Luna DeMort
Sames :'(
William Lipscomb
Yep.
RC Carlson
I still love this fucking song. damn